Accra: Ghana's President, John Dramani Mahama, has explained why English-Arabic schools were established during the administration of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings. According to President Mahama, Muslim communities at the time were reluctant to send their children to school because of concerns that they could be converted to other religions.
According to Ghana Web, President Mahama stated that the Rawlings administration responded to the concern by introducing English-Arabic schools. This initiative allowed Arabic to be taught alongside the conventional curriculum, making formal education more acceptable to Muslim communities. President Mahama made these remarks during a citizens' engagement at the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS) in the Upper West Region as part of his Resetting Ghana Tour.
He elaborated on the efforts made during Rawlings' time, highlighting the training of Arabic teachers to support this initiative. The President emphasized that the introduction of English-Arabic schools was a strategic move to ensure that Muslim children received an education without the fear of religious conversion.
In response to recent discussions, President Mahama addressed reports suggesting that his government was considering the introduction of Arabic and Chinese as subjects in public schools nationwide. He dismissed these claims, clarifying that no such policy had been approved by the Cabinet he chairs. He urged the public to disregard these reports and emphasized the importance of focusing on existing educational priorities.
President Mahama also questioned the rationale behind introducing Chinese into the public school system, given the challenges Ghana faces in securing enough teachers to effectively teach French. He noted the significance of French due to Ghana's proximity to several Francophone countries in the sub-region. "We're not even getting a handle on the teaching of French. Why would we go and introduce Chinese?" he asked, reiterating that there is no new policy to introduce Arabic and Chinese into the curriculum.