Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh is former Minister of Education
The office of former Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has issued a strong rebuttal to claims suggesting that former Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum introduced or implemented some of Ghana’s major education sector reforms, including the Double-Track system, the national STEM agenda, TVET restructuring and key data reforms.
In a detailed statement, Dr Prempeh’s team described the assertions as historically inaccurate, stressing that the reforms were conceived, approved and executed under his leadership between 2017 and 2020.
According to the statement, the Double-Track system, introduced to manage the surge in enrollment following the Free Senior High School policy was announced in 2018, approved by Cabinet the same year and developed under the supervision of Dr Prempeh with technical input from Dr Tandoh.
The camp insists that attributing the implementation of Double-Track to Dr Adutwum “has no factual basis.”
The statement further notes that Ghana’s current STEM push was already embedded in the Education Strategic Plan (ESP) 2018–2030, a blueprint prepared during Dr Prempeh’s tenure.
The team emphasised that the foundational direction, planning and strategic orientation for STEM education “were in place long before Dr Adutwum took office as Minister.”
The rebuttal also challenges claims regarding TVET restructuring.
According to the document, the national TVET reform framework now widely recognized as transformational was designed by TVET expert Dr George Afeti and his team.
The statement categorically asserts that Dr Adutwum made no contribution to the formulation of this framework.
The team also rejects claims that data system cleanups and accountability reforms were introduced after 2021.
They argue that major reforms, including EMIS cleaning, data audits and system restructuring were executed between 2017 and 2020.
The statement concludes with a caution to Dr Adutwum’s supporters, “Facts must remain facts.
The national reforms delivered between 2017 and 2021 cannot be reassigned for political expediency.”
It calls on “Team Adutwum” to withdraw what it describes as unfounded and misleading claims, insisting that the historical record of Ghana’s education reforms must be preserved.
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