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Monday, 21 September 2026
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Monday, 21 September 2026
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Ghanaian press · Person

Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum

Also known as: Dr. Adutwum · Dr. Osei Adutwum · Hon. Dr. Osei Adutwum · Minister Adutwum · former Education Minister

Former Education Minister of Ghana, who has commented on education policy challenges and advocated curriculum and teacher retraining reforms.

2026-04-272026-09-21

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

  1. September 2026
  2. Joy Online

    Spokesperson for former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has accused the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) of engaging in a “turf war” that he claims is affecting the implementation of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme.

    Adutwum spokesperson alleges ‘turf war’ between Education Ministry and GES over Free SHS
  3. Joy Online

    Spokesperson for former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has criticised the reported sale of Senior High School (SHS) prospectus items through Prospectus Ghana Limited, describing the arrangement as a potential burden on parents.

    Prospectus charges defeat purpose of Free SHS – Adutwum’s spokesperson
  4. Joy Online

    Spokesperson for former Education Minister Yaw Osei Adutwum has challenged Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu’s claim that he inherited the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), arguing that the current application being used for the process was introduced un

    Adutwum’s spokesperson challenges Haruna’s claim he inherited current CSSPS
  5. Joy Online

    Addressing former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum’s suggestion that the current administration could seek his advice on resolving placement challenges, Mr Iddrisu said the figures from the 2026 placement exercise demonstrated the scale of the problem.

    Government plans to recruit 10,000 teachers next year to address staffing gaps
  6. Joy Online

    Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has questioned what advice he could seek from his predecessor, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, on addressing Ghana’s education challenges, arguing that the Mahama administration inherited a system burdened by significant problems.

    ‘What advice?’ – Haruna Iddrisu questions Adutwum’s offer to help
  7. Daily Guide

    Yaw Osei Adutwum Former Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has called for the continuous retraining of teachers to enable them to deal with the growing influence of social media language on students’ academic work.

    Teacher Retraining Will Tackle Social Media Jargon – Adutwum
  8. Joy Online

    Former Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has clarified that the introduction of the double-track system in Senior High Schools (SHSs) was primarily intended to address high demand for places in popular schools, rather than a shortage of physical infrastructure.

    Double-track was about demand, not lack of space in all schools – Adutwum
  9. Joy Online

    Former Education Minister and Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has called for reforms to Ghana’s education system to allow students who fail individual subjects to resit them or, where necessary, repeat a class.

    Adutwum proposes subject resits, transcript system for secondary schools
  10. Joy Online

    Former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has called for increased teacher professional development following concerns over the use of social media language and jargon in the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    Teacher retraining needed to tackle social media jargon in WASSCE – Adutwum
  11. Joy Online

    Former Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has argued against blaming the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) for challenges associated with school placement.

    CSSPS doesn’t need overhaul, review policies behind system – Adutwum
Politics

Education Ministry, GES in dispute over Free SHS admissions

The News

The spokesperson for former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has alleged that a disagreement between the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service over admission numbers of about 60,000 students is delaying fund releases to schools and forcing some to operate on credit. According to the statement, previously free items such as uniforms and housedresses are no longer being supplied to students by some schools.

15 hours ago · Joy Online

Today

  1. Education Ministry, GES in dispute over Free SHS admissions

    The spokesperson for former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has alleged that a disagreement between the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service over admission numbers of about 60,000 students is delaying fund releases to schools and forcing some to operate on credit. According to the statement, previously free items such as uniforms and housedresses are no longer being supplied to students by some schools.

    15 hours ago · Joy Online

Wednesday 16 September

  1. SHS prospectus charges undermine Free SHS policy, says Adutwum's aide

    The spokesperson for former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has criticised the sale of Senior High School prospectus items through Prospectus Ghana Limited at packages costing about GH¢1,700, saying the arrangement defeats the purpose of the Free SHS policy. The National Council of Parents-Teachers Associations has also urged parents not to pay and alleged the company lacks authorisation from the Ghana Education Service.

    16 September 2026 · Joy Online

Saturday 12 September

  1. Adutwum aide disputes Iddrisu's inheritance claim on school placement system

    Adutwum's spokesperson challenges Education Minister Iddrisu's assertion that he inherited the CSSPS, contending that the current application (COLDSIS) was introduced under the Mahama administration in 2025, not inherited, and that the government must therefore own both its successes and failures.

    12 September 2026 · Joy Online

Friday 11 September

  1. Government to recruit 10,000 teachers in 2027 budget

    The Education Minister has announced that government plans to recruit an additional 10,000 teachers next year to address staffing shortages in basic and secondary schools. The recruitment is expected to be included in the 2027 Budget alongside plans to expand education infrastructure and allocate between US$250 million and US$300 million through the GETFund formula to upgrade school facilities.

