The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has questioned how the development of Arabic and Chinese language curricula and preparations for their implementation in Ghanaian schools could have progressed if, as President John Dramani Mahama has stated, no new policy introducing the languages was approved by Cabinet.

The party raised the concern in a statement issued by its Education Sector Policy Committee on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, following President Mahama’s recent denial that his government had approved a policy to introduce Arabic and Chinese into public schools.

President Mahama, speaking during a citizens’ engagement in the Upper West Region on September 12, said no such policy had received Cabinet approval and urged the public to disregard reports suggesting that the two languages were being introduced nationwide.

But the NPP said actions taken by the Education Ministry and its agencies suggested that a structured process had already been underway.

The party cited an April 24, 2026 announcement attributed to Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, in which he reportedly said students at the secondary school level would have foreign-language options including Chinese and Arabic.

According to the NPP, the announcement was followed by work by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) to develop the relevant curricula.

The party said about 160 writers and reviewers were subsequently engaged over several months, with the revised curriculum eventually presented to the Education Minister on July 22, 2026.

The NPP further alleged that the Minister did not reject the document but instead referred it to the Ghana Education Service (GES), directing the service to prepare for its implementation.

The party also pointed to a September 3 training programme involving NaCCA and the Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast, which it said was aimed at preparing teachers to implement the Chinese language curriculum.

These developments, the NPP argued, raise questions about the level of official authorisation behind the process and how government institutions could commit personnel, time and resources to the exercise if no policy decision had been taken.

The controversy has also drawn attention to the distinction between the treatment of Arabic and Chinese in the education system. The Education Ministry previously clarified that Arabic was not being made compulsory and that the development of a standardised Arabic curriculum predated Haruna Iddrisu’s appointment as Education Minister. It also stated that foreign languages such as Arabic, Chinese and French would be optional at the basic-school level, subject to teacher and resource availability.

The NPP, however, maintained that the Chinese component represented a more recent process involving curriculum development, ministerial review, implementation preparations and teacher training.

The party said the issue therefore goes beyond whether Arabic or Chinese should be taught in schools and raises broader questions about how major education policies are authorised, communicated and implemented.

It questioned why public resources would have been deployed to develop curricula and train teachers if there was no approved policy requiring such preparations.

The NPP also challenged the government’s position on teacher availability, citing President Mahama’s own concern that Ghana was already struggling to secure enough French teachers.

The party said the government must provide clarity on what decisions had been taken, which institutions authorised the process and why preparations had advanced despite the President’s assertion that Cabinet had not approved a new policy.

It consequently called on President Mahama to either dismiss Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu if he acted without presidential or Cabinet authority, or explain and apologise to Ghanaians if the Minister acted with the knowledge or authority of the President or Cabinet.

The controversy comes amid continuing public debate over the role of foreign languages in Ghana’s education system and the implementation of the revised curriculum.