Deputy Education Minister, Dr. Clement Apaak, has disclosed reforms introduced in Ghana’s education sector to boost teaching and learning programs across the country.
The Innovation Africa 2025 African Ministerial Summit on Education, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), and Skills kicked off on 28th April 2025, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The opening ceremony was graced by Temesgen Tiruneh, the Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia. The three-day summit, themed “Educate and Skill Africa for the 21st Century,” has convened delegations, including ministers and professionals from across the continent.
During a panel discussion on the theme “Ensuring the Professional Development of Quality Teachers to Deliver Curriculum Reform in Africa,” the deputy minister, who was making his submission, highlighted teacher licensing in Ghana as an important reform.
According to him, to ensure continuous learning and improvement by teachers, they must accumulate points through continuous professional development programs as a basis for license renewals.
As part of the reforms, he mentioned that Colleges of Education now offer Bachelor’s degree programs in Education to promote reflective practice and integrate digital pedagogy into teacher-trainee curricula.
The deputy minister also touched on the licensure exam and the National Teaching Council initiative, stating that the exam through which one can obtain a teaching license aims to “ensure continuous learning throughout a teacher’s career.”
During his speech, he also noted that the government had launched the Teacher Deployment and Retention Program, aimed at encouraging educators to teach in remote areas.
“Incentives and support systems are in place to encourage teachers to work in underserved areas, including allowances, accommodation, and targeted mentorship,” Dr. Apaak said.
On the issue of knowledge sharing across the African continent, the deputy minister mentioned that Ghana supported several initiatives, including inter-country teacher exchange and training programs and the African Union’s Continental Education Strategy for Africa’s (CESA) Teacher Development Cluster.
Innovation Africa summits focus on advancing education, technology, and skills development across the African continent.
Building upon the African Union’s declaration of 2024 as the “Year of Education,” the summit brought together government ministers, policymakers, and industry leaders to collaborate on initiatives that enhance educational outcomes and digital transformation in Africa.