Media critical in implementing education reform policies — Dr Apaak

The advocacy role of the media is indispensable in sustaining the implementation of policies that will emerge from the National Education Forum, the Deputy Minister of Education designate, Dr Clement Abas Apaak, has said.

He, therefore, urged the media to interrogate education issues at the forum passionately to help the government identify areas to be transformed for the sustainable development of the nation.

Dr Apaak said this in Accra yesterday at the opening of a Media Engagement with Senior Journalists and Education Desk Editors as part of the National Education Forum.

Committee

He said the National Education Reform Committee had deemed it necessary to move beyond the normal trend of engaging media houses just to cover stakeholder engagement programmes.

"The committee, with support from the Ministry of Education, has identified editors and journalists on education desks as critical stakeholders whose views shouldn't be neglected in the consultations on ways of transforming our educational system to ensure that it meets the human capital required by government to successfully implement its resetting agenda," he said.

Having followed and analysed various education reforms, reviews or policy initiatives across political party regimes, and having experienced the impact of previous educational initiatives, Dr Apaak said: "We find your experiences and perspectives very relevant to the current discourses on education, especially on the implementation of the free senior high school programme introduced by the former government".

Consultations

The Government of Ghana has committed to conducting a series of consultations to critically examine issues and challenges in the education sector.

The consultations will collate and build consensus for education on the theme: “Transforming education for a sustainable future”.

This will contribute to achieving the government's vision of an "enhanced education system to nurture talents, foster innovation and equip students to be globally competitive with relevant skills for the fast-changing world of work".

Apart from the national dialogue, the committee has already met various student groups and religious leaders.

The committee will on March 13, 2025, hold a National Validation Conference to consider the inputs of the various stakeholders.

The stakeholders will include the donor community, among other groups.

Opening

At the opening of the forum, President John Mahama said education was not just a tool for personal development, but it was the bedrock upon which the progress and prosperity of any nation rested.

He said it defined the present and determined the future of a country.

“We recognise that the education system we inherited has not kept pace with the needs of 21st-century society and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. As the world evolves, so must our education system,” he said.

“What worked in the past no longer suffices for the challenges and opportunities of today and tomorrow.

This realisation has brought us together today. We are united in our belief that education reform is not an option but a necessity,” he added.

President Mahama said the National Consultative Forum on Education was a platform for bringing all stakeholders, namely governments, policymakers, teachers, students, parents, traditional leaders, religious leaders, political party representatives, development partners and all members of civil society, together.