Ghana’s Curriculum Changes Over the Past 20 Years: My Journey as a Teacher and Advocate for Indigenous Education - Amb. Henry OSABUTEY

As a professional teacher and education advocate for over 18 years and founder of the Henry Osabutey Education Foundation (HOEF), I’ve been fortunate to experience the evolution of Ghana’s educational landscape firsthand. Starting my career in 2006, fresh out of Komenda Teacher Training College (now Komenda College of Education), I was posted to Fetteh Church of Christ D/A Basic School, where I was assigned to teach various subjects, including Mathematics, Pre-Technical Skills, and Integrated Science.

This was a period of excitement and growth for me as a new teacher, but little did I know that I was about to witness one of the major curriculum overhauls that would shape the way I teach and influence my understanding of Ghanaian education.

In 2007, just a year after I began teaching, Ghana introduced a new education reform. This reform added new subjects like Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and due to my prior exposure and interest in ICT, I was pushed to teach the subject. I’ve been teaching it ever since, and this shift gave me a unique perspective on how curriculum changes impact both teachers and students. But as I reflect on these reforms and others that followed, one question still lingers in my mind: How much of our own identity have we preserved in our education system?

This experience was a turning point for me, as I began to understand the complex challenge of balancing global competitiveness with preserving our Ghanaian identity in the classroom. While modernization was necessary, we couldn’t afford to lose sight of who we are as a people.

In this blogpost, I’ll dive into the major curriculum changes in Ghana over the past two decades, examining the balance between indigenous knowledge and Western influence, and reflecting on what has worked well and what hasn’t.

1. The 2007 Education Reform: Modernizing or Westernizing?

The 2007 reform marked a significant change in Ghana’s education system, aimed at modernizing it to fit a more globalized world. With the introduction of ICT and a greater emphasis on subjects like English, Mathematics, and Science, it felt like the focus was on preparing students for international opportunities. As a teacher who had just started in the field, I was hopeful and excited that these changes would help our students be more competitive on the global stage.

However, as I navigated these new changes in my classroom, I couldn’t help but notice a glaring gap — the reform leaned heavily towards Western standards. Though subjects like social studies included some indigenous content, such as local languages and Ghanaian history, these were often overshadowed by the emphasis on global subjects like ICT. It led me to question: Where was the deep integration of our local culture?

What worked: The introduction of ICT and the shift towards a skills-based approach equipped students with the tools needed for the modern workforce. What didn’t: The lack of emphasis on Ghanaian traditions, local languages, and knowledge systems left students with a sense of disconnect from their cultural roots, which is crucial for fostering national identity and pride.

2. The 2010 Curriculum Review: Core Skills, But Still Missing the Local Touch

The 2010 review aimed to address some of the gaps left by the 2007 reforms, focusing on core subjects and ensuring that foundational literacy and numeracy were improved. As someone who works with children in both urban and rural areas, I saw the value in this. However, once again, the curriculum was predominantly Western-focused. While the inclusion of local languages in lower primary was a step in the right direction, it still felt like a surface-level attempt at integrating our rich cultural heritage into the educational experience.

What worked: Improvements in literacy and numeracy skills were noticeable, especially at the foundational level.?

What didn’t: The limited inclusion of indigenous knowledge systems and practices meant we were still educating students in a way that felt disconnected from their immediate environment.

3. The 2015 Review: Vocational Skills Meet Tradition

By 2015, there was a slight shift towards vocational training, which made me optimistic. The idea was to equip students with practical skills that were relevant to our economy, and for the first time, there was a real effort to incorporate traditional Ghanaian crafts and skills into the curriculum. In my foundation’s work, we’ve seen how vocational skills training can change lives, especially in under-resourced communities.

But while this was a positive step, the majority of the curriculum was still dominated by Western ideas, particularly in subjects like Science and Mathematics. This meant that indigenous knowledge and traditional practices, while now present in vocational subjects, were still far from central in the overall curriculum.

What worked: Recognizing the importance of vocational training and traditional crafts as valuable educational content.?

What didn’t: Indigenous knowledge was still treated as secondary, rather than being fully integrated across all subjects.

4. The 2019 Standard-Based Curriculum: A Step Forward for Indigenous Content?

In 2019, we saw a curriculum reform that aimed to strike a balance between local culture and global competitiveness. The standard-based curriculum introduced at the basic level emphasized literacy, numeracy, creativity, and critical thinking. It also made significant efforts to incorporate Ghanaian languages, culture, and history into the curriculum.

As a teacher and someone who’s deeply invested in promoting education that reflects our roots, I welcomed this change. My work with the Henry Osabutey Education Foundation had taught me that students excel when they can see themselves in what they are learning. When students learn about Adinkra symbols or local folktales, it’s not just about cultural pride — it’s about grounding them in their identity and fostering a deeper connection with their heritage.

However, the Western influence was still strong, particularly in the STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). While it’s important to equip students with the tools to compete globally, we also need to ensure they are not losing touch with their own context.

What worked: Increased focus on local languages and cultural education was a big win for fostering national identity and pride.?

What didn’t: Western content and methodologies remained dominant, leaving room for further integration of indigenous knowledge across all subjects.

Conclusion: The Way Forward

Over the past 20 years, Ghana’s curriculum reforms have undoubtedly modernized our education system and improved literacy rates. However, as a teacher who has been on the ground and as the founder of an organization committed to educational equity, I’ve seen that our curriculum still struggles to balance indigenous knowledge with Western standards.

The reality is that if we want to truly decolonize education in Ghana, we need a curriculum that reflects who we are as a people, not just where the global economy is headed. Our local languages, traditional knowledge, and cultural practices are just as valuable as any Western content. They shape identity, build resilience, and help students navigate the world as confident Ghanaians. Going forward, I hope to see more integration of indigenous knowledge in our education system, not as an add-on, but as a central part of how we educate the next generation.

In my work with the Henry Osabutey Education Foundation, we will continue to champion education that empowers every child, regardless of where they come from, to value their heritage while preparing for the future.

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