In a surprising turn of events, President John Dramani Mahama has dismissed Professor Yayra Dzakadzie from his role as Director-General of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), sparking questions about the future direction of curriculum reform in Ghana.
The announcement, made on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, comes less than a year after Prof. Dzakadzie’s appointment by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in June 2024. No official explanation has been provided for the sudden termination, fueling speculation among education stakeholders and policy watchers.
The removal of Prof. Dzakadzie — a respected educationist with deep expertise in assessment, research, and evaluation — could signal a shift in the government’s approach to curriculum development and implementation. His tenure at NaCCA, though brief, followed an extensive career in educational leadership, including roles as Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and Director for Tertiary Education at the Ministry of Education.
Observers note that the move may have implications for the ongoing review of Ghana’s basic and secondary education curriculum, a task NaCCA spearheads under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023).
While the Ministry of Education remains tight-lipped on the reasons for the dismissal, insiders suggest a possible reorientation of NaCCA’s leadership in line with the Mahama administration’s education agenda.
Education policy analysts are calling for clarity and continuity to prevent disruptions in curriculum reforms, particularly as schools and educators await new directives on assessment models and instructional materials.
With Prof. Dzakadzie’s exit, attention now turns to who will be appointed to lead the critical agency, and whether the leadership change will alter the trajectory of educational reform in Ghana.
