President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbonu, has criticised the recent Cabinet directive cautioning ministers against making policy announcements without prior approval.
Mr. Carbonu has described it as “irresponsible and unnecessary” if it was issued in response to remarks by Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu.
The Education Minister recently instructed the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to enforce the compulsory use of Ghanaian languages as the medium of instruction at the basic level and reiterated that long hair would not be permitted in schools, comments that have sparked mixed reactions from the public.
Following the backlash, the government issued a circular dated October 27, signed by Prof. Kwaku Danso-Boafo, Secretary to Cabinet, reminding ministers that no policy or programme should be publicly announced without Cabinet approval.
The document explained that such actions violate constitutional protocols and the principle of collective responsibility.
However, speaking on Adom FM Burning Issues, Mr. Carbonu said the Education Minister’s comments were not out of place.
He noted that if the Cabinet statement was in reference to Haruna Iddrisu’s directive, then it should not have been made public.
“If indeed the statement by the Cabinet Secretary was about what Haruna Iddrisu said, then it was needless. Cabinet could have simply passed the message privately to ministers instead of making it a public document,” Mr. Carbonu remarked.
He further noted that while the circular did not mention any particular minister, it has fuelled speculation among the public.
“What the minister said is not a new policy; he only reiterated what already exists. I see nothing wrong with his comments,” he added.
On the issue of long hair in schools, the NAGRAT President said there are more pressing concerns regarding indiscipline in the education system that deserve national attention.
He described the ongoing debate over hairstyles as “unnecessary” and urged stakeholders to focus on improving discipline and academic standards instead.
Source: Kwame Kulenu