The Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation (IMCC) and the Ministry of Education (MoE) have begun the process of enacting a new Bill aimed at Education Sector Devolution. 

The process was launched during a high-level meeting held on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at the IMCC Secretariat in Accra, bringing together officials from the MoE, the Legislative Review Committee (LRC) of the IMCC, and technical experts to agree Terms of Reference and clarify the scope of work of the committee. 

The objective is to align the Act more closely with Ghana’s decentralisation policy by clarifying mandates, eliminating institutional overlaps, and ensuring the transfer of appropriate education functions to Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

The Executive Secretary of the IMCC, Dr Gameli Kewuribe Hoedoafia, in his welcoming remarks, explained that the Joint Working Committee was formed after consultations with the Minister of Education to fast-track ongoing devolution efforts.

He also stated that “the Legislative Review Committee of the IMCC is a critical platform for legal reform.”

He added, “Under the chairmanship of Prof Kwamina Ahwoi, the Committee has already done some critical work, including the review of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936) and a Legislative Instrument (L.I) for Inter-Sectoral Collaboration and Cooperation at the MMDA level.”

Dr Hoedoafia referenced recent comments by the Minister for Education, noting that “the minister, during his engagement in Navrongo, questioned how a municipal assembly such as Kassena Nankana cannot recruit or sanction a teacher but must wait for the Ghana Education Service.”

He said the minister’s remarks echoed the president’s earlier concerns about strengthening decentralised education management.

He added that “the committee must work collaboratively so that by June, we can complete this review, submit it to Cabinet, and then to Parliament. The timelines are tight, but achievable with full cooperation.”

The Chief Director of the Ministry of Education, Lydia Essuah, affirmed the ministry’s support but emphasised the limitations of Act 1049 as a foundation for devolution.

She urged the committee to examine each level of pre-tertiary education in detail, stressing that “we must look closely at basic, secondary, and technical levels to determine what issues exist and what can be devolved. Teacher recruitment, school inception processes, curriculum development, and curriculum review all need to be examined carefully.”

Chairman of the Legislative Review Committee, Prof Kwamina Ahwoi, underscored the historic nature of the exercise, noting that the initiative fully aligns with the government’s broader decentralisation agenda.

Devolution of pre-tertiary education was initially expected to be completed in 2016 under former President John Dramani Mahama, but the process stalled, prompting the introduction of Act 1049 by subsequent administrations.

The meeting was attended by key members of the Legislative Review Committee, including Professor Kwamina Ahwoi, Mr Joseph Antwi, Dr Nana Opare-Djan, Estelle Appiah, and Dr George Laryea, as well as officials from the Ministry of Education including, Dr Inusah Shirazu, Director PBME and Dr Munawaru Issahaque, Deputy Director-General of Education.

The review is expected to be finalised by June 2026.