President John Dramani Mahama has forcefully denied rumours suggesting his administration has greenlit a directive to incorporate Chinese and Arabic into the national public school curriculum.
Dismissing the claims as unfounded, he stated unequivocally that no such proposal had passed through Cabinet, urging Ghanaians to ignore the speculation.
Speaking on Saturday, 12 September, during an interactive session at the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS) in the Upper West Region — a stop on his ‘Resetting Ghana Tour’ — the President set the record straight.
“No such policy has been approved by the cabinet that I chair. So let’s put that matter to rest once and for all,” President Mahama said.
He questioned the practicality of adding Chinese to the curriculum when the educational sector is already grappling with a shortage of French tutors, emphasizing that French remains a strategic priority due to Ghana’s Francophone neighbours.
“We’re not even getting a handle on the teaching of French. Why would we go and introduce Chinese?” he asked.
Addressing the subject of Arabic instruction, Mahama clarified that its presence in select institutions is not the result of a blanket rollout across state schools.
He noted that Islamic-integrated basic schools were created under the late Jerry John Rawlings’ administration to boost school enrollment among Muslim communities who harboured fears of religious assimilation. Consequently, specialized teacher training has been sustained strictly to support these existing institutions.
Reiterating his position, he assured the public that no nationwide language directive exists.
“But there’s no new policy to introduce Arabic and Chinese in all public schools in Ghana,” he said.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
