President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo announced a series of transformative interventions aimed at enhancing the quality of education in Ghana.

These initiatives include teacher training programmes, curriculum reforms, and the introduction of digital tools and resources to improve teaching and learning outcomes.

Speaking at the Valley View University, where he received a fifth honorary doctorate degree on Sunday, 14 July, 2024, President Akufo-Addo said: “We have launched several interventions aimed at improving the quality of education and ensuring that every child receives a holistic and well-rounded education.” 

A cornerstone of these reforms is the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, which has dramatically increased access to secondary education.

Additionally, the “No Guarantor” policy under the Student Loan Trust Fund has significantly boosted access to higher education by removing the guarantor requirement, enabling students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue their academic aspirations without undue financial stress.

This policy has led to a remarkable rise in tertiary education enrolment, from 443,978 students in the 2016/2017 academic year to 711,695 in the 2022/2023 academic year.

To further accommodate the growing number of tertiary students, the government plans to establish four new universities in Mampong, Akrodie, Bunso, and Kintampo, while expanding facilities at existing institutions.

These efforts are part of a broader strategy to achieve a 40 per cent Gross Tertiary Enrolment Ratio by 2030, up from the current 18.84 per cent.

“The educational reforms carried out by the Akufo-Addo Government have also encompassed tertiary education, materially advancing access, infrastructure development, and STEM initiatives across the country,” the President noted.

Furthermore, the government has prioritised the payment of research and book allowances to academia, disbursing GHS226 million as research allowance and GHS491 million as book allowance since 2020.

These investments are designed to foster a conducive environment for scholarly research and innovation, thereby enriching the overall quality of education and advancing research excellence in Ghana.

“Nothing would give me more honour or more pleasure than if, one day, Ghana’s historians were to describe me as the Education President,” President Akufo-Addo added.