#SONA2025: Mahama unveils ‘Zero to Hero’ plan to improve basic education

President John Dramani Mahama has announced a new initiative, Zero to Hero, aimed at improving foundational literacy and numeracy in Ghana’s basic education system.

Speaking during his first State of the Nation Address (#SONA2025) in Parliament on Thursday, February 27, 2025, he noted that the objectives of the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) policy remained unmet and pledged to redefine the scope of basic education.

“The Zero to Hero initiative will strengthen early childhood education by integrating ICT training into the basic school curriculum. Over the next three years, we will expand this to at least 300 classrooms, establish 30 centres of excellence, and train 1,000 teachers,” he said.

Mr Mahama added that the government would introduce a standardised national sign language for hearing-impaired students from kindergarten to senior high school (SHS). The curriculum for kindergarten and primary education will also be reviewed to align with modern learning standards.

To improve access to education, the government will scale up social intervention programmes, including capitation grants, school feeding schemes, and full Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) registration support.

“We want Ghana’s education system to be relevant and responsive to the demands of the 21st century and the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” he said.