Education reforms: MoE to map activities of NGOs, CSOs for effective coordination – Apaak

The Ministry of Education is moving to formally assign specific roles and responsibilities to Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) as part of a broader strategy to ensure effective implementation of Ghana’s education reform agenda.

This was disclosed by the Deputy Minister for Education, Dr Clement Abas Apaak, at a stakeholder meeting held at the Ministry on February 6, 2026, to deliberate on the implementation of the National Education Committee Report.

Addressing representatives of NGOs and CSOs, Dr Apaak explained that although many organisations have made valuable contributions to the education sector over the years, the Ministry now considers it necessary to align these contributions more directly with specific reform priorities identified in the committee’s report.

“Accordingly, this exercise is intended to prevent duplication and overlap of interventions, to identify areas of synergy and collaboration and to assign institutions to appropriate education sub sectors and implementation tasks derived from the National Education Committee recommendations,” he stated.

The Deputy Minister said the National Education Committee Report, presented to the President in May 2025, outlines clear and actionable reforms across all sub-sectors of education, guided by key pillars such as infrastructure, quality education provision, regulatory systems, accountability and governance, education financing, and evidence-driven decision-making.

He noted that the Ministry has already undertaken policy reviews, stakeholder engagements, and inter-agency consultations to begin implementing the report’s recommendations. However, he stressed that the success of the reforms depends on deliberate coordination among all actors in the education space.

“Implementation is a collective national responsibility that requires coordinated action by government, agencies, development partners, NGOs, and CSOs,” Dr Apaak said.

According to him, the Ministry’s new approach will involve systematically mapping the mandates, operational focus, and activities of NGOs and CSOs to determine where they best fit within the reform framework. This, he explained, will help optimise limited resources, eliminate duplication, and enhance the impact of interventions across the sector.

Dr Apaak described NGOs and CSOs as strategic implementation partners capable of translating policy into practical outcomes at the community, district, regional, and national levels.

He encouraged each institution present to clearly outline its mandate and demonstrate how its work aligns with specific recommendations of the National Education Committee Report.

“The success of the National Education Committee recommendations will depend largely on effective coordination, shared ownership, and sustained collaboration among all stakeholders,” added.