    11 September 2026 · Joy Online

  2. Iddrisu questions Adutwum's offer to advise on education

    Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has questioned what advice he could seek from predecessor Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum on Ghana's education challenges, saying the current administration inherited an education sector facing infrastructure deficits, food shortages under Free SHS, and the burden of the double-track system introduced under Adutwum's tenure.

    11 September 2026 · Joy Online

Thursday 10 September

  1. Teacher retraining needed to counter social media influence on students

    Former Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum has called for continuous teacher retraining to help students distinguish between informal social media language and academic writing, citing the use of social media jargon observed in the 2026 WASSCE examinations. He framed the issue as an opportunity for professional development rather than a crisis, advocating for stronger classroom supervision, academic counselling, and professional learning communities where teachers can share experiences and discuss emerging challenges.

    10 September 2026 · Daily Guide

Wednesday 9 September

  1. Double-track system addressed demand, not infrastructure shortage

    Former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum clarified that Ghana's double-track system in Senior High Schools was designed to address high demand for places in popular schools rather than a shortage of physical space. He noted that not all schools were placed on the system because many were single-track schools that did not face the same level of demand.

    9 September 2026 · Joy Online

  2. Adutwum calls for secondary subject resits and transcript system

    Former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has proposed reforms allowing secondary school students to resit individual subjects they fail or repeat a class, and to have their academic performance recorded throughout their time in school rather than relying mainly on final examination results. He suggests the system should be linked to West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to provide a clearer picture of student performance over time, similar to university-level resit opportunities.

    9 September 2026 · Joy Online

  3. Teacher retraining needed for social media language in WASSCE

    Former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has called for increased teacher professional development to address the use of social media language and jargon in students' 2026 WASSCE examination scripts, framing it as an opportunity to strengthen teacher training and academic counselling rather than a crisis.

    9 September 2026 · Joy Online

  4. CSSPS doesn't need overhaul, policies need review – Adutwum

    Former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum argued that the Computerised School Selection and Placement System should not be blamed for placement challenges; instead, the policies and algorithms behind the system should be reviewed, as the computer only executes the instructions programmed into it.

    9 September 2026 · Joy Online

Tuesday 8 September

  1. Adutwum's spokesman disputes Finance Ministry's GES recruitment clearance claim

    The Education Ministry's former spokesperson has rejected the Finance Ministry's assertion that 6,300 GES staff were recruited in 2024 without financial clearance, stating that official records show clearance was granted for the recruitment. The Finance Ministry had said Cabinet approval and financial clearance were issued in tranches after recruitment to address salary concerns.

    8 September 2026 · Joy Online

Monday 31 August

  1. Our World Our People withdrawn due to curriculum duplication

    The former Education Minister's spokesperson rejected claims that the withdrawal of Our World Our People from Ghana's primary curriculum was politically motivated, saying instead it was based on a curriculum review that identified duplication and redundancy with Religious and Moral Education.

    31 August 2026 · Joy Online

Friday 21 August

  1. Former Education Minister's spokesperson challenges textbook distribution claims

    Yaw Opoku Mensah, spokesperson for former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, disputed the current Education Minister's spokesperson's claim that no textbooks were developed for Ghana's new curriculum, citing official records showing 4,363,484 core-subject textbooks distributed to Junior High Schools and 9,559,367 to primary schools nationwide.

    21 August 2026 · Joy Online

Saturday 8 August

  1. Opinion: Government delays payment to FSHS food suppliers

    An opinion piece argues that ordinary Ghanaians who supplied food items under the Free Senior High School Policy in Q4 2024 are waiting for payment, citing a norm that government pays for fourth-quarter services in the first quarter of the following year. The writer calls for President Mahama to ensure justice for these suppliers.

    8 August 2026 · Joy Online

Thursday 16 July

  1. Adutwum calls for AI and STEM investment at KNUST

    Former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has urged the government to prioritise investments in Artificial Intelligence, STEM, and robotics education, arguing that such interventions are crucial to Ghana's transformation agenda and economic competitiveness. He noted that KNUST's integration of AI into education, particularly in biomedical sciences, has potential to position Ghana among Africa's most innovative countries.

    16 July 2026 · Joy Online

Wednesday 8 July

  1. Opinion: Critic defends Dr. Osei Adutwum's critique of education quality

    The author responds to Prof. Kwaku Asare's defence of university degrees, arguing that Dr. Osei Adutwum's critique targets intellectual rigour rather than specific programmes. The writer contends that degrees lacking critical thought and cognitive independence are useless to human development, regardless of employment prospects.

    8 July 2026 · Joy Online

Monday 6 July

  1. UTAG suspends nationwide strike after government commitments

    The University Teachers Association of Ghana has suspended its planned July 6 nationwide strike following renewed talks with the government, citing concrete commitments and written assurances to address members' conditions of service. UTAG warned it would reinstate the strike if the government fails to fulfill its commitments.

