A former Deputy Minister of Education, Rev John Ntim Fordjour, has squarely blamed the poor performance recorded in the recently released WASSCE results on government’s failure to release the funds required to ensure smooth and uninterrupted operations within the Ministry of Education.

According to the Assin Central MP, although Parliament approved a ₵31.7 billion budget for the Ministry of Education last year, only ₵19.1 billion was actually released — leaving a staggering ₵12.7 billion shortfall.

He described the approved allocation itself as woefully inadequate, stressing that the further delay and withholding of funds was “a slap in the face” of the ministry and a direct contributor to the worrying outcomes in the WASSCE performance.

Fordjour argued that the ministry is staffed with highly capable and experienced professionals, but the crippling funding gaps are undermining their competence and frustrating their impact.

He made these remarks while contributing to the debate on the floor of Parliament on the 2026 budget estimates presented by the Minister for Finance.

Quoting him, he said: “Even though the Minister for Education is an experienced hand — his excellent record at the Ministry of Communications at a young age speaks for itself — the persistent lack of releases is making him appear incompetent.”

The former Deputy Minister further lamented that unlike the previous administration, under which 29% of students could read, the current government has reversed the gains, leaving Ghana in an alarming situation where only 2% of students are able to read. He added that the newly released WASSCE results represent the worst performance in recent years, signalling a disturbing reversal of the progress made by earlier governments.

Fordjour also urged government to prioritise teachers, stressing that they remain indispensable stakeholders in the education value chain. He accused the government of failing to pay several teacher allowances introduced to motivate and enhance productivity in the classroom.

He concluded that without deliberate investment in the education sector — especially timely releases of approved funds — the nation's human capital development risks continued decline.

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