Former Director-General of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), Prof. Edward Appiah, has called for a major transformation of Ghana’s education system, insisting that the country’s curriculum must be redesigned to reflect local realities while preparing students for global competition.
He argued that Ghana’s current educational structure still carries significant influences from the colonial era, when schooling was primarily designed to train personnel for administrative roles rather than encourage creativity, innovation and independent thinking.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony organised by Abofra World School in Kumasi, Prof. Appiah said political independence had not been matched by a complete transformation of the education system, leaving the country with a curriculum that does not fully serve the needs of modern Ghana.
He stressed the need for the decolonisation of the African curriculum through reforms that reconnect learning with local knowledge, culture and community development.
According to him, education should not only prepare young people to succeed internationally but should also inspire them to contribute meaningfully to the growth of their own societies.
“Let me be emphatic in decolonising the African curriculum and I want to begin with a question, but I don’t want the answer. A question that I want every teacher or parent to take a closer look at and reflect and review and probably you can give your answer later. Whose knowledge are we teaching or molding our children for?” he asked.
Prof. Appiah cautioned that an education system focused mainly on global opportunities without strengthening students’ connection to their communities could worsen the challenge of brain drain.
He said curriculum reform must promote critical thinking, interdisciplinary learning and stronger links between schools and the communities they serve.
The former NaCCA boss encouraged policymakers, educators and parents to critically examine the purpose of education and ensure that Ghanaian children are equipped with skills and values that enable them to compete globally while remaining connected to their national identity.
He maintained that a reformed curriculum would help develop a generation capable of driving innovation, solving local challenges and contributing to sustainable national development.
