Claim: Islamic Education Unit of GES was created by the NDC
Source: John Dramani Mahama
Verdict: False
At a recent donation of a seven-seater vehicle to the Islamic Education Unit of the Ghana Education Service in Tamale, former president John Dramani Mahama claimed that the unit was created by the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Mahama said: “I am happy to present this vehicle to the Islamic Education Unit of the GES, this unit was established by the NDC to promote education in our Muslim and deprived communities and since then, it has done a lot of work…”
This report digs into the veracity of Mahama’s claim.
Fact-Check
According to a research paper titled ‘Transformations in Islamic Education in Ghana’ and authored by David Owusu-Ansah, the unit was established in 1987.
“The Islamic Education Unit (IEU) was established in 1987 as an agency of the Ghana Education Service,” the paper stated.
It added: “The research to place the IEU into a larger historical context began in 1999 as a collaborative manuscript project by David Owusu-Ansah, Abdulai Iddrisu, and Mark Sey.” Their research was titled Islamic Learning, the State and the Challenges of Education in Ghana (Trenton, Africa World Press, 2013).
In a September 2017 research paper titled ‘Effects of Governments’ Educational Policies on Islamic Education in Ghana: A Historical Study,’ outlined the evolution of Islamic schools till the unit was established.
“By 1976, some Makaranta Schools and Arabic –English Schools agreed to join the Islamic School system. An Islamic Education Unit (IEU) was established in Ghana in March 1987, and placed directly under the Ghana Education Service. Currently, an Ahmadiyya Education Unit (AEU) has also been established, because of doctrinal differences (Fisher, 1963),” it added.
In 1987, the government in office was the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) led at the time by Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings. The NDC was not born at the time so the claim that the party birthed the IEU cannot be true.
Verdict:
The claim by Mahama is False
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