The Office of Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, former Minister for Education (2017–2021), has issued a sharp and detailed rejoinder to what it describes as a “blatant and factually inaccurate revision of the history of educational reforms in Ghana.
” The public statement, released through his aide, Nana Agyemang Duah, specifically addresses a recent article by ‘Team Adutwum’ that, according to Dr. Prempeh’s office, attempts to systematically attribute major landmark achievements of the Akufo-Addo administration’s first term to the then Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum.
Dr. Prempeh’s office emphasizes that all accomplishments in the sector between 2017 and 2021 were the execution of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s transformative agenda, for which Dr. Prempeh is not inclined to take personal credit.
However, a commitment to factual integrity, the statement asserts, necessitates a public correction against the alleged historical misappropriation being circulated to promote Dr. Adutwum’s presidential aspirations.
The rebuttal challenges several specific claims, providing verifiable timelines and evidence from the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
1. Ownership of the Education Strategic Plan (ESP) 2018–2030
The Office rejects the characterization of the document as “Dr. Adutwum’s ESP.”
The Fact: The development of the ESP 2018–2030 commenced in late 2016, was formulated, and launched for implementation beginning in the 2018/2019 academic year.
The Context: Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh was the substantive Minister for Education during this period (January 2017 – January 2021). The document, an overarching blueprint for the entire sector, was a Ministry-wide effort and a key deliverable of the administration under Dr. Prempeh’s leadership.
2. The Successful Rollout of Free SHS and WASSCE Improvements
The statement provides a definitive timeline for the Free Senior High School (FSHS) policy and the subsequent improvements in examination results.
Free SHS Rollout: The FSHS policy was launched in September 2017 under the leadership of Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh.
The first cohort of Free SHS students sat for the WASSCE in 2020, while Dr. Prempeh was still the Minister. Furthermore, the policy design, modelling, cost estimation, financing structures, data audits, and EMIS reforms were all led by Dr. Prempeh’s team to ensure successful implementation within the first year of the NPP government.
Integrated Science Pass Rate: The claim that Dr. Adutwum’s tenure saw a rise in Integrated Science pass rates to 62% is refuted. WAEC statistics show that the significant jump in the A1-C6 pass rate reached 62.94% in the 2019 WASSCE (up from 26.7% in 2016). This achievement was recorded firmly within Dr. Prempeh’s ministerial tenure, predating Dr. Adutwum’s appointment as the substantive Minister in March 2021.
3. Curriculum and Teacher Education Reforms
Dr. Prempeh’s office firmly states that all major, transformative curriculum and teacher reforms were executed during the first term (2017–2021) under his oversight.
Curriculum Reforms: The transition to the Standards-Based Curriculum for KG and Primary 1-6 was reviewed, reformed, and launched in 2019. Additionally, the review and completion of the Common Core Curriculum (CCC) for JHS and SHS Year 1 was completed in 2020.
Teacher Training Reform: The significant reform of pre-service teacher training, which replaced the diploma with the four-year Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) programme in the Colleges of Education, was introduced in September 2019.
Technology Integration: The foundation for technology in schools, including the development of Learning Management Systems (LMS) and the groundwork for initiatives like the One-Teacher One-Laptop Initiative, began in 2020 following the COVID-19 interventions, under Dr. Prempeh’s watch.
4. Double-Track System Implementation
The introduction of the Double-Track System is explicitly attributed to Dr. Prempeh’s administration.
The Fact: The system was officially introduced in September 2018 as a necessary infrastructural measure to accommodate the massive increase in enrollment from the Free SHS policy. While Dr. Tandoh, Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), is credited with the conception and foundational work, the Cabinet approval, technical architecture, operational systems, financing arrangements, and sector-wide reforms that made the system workable were due to the leadership of Dr. Prempeh.
Foundations for STEM and TVET
The statement further clarifies the foundational work in STEM and TVET:
STEM: The strategic direction for STEM development, including curriculum recalibration and teacher preparation, was set out in the ESP 2018–2030 championed under Dr. Prempeh.
TVET Expansion: Dr. Prempeh’s office stresses that the national TVET framework being claimed was neither originated nor implemented by Dr. Adutwum. They credit the original work to Dr. George Afeti and his team, stating that all this happened under Dr. Prempeh’s ministerial tenure.
A Call for Factual Integrity.
Concluding the lengthy rebuttal, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh’s office reiterates its commitment to an honest public record.
“The transformation of Ghana’s education sector between 2017 and 2021 was driven by the vision of former President Akufo-Addo and the leadership of former Minister Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh,” the statement reads.
The office labels the attempt by ‘Team Adutwum’ to retrospectively reassign these major national achievements—including the launch of Free SHS, the Double Track system, major curriculum overhaul, and significant WASSCE result improvements—as a “disservice to the NPP’s commitment to factual, evidence-based politics.”
The Office of Dr. Prempeh calls on ‘Team Adutwum’ to immediately retract these unsubstantiated claims and to focus their campaign on verifiable achievements rather than “misappropriating the successful track record of his predecessor.”
