Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, a former Deputy Minister of Education, has expressed strong reservations about the government’s proposed National Education Forum, calling it a misallocation of Ghana’s resources.
The forum, scheduled to commence on February 18 and culminate in a two-day validation conference on February 27 in Accra, aims to engage stakeholders in shaping the country’s education sector.
In an interview on Channel One Tv, Fordjour questioned the necessity of the forum, emphasizing that President Mahama’s campaign promises should be translated into actionable policies.
“I must say that we do not need a national education forum to be able to set a vision for President Mahama…your vision is cut out,” he stated.
Fordjour highlighted key expectations from the public, including the continuation and extension of the Free SHS policy to private schools, payment of first-year fees for tertiary students in public institutions, and the cancellation of the double-track system.
“They want to see how that finds expression in the budget statement that is going to be presented,” he noted.
The former deputy minister also argued that the forum would be redundant, given the existence of a comprehensive education strategic plan put in place since 2018, which spans from 2018 to 2030.
“What they are going to do is nothing new. It is going to be a waste of time and waste of Ghana’s precious resources,” he asserted.
Fordjour explained that the strategic plan, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), was developed with input from various stakeholders, including renowned educationists, professors, civil society organizations (CSOs), and both local and international development partners.
He therefore called on the Mahama administration to focus on implementing the existing strategic plan and fulfilling campaign promises, rather than convening a new forum.