The Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation (IMCC) has pledged to work with the Ministry of Education to deliver equitable and accountable education services at the local level.

The Executive Secretary of the IMCC, Dr Gameli Kewuribe Hoedoafia, made the pledge when he paid a working visit to the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, at his office in Accra.

The visit was aimed at strengthening collaboration towards advancing the country’s decentralisation reforms, particularly within the education sector.

Discussions focused on the devolution of the education sector to improve service delivery at the local level. Both parties also reflected on earlier efforts under the Pre-Tertiary Education Act, initiated during the first  term of President John Mahama’s administration, and the lessons learnt from its implementation.

Commitment

Speaking during the visit, Dr Hoedoafia reaffirmed the shared commitment of both institutions to advancing the country’s decentralisation agenda, with a strong focus on education sector reforms that promoted inclusivity, accountability, and improved service delivery at the local level.

“One of the marching orders of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama is the issue of education sector devolution.

The IMCC worked very well on the pre-tertiary education bill before 2016, with decentralisation provisions at the core of the bill. Unfortunately, the change in government  in 2016 stalled the process.

“The bill was eventually passed into law without those provisions, therefore requiring the necessary amendments in consultation with all stakeholders,” Dr Hoedoafia said.

The Minister of Education, Mr Iddrisu, for his part, endorsed the decentralisation drive and stressed that resources remain the biggest challenge.

He also highlighted a key concern: “The previous government was wrong in defining basic education to include senior high schools.

Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) in law does not include free senior high school, making that provision unconstitutional.”

He pledged his full support and announced that a four-member team from the ministry, led by the Technical Advisor, Prof. K.T. Oduro, will work closely with the IMCC to fast-track the reforms in the education sector.