Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has dismissed suggestions that he should turn to his predecessor, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, for guidance on tackling challenges confronting Ghana’s education sector.
The Minister questioned what practical advice the former Education Minister could offer, arguing that the current administration inherited a sector burdened with significant challenges from the previous government.
Speaking on TV3 on Friday, September 11, 2026, Haruna said the government inherited what he described as a “despondent” education system, with problems ranging from infrastructure deficits to difficulties in feeding students under the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme.
“When he says come to me for advice, what advice? Advice that you left a despondent educational system is what President Mahama inherited,” he said.
Haruna particularly pointed to challenges associated with feeding students under Free SHS, claiming that shortages of food under the previous administration resulted in schools being forced to close on several occasions.
“You left an educational system in crisis with its infrastructure, an educational system that could not feed students in the government’s most popular flagship of Free SHS and under his supervision, there were many times schools were closed down because of shortage of food,” he stated.
According to the Minister, the situation has improved under the current administration following President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to uncap the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) and allocate funding towards feeding students.
“Students are being well fed. Thanks to President Mahama’s uncapping the GETFund and dedicating financing to feed them. So, there has been an improvement,” he added.
Haruna also rejected the idea of consulting Adutwum on the government’s efforts to end the double-track system in senior high schools.
He argued that the system was introduced during Adutwum’s tenure and therefore questioned why he should seek advice from him on addressing its consequences.
“Am I going to go to Minister Adutwum to seek for advice to end double track? When he invented double track and knows the consequences of double track on the quality of education? I should go for advice on that? Interesting times,” Haruna said.
The Education Minister also addressed ongoing concerns over the computerised school placement system, acknowledging that the current administration inherited challenges with the exercise.
He noted that Adutwum had publicly suggested that he had better solutions to some of the problems, but questioned why those solutions had not resolved the difficulties while the former minister was in office.
“For the placement exercise, we inherited it anyway. I have heard comments from the former minister who seems to have better solutions outside government. If he fixed the challenges, why are we here?” he asked.
Haruna said the first step towards resolving the placement challenges was to acknowledge the problems within the system and work towards addressing them.
His comments follow an offer by Dr Adutwum to share his experience and ideas with the current Education Minister if needed, setting the stage for a fresh exchange between the two former and current occupants of the Education Ministry.
