No Plans to Make Arabic Compulsory in Schools – Education Ministry Clarifies

The Ministry of Education has firmly dismissed reports suggesting that it intends to make the Arabic language a mandatory and examinable subject in schools across Ghana.

In a statement, the Ministry stated clearly that there is “no policy or directive to impose the study of Arabic on Ghanaian students.”

Background to the Clarification

The clarification follows public discussions and concerns surrounding the development of a standardised curriculum for the teaching and learning of Arabic. Some members of the public had interpreted the initiative as a move to make the language compulsory in all schools.

The Ministry emphasised that Arabic is a language and not a religion. Therefore, its teaching should not be misconstrued as the promotion or imposition of any religious belief.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Arabic is a language, not a religion. The teaching and learning of Arabic should therefore not be misconstrued as the promotion or imposition of any religious belief,” the statement said.

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Purpose of the Standardised Curriculum

According to the Ministry, the process of developing a standardised Arabic curriculum began before the appointment of the current Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu.

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) developed the curriculum because Arabic has historically been taught in several Islamic and English-Arabic schools across the country without a single, official standardised framework.

NaCCA’s recommendation for the adoption of the curriculum was specifically intended for:

• Existing Islamic and English-Arabic schools
• Other public primary schools that may voluntarily choose to implement it

The Ministry stressed that the curriculum “was never meant to make the language a mandatory or compulsory subject in our primary schools.”

Arabic Remains Optional

The Ministry reiterated that Arabic, like French, Chinese and other foreign languages, remains an optional subject in public schools. It does not amount to the imposition of any religion on Ghanaian students.

“The Ministry wishes to make it absolutely clear that Arabic is not a compulsory subject for Ghanaian students generally,” the statement concluded.

There are already hundreds of Islamic schools in Ghana where Arabic is taught primarily to meet the educational and linguistic needs of their communities. The standardised curriculum is designed to ensure consistency and quality in the teaching of the language in those settings.