By Philip Antoh
The Ministry of Education has firmly dismissed widespread claims suggesting that the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, is attempting to force the teaching of Arabic on Ghanaian students.
In a statement signed by the Minister’s Press Secretary, Hashmin Mohammed, the Ministry described the circulating narratives as misinformation, stating categorically that there is no policy or directive to impose the language on the general student populace.
Addressing the religious undertones of the public backlash, the Ministry emphasized a basic fact: “Arabic is a language, not a religion.” It warned that the teaching and learning of the language should not be misconstrued as a subtle attempt to promote or impose Islamic beliefs on Ghanaian learners.
The statement further clarified that the recent development of an Arabic curriculum is not a personal initiative of the current Minister. According to the Ministry, the process to standardize the curriculum began about four years ago, long before Mr. Iddrisu assumed office, starting as a revision at the senior high school level.
Historically, the establishment of English-Arabic and Islamic schools in Ghana decades ago led to the teaching of Arabic. However, these schools have operated without officially approved, standardized curricula, resulting in each school using its own syllabus.
To bring order to this, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) executed its mandate by developing a unified, standard curriculum to regulate how Arabic is taught in these specific schools.
The Ministry noted that NaCCA’s recommendation to the minister was strictly for these existing Islamic schools, as well as any public primary school that might voluntarily choose to implement it in the future.
The Ministry stressed that Arabic remains an optional foreign language, drawing a direct comparison to French. It is not a compulsory subject for Ghanaian students, and the creation of a standard curriculum does not change that fact.
To prevent unnecessary panic and religious tension, the Ministry has urged the public, media practitioners, and all stakeholders to verify information from official, authoritative sources before drawing conclusions or spreading false claims.