L-R: Former sports minister Mustapha Ussif and education minister-designate, Haruna Iddrisu
Former Minister of Sports, Mustapha Ussif, quizzed Karela United owner, Haruna Iddrisu, on his plans to address the high dropout rates during the latter’s vetting as the Minister of Education-designate.
Ussif began the session by praising Haruna on his appointment, expressing his delight at seeing someone from his ethnic background honoured with such a significant role.
“Let me congratulate my senior brother, and let me put it on record that I’m very proud of you,” Ussif remarked.
Following his warm words, he proceeded to question Haruna on his plans to address the high dropout rates at the basic education level in the Northern Region.
“According to African Education Watch, in the Northern Region, only 5 out of 19 students who enroll in kindergarten are able to complete primary school, and of those, only three go on to complete Junior High School (JHS).
“As the first Minister of Education from the northern sector of our country, what will you do to address this issue?” he asked.
In response, Haruna Iddrisu expressed gratitude to Mustapha for the warm compliments before assuring him that his ministry would work to bridge the educational gap between the northern and southern regions.
“It is important to recognise that, as a country, there is a north-south divide when it comes to access to education. Beginning in 1876, when the first school was established, the north only got its first schools around 1951. This highlights the gap and the existing deficit.
“We will work to close that gap. In fact, even with the implementation of the Free Senior High School policy, participation rates have been notably high in northern Ghana. This suggests that poverty was a key barrier to accessing quality education in the north,” he added.
The Minister of Education-designate, Haruna Iddrisu, appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Monday, January 20, 2025.
The session was marked by mutual respect between the two politicians, with Ussif playing a key role in scrutinising the minister-designate’s vision for Ghana’s education sector.
EE/AE
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