The Ministry of Education has dismissed reports that it is seeking to make the Arabic language a mandatory and examinable subject to be taught in schools across the country.

In a statement dated Monday, August 10, 2026, the Ministry said there was “no policy or directive to impose the study of Arabic on Ghanaian students.”

Education Ministry clarifies language of instruction policy for basic schools

The clarification follows public discussions surrounding the development of a standardised curriculum for the teaching and learning of Arabic in schools, with concerns that the initiative could make the language compulsory.

The Ministry, however, stressed that Arabic is a language and not a religion, and 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.

According to the Ministry, the process to develop a standardised Arabic curriculum started before the appointment of Haruna Iddrisu as Minister of Education.

It explained that the curriculum was developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) because Arabic had historically been taught in several Islamic and English-Arabic schools without a single standardised curriculum.

“NaCCA, as part of its mandate, therefore developed a unitary and standardised official Arabic language curriculum, to regulate its teaching and learning in these schools,” the statement said.

The Ministry said NaCCA’s recommendation for the adoption of the curriculum was intended for existing Islamic and English-Arabic schools, as well as other public primary schools that may voluntarily choose to implement it.

“It was never meant to make the language a mandatory or compulsory subject in our primary schools,” it stressed.

It noted that there are already hundreds of Islamic schools across the country where Arabic is taught, primarily in response to the educational and linguistic needs of their communities.

The Ministry said the standardised curriculum was designed to ensure consistency and quality in the teaching of the language.

It reiterated that Arabic, French, Chinese and other foreign languages remain optional subjects in public schools and do 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 said.

Read the full statement below



NA/VPO

'Legal vacation doesn't mean judges cannot sit' – CJ Baffoe-Bonnie explains