Education Ministry denies claims of plans to make Arabic compulsory in schools

The Ministry of Education has rejected claims that it intends to make Arabic compulsory for students in Ghanaian public schools, saying the language will remain optional.

The clarification follows concerns over the development of a standardised Arabic curriculum by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA).

According to the Ministry, the curriculum was developed to regulate and standardise the teaching of Arabic in schools where the language is already offered, rather than introduce it as a compulsory subject nationwide.

In a statement, the Ministry stressed that the curriculum development process started before Haruna Iddrisu became Education Minister and was initially linked to efforts to review Arabic education at the senior high school level.

It said schools offering Arabic had previously been using different curricula, prompting NaCCA to develop a unified framework to improve consistency and quality.

“The Ministry wishes to state categorically that there is no policy or directive to impose the study of Arabic on Ghanaian students.”

The Ministry explained that the standardised curriculum is intended for schools already teaching Arabic and public primary schools that may voluntarily choose to introduce the language.

It further rejected attempts to link the teaching of Arabic with religious instruction.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Arabic is a language, not a religion. The teaching and learning of Arabic should therefore not be misconstrued as the promotion or imposition of any religious belief.”

The Ministry said Arabic, like other foreign languages apart from English, remains an optional subject in public schools and urged the public and media to rely on official information to avoid misinformation and unnecessary concerns.