Education Ministry to amend Act 1049 over faith-based reps on GES Council – Dr. Apaak

Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Apaak, has revealed that the Ministry will initiate the process to amend the Pre-Tertiary Education Act, 2020 (Act 1049) to ensure adequate representation of recognised faith-based organisations on the Ghana Education Service (GES) Council.

In a statement on Thursday, August 27, Dr. Apaak said the move follows concerns raised by the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference over its exclusion from the GES Council.

According to him, the Ministry recognises the significant contribution of faith-based institutions to Ghana’s education sector and is committed to addressing the concerns through legislative reforms.

He explained that while the Ghana Education Service Act, 1995 (Act 506) provided for three representatives of faith-based organisations on the GES Council, the Pre-Tertiary Education Act, 2020 (Act 1049) provides for only one representative.

The Ministry, he said, identified the disparity when the GES Council was constituted in 2025 and decided to hold the matter in abeyance pending an amendment to the law.

“The Ministry in constituting the GES council in 2025, noticed this anomaly of inadequate representation of the faith- based organizations and decided to hold on to it until the Act 1049 is amended to adequately cater for faith-based institutions following the government decentralisation policy on Education the Ministry has been engaging stakeholders.”

Dr. Apaak said the Ministry will now commence the necessary legislative process to address the gap.

“In this regard, the Ministry will initiate the necessary legislative process to amend the Pre-Tertiary Education Act, 2020 (ACT,1049) to provide for appropriate representation of all recognized faith-based organizations into the GES Council.”

He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to inclusive and collaborative education governance and urged faith-based organisations to continue engaging with government.

“The Ministry remains committed to an inclusive, consultative and collaborative approach to education governance and will continue to engage relevant stakeholders in strengthening the education sector.”

Dr. Apaak also called on the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference and other faith-based organisations to support government efforts to address indiscipline in schools.

“The Ministry appreciates the contribution of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference and other faith-based organisations to education in Ghana and request that they join government in stemming the growing indiscipline in the education sector while we collective work to review the legislation.”