The Member of Parliament for Jirapa, Cletus Seidu Dapilah, has called for a complete overhaul of Ghana’s education curriculum to make it relevant to the demands of the modern job market.

According to him, the system’s over-reliance on theory is a major contributor to the country’s growing unemployment rate.

Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana on July 15, 2025, Dapilah said, “We are teaching too much theory, that’s why unemployment is always up.”

He argued that most graduates leave school without the practical experience or hands-on skills required to succeed in today’s economy.

Dapilah challenged the widespread belief that the main goal of education is to secure a white-collar job.

“Going to school is not to complete and chase white-collar jobs. One doesn’t become rich by receiving a salary,” he stated

However, he added that the current system forces students to learn a broad range of subjects without mastery of any.

He criticised the public perception of technical and vocational education, which he believes has been wrongly devalued.

“We have made technical schools seem low, meanwhile that is the key to solving unemployment. We need a national mindset shift,” he stressed.

The Jirapa MP further stated that children are often discouraged from attending technical and vocational schools, which deepens the skills gap and limits their employment prospects.

“We have made our children believe that being in a technical school is bad. Let’s be realistic,” he emphasised.

Dapilah concluded by encouraging the youth not to shy away from skills training.

He said technical competence, entrepreneurship, and a practical approach to education are essential tools for addressing Ghana’s unemployment challenge.

MRA/AE

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