Ghana’s Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, has called for a stronger focus on foundational learning, arguing that the country needs to pay greater attention to the basic skills children acquire during the early stages of their education.
The Minister’s comments have renewed discussion about how education resources should be distributed across Ghana’s education system, particularly between basic education and secondary education.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, September 12, 2026, Mr Iddrisu said Ghana was spending too much on secondary education and argued that more attention and investment should be directed towards foundational learning at the basic level.
His position comes at a time when education stakeholders are increasingly discussing not only how many children have access to school, but also whether those children are acquiring the literacy, numeracy and other essential skills expected at their respective stages of education.
Haruna Iddrisu wants greater focus on foundational learning
According to the Education Minister, the foundation of a child’s education deserves significant attention because weaknesses developed during the early years can affect learning at later stages.
Mr Iddrisu said education investment should begin with the foundation, where children develop important literacy and numeracy abilities that support their progress through the rest of the education system.
His argument is that increasing access to education is important, but access by itself does not necessarily mean that children are learning successfully.
This distinction is important for Ghana’s education system. A child may be enrolled in school and attend classes regularly, but still struggle to read, understand written material, perform basic mathematical operations or develop the skills expected at that level.
The Minister therefore believes that education policies and spending should place greater emphasis on whether children are actually learning.
Why literacy and numeracy matter
Foundational learning generally refers to the basic knowledge and skills children need to participate successfully in further education and everyday life.
Literacy and numeracy are at the centre of this foundation. A child who develops strong reading, comprehension and mathematical skills is better positioned to understand more advanced subjects as he or she progresses through school.
This is why concerns about foundational learning go beyond the early years of schooling. Difficulties in reading or mathematics can eventually affect a learner’s ability to follow lessons in science, social studies, technology and other subjects.
Mr Iddrisu stressed this connection when discussing the importance of getting literacy right at an early stage.
The broader message from the Minister is that Ghana’s education system should not measure progress only by the number of children entering school. The quality of learning and the skills children gain must also remain central to education planning.
Minister raises concerns about education spending
One of the most notable parts of Mr Iddrisu’s latest comments was his criticism of the level of public spending associated with secondary education.
He argued that Ghana needs to reconsider how resources are distributed across the education sector and place more emphasis on foundational learning.
However, the Minister did not suggest that secondary education should simply be abandoned or that existing secondary education programmes have no value.
Instead, his comments point to the need for a better balance in education spending. Ghana has made major efforts to expand access to secondary education, including through the Free Senior High School programme, but the Minister believes that the basic education foundation must receive sufficient attention as well.
This makes the discussion broader than simply comparing basic schools with senior high schools. It is ultimately about how limited public resources can be used to produce stronger learning outcomes throughout the education system.
The cost of education programmes
Mr Iddrisu also referred to the financial demands of government education interventions while explaining the need for a more balanced approach.
During the Newsfile discussion, he cited about GH¢3.4 billion being spent on the school feeding programme. He also acknowledged the importance of free secondary education while pointing to the financial pressures associated with running major education programmes.
The figures provide context to the Minister’s argument: Ghana has several major education commitments competing for public resources, making prioritisation an important part of education policy.
The issue is therefore not simply about spending more money. It is also about deciding where resources can have the greatest effect on children's learning.
GALOP and the focus on low-performing schools
Ghana has already been using evidence to identify schools that require additional support.
Mr Iddrisu previously highlighted the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project, popularly known as GALOP, which identified about 10,579 low-performing basic schools and directed additional resources and technical support towards them.
The approach is significant because it recognises that schools do not all face the same challenges.
A school in a disadvantaged community may require different support from a school that already has adequate classrooms, learning materials, teachers and other facilities.
The Minister has therefore argued that equal financing does not necessarily produce equitable outcomes. In practical terms, this means education resources may sometimes need to be targeted towards schools and communities facing the greatest learning challenges.
Ghana has expanded access, but learning remains a concern
Another important part of the discussion is the difference between school access and learning outcomes.
Ghana has made substantial progress in expanding access to education. However, stakeholders at the Ghana and Regional Foundation Learning Evidence and Implementation Support Day in Accra in August 2026 noted that access does not automatically guarantee that children acquire the skills expected for their grade level.