    6 July 2026 · Joy Online

  2. University degrees should build skills, not just jobs—Eduwatch

    The Executive Director of Africa Education Watch has defended university education's value, arguing that degree programmes should be evaluated on the skills and competencies they impart to graduates, rather than whether they lead directly to specific jobs. His comments follow criticism of former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum over remarks describing some university programmes as "useless" and "degrees to nowhere".

    6 July 2026 · Joy Online

Sunday 5 July

  1. University degrees should build skills, not just promise jobs

    Africa Education Watch's executive director argues that university education's relevance should be measured by the practical skills graduates acquire rather than whether a programme leads directly to a specific job, following a debate over whether some university programmes are "useless."

    5 July 2026 · Joy Online

  2. Graduate unemployment rooted in weak economy, not degree choice

    Prof. Kwaku Asare has disputed suggestions that certain university programmes are irrelevant, arguing that Ghana's graduate unemployment is driven primarily by economic weakness rather than academic disciplines. He said that while universities must ensure programmes remain responsive to demand, employment opportunities are largely determined by the strength of the economy and industry's ability to create jobs.

    5 July 2026 · Joy Online

  3. Former education minister's critique of development studies triggers debate

    Former Minister of Education Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum recently called certain university programmes in Ghana, including Development Studies at the University for Development Studies, "university degree to nowhere" that fail to prepare graduates for the job market. An opinion piece argues this critique contradicts Adutwum's own emphasis on development and nation-building, and suggests development education expertise could have strengthened his ministry's work.

    5 July 2026 · Joy Online

  4. Former minister questions relevance of some university programmes

    Former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has called for a comprehensive review of university programmes in Ghana, arguing that many lack alignment with labour market needs and contribute to graduate unemployment. He criticised programmes such as Development Studies and BA Education (Non-Teaching), contending that universities should base admissions and programme offerings on national labour market assessments rather than simply increasing enrolment.

    5 July 2026 · Joy Online

  5. Parliamentary committee raises alarm over high distance education fees

    Members of Ghana's Parliamentary Select Committee on Education have expressed concern about exorbitant fees charged by universities for distance education programmes, asking the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission to investigate. The committee noted the fees are unusually expensive compared to regular programmes and argued the trend was allowing universities to exploit the opportunity under the guise of expanding access to adults.

    5 July 2026 · Joy Online

Monday 29 June

  1. Parliamentary committee backs GTEC to clean tertiary education sector

    Ghana's Parliamentary Select Committee on Education has endorsed the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission's efforts to protect academic integrity, citing concerns over the commercialisation of tertiary education certificates, including PhDs and degrees, and cases where universities arranged for people to write students' theses.

    29 June 2026 · Joy Online

Friday 19 June

  1. GES must fully activate GESIMS digital system

    An opinion piece argues that the Ghana Education Service should stop using outdated paper-based administrative processes and instead fully activate GESIMS, the digital information management system launched in 2024, to eliminate unnecessary manual document submissions for teachers and administrators.

    19 June 2026 · Joy Online

Thursday 21 May

  1. NPP flagbearer vows not to remove MPs over primary support

    Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the NPP's presidential flagbearer, has assured Members of Parliament that he will not support efforts to remove MPs who did not back his bid during the party's presidential primaries. He called for party unity and dismissed suggestions of divisions within the NPP, stating the party must move forward as one united family.

    21 May 2026 · Daily Guide

  2. Bawumia calls for NPP unity, denies faction divisions

    NPP flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has called for party unity, insisting there are no factions within the NPP despite internal political discussions following the party's 2024 election defeat. He assured party members that he will not support the removal of MPs based on perceived political alignments or lack of support during internal contests.

    21 May 2026 · Joy Online

Wednesday 20 May

  1. Bawumia urges NPP unity, rejects internal MP removal efforts

    NPP Flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has called on party members and Minority MPs to avoid internal divisions and attempts to remove legislators based on factional loyalties, assuring the caucus he will not support removing MPs who did not back him in internal contests. He stressed the party must remain united as it repositions itself as a credible government-in-waiting after the 2024 electoral defeat.

    20 May 2026 · Joy Online

Friday 8 May

  1. Former Education Minister recounts Akufo-Addo meeting that brought him home

    Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, MP for Bosomtwe and former Education Minister, has recounted how an encounter with former President Nana Akufo-Addo in the United States, where Adutwum was building schools and leading Ghanaian community organizations, led to his decision to return to Ghana to help transform the education system.

    8 May 2026 · Joy Online

  2. Former minister cites missing education formula for WASSCE decline

    Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, former Education Minister, attributes the 2025 WASSCE results decline to the absence of a clear and structured education formula, arguing that sustained improvement requires a deliberate approach supported by data and consistent execution. He notes that during his tenure, WAEC reports were reviewed annually to identify learning gaps and guide targeted teacher training.

    8 May 2026 · Joy Online

Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum — Ghanaian press coverage · Ghana Minute