The spokesperson for the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has dismissed claims that President John Dramani Mahama has left the Minister to grapple alone with challenges confronting Ghana’s education sector.
Hashmin Mohammed described assertions by former Manhyia North MP Collins Owusu Amankwah that President Mahama had abandoned Mr Iddrisu as “factually wrong, politically convenient and completely unsupported by the evidence.”
In a statement, Mr Mohammed said attempts to use challenges associated with the 2026 Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) to suggest presidential neglect were intended to create a misleading political narrative.
“The attempt to portray the challenges associated with the 2026 Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) as evidence of presidential neglect is nothing more than an attempt to manufacture a political narrative where none exists,” he said.
CSSPS undergoing reforms
Mr Mohammed maintained that the CSSPS remained operational and was being reformed to address longstanding weaknesses and improve the experience of students, parents and schools.
He said the Ministry of Education inherited a system requiring significant reforms but had chosen to confront the problems rather than continue blaming previous administrations.
“The Hon. Minister has chosen to confront the problems head-on, strengthening the system, improving accountability and putting mechanisms in place to make placement more transparent, responsive and efficient,” he stated.
He cited the decentralisation of placement resolution centres as one of the measures introduced to bring assistance closer to parents and students and ease the process of resolving placement-related challenges.
According to him, difficulties associated with a complex national placement exercise should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of a lack of government support.
Government backing for education reforms
Mr Mohammed stressed that President Mahama remained firmly behind Mr Iddrisu and the reforms being implemented in the education sector.
“President John Dramani Mahama did not appoint Hon. Haruna Iddrisu to fail. He appointed him to fix problems. And he is supporting him to do exactly that,” he said.
He said the President’s support was reflected in government policies, resource allocation and interventions aimed at transforming the education sector.
The spokesperson added that the government was simultaneously working to address infrastructure deficits, expand school capacity and improve access to teaching and learning materials.
He said the broader objective was to create adequate capacity in both Category A and Category B schools so that Ghanaian children would not be denied access to quality secondary education because of inadequate infrastructure or limited school capacity.
Call for fact-based debate
Mr Mohammed urged political actors to ensure that discussions on education were grounded in facts rather than political considerations.
“We appreciate the former MP’s interest in Ghana’s education sector. But public discourse on education must be based on facts, not political convenience,” he said.
He argued that presenting every challenge encountered during the implementation of a national programme as evidence of presidential failure would not help resolve the underlying problems.
“The reality is that the Mahama administration inherited challenges across the education sector and has chosen to confront them through reform, investment and institutional strengthening,” he stated.
Mr Mohammed maintained that the CSSPS was being improved rather than abandoned, while the Education Minister continued to receive the necessary political and institutional support to address challenges in the sector.
“The CSSPS is being improved, not abandoned. The Education Minister is being supported, not isolated. And the education sector is being reformed, not left to drift,” he said.
He insisted that President Mahama had given Mr Iddrisu the mandate, political backing and institutional support required to address the problems inherited by the administration.
“Those who have genuine concerns about education are welcome to contribute constructive ideas. But attempts to turn every reform challenge into evidence of presidential abandonment will not change the facts,” he added.
Mr Mohammed concluded that the government remained committed to fixing challenges within the education sector and that President Mahama continued to support the Education Minister.
“The Government is fixing the system. The reforms are underway. And President Mahama remains firmly behind the Education Minister.”
