Deputy Minister highlights Ghana’s education advancement in Addis Ababa

During an international conference of ministers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Deputy Education Minister, Dr Clement Apaak, showcased what he called a “sweeping reform” in the education sector to strengthen educational framework across the country.

The three-day summit, honored by the presence of Temesgen Tiruneh, the Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia, on the theme” “Educate and skill Africa for the 21st Century“, assembled representatives including ministers and professionals from across the continent.

The Innovation Africa 2025 of the African ministerial summit dedicated to educational excellence, technology and skills development across the African continent.

Building upon the African Union’s declaration of 2024 as the “Year of Education,” the summit brought together government ministers, stakeholders unite for collective progress on initiatives that improve academic performance and digital transformation in Africa.

During an exchange of ideas among the panel on the theme: “Ensuring the Professional Development of Quality Teachers to Deliver Curriculum Reform in Africa“, Dr Clement Apaak, the deputy minister, brought up the teacher licensing and the National Training Council initiative in Ghana as one of the significant steps for development.

He told the audience that the examination through which one could obtain a licence sought to “ensure continuous learning throughout a teacher’s career“. As per him, to enable persistent learning and improvement by teachers, they must gain credits through persistent professional development programmes as a basis for licence renewals.

In line with the reform, he said, colleges of education currently offered bachelor’s degree programmes in education as a way to support reflective learning and integrate technology-enhanced learning into teacher-trainee curricula.

Dr Apaak also highlighted that the government had launched the Teacher Deployment and Retention Programme, seeking to offer allowances, housing and mentorship opportunities for educators working in underprivileged communities. Dr Clement Apaak said that “Incentives and support systems are in place to encourage teachers to work in underserved areas, including allowances, accommodation and targeted mentorship.”

Regarding knowledge exchange across the African continent, the deputy minister told the international ministerial gathering that Ghana was fostering international partnership by promoting cross-border teacher exchange programmes under the ECOWAS and African Union frameworks, making electronic resources freely available, and playing a role in continental teacher development platforms like the African Union’s CESA Cluster.

Dr Clement Apaak stated that “Our vision extends beyond Ghana. We believe in sharing resources, strategies and successes with our brothers and sisters across Africa,” advancing Ghana’s continental partnerships.

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