Why Ghana is teaching Chinese in its schools

Ghana has officially launched a Chinese language curriculum across basic, junior high and senior high schools, marking a significant step toward multilingual education and deeper Ghana-China cooperation.

Developed by Ghana's National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), the curriculum, aims to equip students with practical skills for trade, diplomacy, technology and international cooperation.

Reginald Quartey, Acting Director for Curriculum at NaCCA shares with us how the Chinese language is becoming a strategic tool.

Language as policy

Ghana's decision did not come out of nowhere. It followed a broader revision of the national curriculum spanning basic to senior high school levels. According to Quartey, the Chinese language was introduced not as a symbolic gesture, but as a response to concrete economic and diplomatic trends.

"There have been a lot of Chinese companies springing up in Ghana across many sectors, including health, security, infrastructure and others. It has become imperative to prepare learners who can support these companies and also engage effectively at the international level."

"With China's influence coming up very fast, it is very necessary that we introduce the Chinese language for our learners to cope with current trends in our relationship with China," Quartey said.

Adapting Chinese to Ghana's classroom

Ghana operates a 6-3-3-4 education system, broadly modeled on the British system. The Chinese curriculum, Quartey stressed, was adapted to fit Ghana's Common Core Program, not transplanted wholesale.

"We didn't want it to look like we were transplanting Chinese culture into the Ghanaian system. We looked at how Ghanaian culture and Chinese culture can be synchronized while learning the language."

In practice, that means identifying shared values.

"We see cross-cutting values between Ghana and China, such as hard work, integrity and resilience. The resilience of the Chinese people is something we want our learners to cultivate," he explained.

A gradual rollout

Despite the official launch, Chinese will not suddenly appear in every Ghanaian classroom. The rollout is phased, starting with schools that already have trained teachers and facilities.

Teacher training is being supported by Confucius Institutes, particularly at the University of Cape Coast, which has trained both Ghanaian and Chinese instructors.

"The launch does not mean every school will immediately offer Chinese. Schools that have trained teachers can start, and as we go along, we expand," Quartey said.

NaCCA is also looking ahead, integrating Chinese language training into colleges of education to ensure a steady pipeline of teachers.

"It's not a one-day job. Even with French, which we've taught for decades, some schools still lack teachers. But the most important thing is that the process has started."

Early results

Feedback so far has been encouraging. At the 10th anniversary of the Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast, students showcased their Chinese language skills to parents, policymakers and business leaders.

"Some of these students are already doing interpretation work for Chinese companies in Ghana," Quartey noted.
"The response from parents, communities and even Chinese businesses has been very positive."

For students, Chinese is increasingly seen not as an abstract academic subject, but as a pathway to employment.

"If you have English, which everyone speaks, and you add Chinese, it puts you in a much stronger position to compete internationally," he said.

Ghana is not alone

Ghana's move mirrors a broader continental trend. Countries including Nigeria have also begun incorporating Chinese into their national education frameworks.

"China's influence on the African continent is growing, and learning the language allows us to interact more effectively and benefit more," Quartey said.

This is reinforced by the growing popularity of Chinese government scholarships and university partnerships, which are easing financial pressure on African governments and families.

"Funding education is a challenge in many African countries. Scholarships from China help ease that pressure while giving students opportunities in engineering, medicine, technology and other fields," he explained.

A long-term strategy

Under the FOCAC Beijing Action Plan (2025–2027), Ghana is seeking deeper cooperation in student exchanges, research collaboration and skills development across multiple sectors.

For NaCCA, Chinese language education is a multiplier.

"This is not just about learning the language for its own sake," Quartey said.
"It is about enhancing everything we do across every sector of Ghanaian life and preparing our students to engage competitively at the global level."