Ghanaian Times reported that World Bank Country Director for Ghana, Robert Taliercio, also raised concerns about children completing early grades without mastering age-appropriate foundational skills.
This suggests that the next stage of education reform cannot focus only on getting children into classrooms. The quality of instruction, availability of learning materials, teacher support, assessment and the conditions in which children learn also matter.
Curriculum changes also form part of the discussion
The focus on foundational learning is also connected to changes taking place within Ghana’s curriculum.
Mr Iddrisu disclosed in August that Ghana’s curriculum from kindergarten through Primary Six had been revised to strengthen areas including ethical and moral education as well as digital and technical skills.
That development shows that foundational education is not limited to reading and mathematics alone. Children also need a broader set of skills that can prepare them for later education, work and participation in society.
At the same time, the emphasis on literacy and numeracy remains important because these skills help learners benefit from more advanced areas of the curriculum.
What a stronger focus on basic education could mean
If the government follows through on the Minister’s call for greater emphasis on foundational learning, investment could increasingly be judged by its effect on learning outcomes rather than simply by the amount of money spent.
This could mean giving greater attention to schools where pupils are struggling, improving classroom conditions, supporting teachers and providing learning materials where they are most needed.
It could also mean using assessments and other evidence to determine which interventions are producing results and which ones require adjustment.
For parents, the issue is particularly important because the foundation children receive in kindergarten, primary school and junior high school can influence their performance later in secondary education.
For teachers, stronger foundational learning policies could place more emphasis on early identification of learning difficulties and targeted support for pupils who fall behind.
For policymakers, the challenge will be ensuring that the call for better prioritisation translates into practical and sustainable action.
Free SHS remains part of the wider education debate
The discussion about foundational learning should also be viewed alongside Ghana’s continued investment in secondary education.
Mr Iddrisu acknowledged the importance of free secondary education even while arguing that spending priorities need to be balanced.
Free SHS has significantly shaped Ghana’s education policy by expanding opportunities for young people to continue their education after basic school. The question now is how Ghana can maintain access to secondary education while also ensuring that pupils entering the senior high school system have strong academic foundations.
A learner who reaches SHS without adequate reading, comprehension or numeracy skills may face difficulties regardless of how much is subsequently invested at the secondary level.
That is why the Minister’s argument places the basic education years at the centre of the wider education conversation.
The bigger question is learning outcomes
At the heart of Haruna Iddrisu’s argument is a straightforward question: Are Ghanaian children learning what they are expected to learn?
School enrolment figures are important, but they do not provide the complete picture.
A successful education system should also be able to demonstrate that children are developing the knowledge and skills needed to move confidently from one stage of education to another.
This is particularly important in foundational learning because weaknesses at the early stages can become more difficult to address as learners advance through the system.
For that reason, investment in basic education should not be viewed simply as spending on younger pupils. It is an investment in the future performance of the entire education system.
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Conclusion
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu’s latest comments have placed foundational learning at the centre of Ghana’s education spending debate.
His argument is that Ghana must look beyond access and place greater emphasis on whether children are acquiring essential literacy and numeracy skills at the appropriate stage of their education.
The Minister’s position does not remove the importance of secondary education or programmes such as Free SHS. Instead, it raises the question of whether Ghana’s education resources are sufficiently balanced across the different levels of the system.
With GALOP already using evidence to identify low-performing basic schools and direct additional support towards them, the broader challenge will be turning evidence about learning into sustained action in classrooms.
For Ghana, strengthening foundational learning could ultimately mean building an education system in which children do not merely attend school but acquire the skills they need to succeed at the next stage.
The debate over education spending is therefore likely to continue, but the Minister’s message is clear: stronger foundations should be treated as a central priority in Ghana’s effort to improve learning outcomes.
Haruna Iddrisu Calls for More Education Investment in Foundational Learning - Video
Disclaimer
This article is published for informational and educational purposes. It reports comments and information attributed to Ghana’s Education Minister and other education stakeholders. The views expressed by individuals mentioned in the report do not necessarily represent the views of 247 World Reports.
Readers are encouraged to consult official government and education-sector sources for policy announcements and implementation details.
MyJoyOnline, Ghanaian Times, Ghana News Agency, Ghana Education Service
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