By Stanley Kwabla Arku
The Ministry of Education says it is stepping up efforts to rescue Ghana’s struggling basic schools through a new accountability system and targeted reforms under the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP).
In a speech delivered on behalf of the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, who chairs the Project Oversight Committee, Deputy Education Minister Dr. Clement Apaak said the Ministry is rolling out a nationwide strategy to tackle poor learning outcomes, especially in the country’s lowest-performing 10,000 basic schools.
“These schools serve some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities, including children with disabilities and those in hard-to-reach areas,” Dr. Apaak said. “We are holding ourselves accountable and working with teachers, parents, and development partners to turn things around.”
The Deputy Minister was speaking at a meeting attended by development partners, heads of implementing agencies, and members of the project oversight committee. The meeting reinforced their collective responsibility for steering the successful implementation of GALOP’s additional funding phase, aimed at improving equity and learning outcomes at the basic level.
Among the reforms is a new equity and accountability framework that includes regular assessments through national standardized tests, improved teacher training, and the integration of digital tools for both instruction and performance monitoring.
“We are aligning the curriculum, providing continuous professional development for teachers, and improving access to learning materials,” Dr. Apaak said. “Performance will be tracked at school, district, and national levels through real-time data.”
The Ministry also announced a $17.1 million boost from development partners to strengthen oversight and ensure that reforms translate into tangible results in classrooms across the country.
Dr. Apaak said the initiative will also introduce performance incentives and transparent tracking systems to ensure schools meet set targets.
“This is about transforming the system, not just by talking, but by acting,” he noted.
GALOP is already underway and is considered a key pillar of the Ministry’s broader education reform agenda. It aims to raise learning standards, ensure fairness, and restore public confidence in Ghana’s basic school system.