Spokesperson for Former Minister Adutwum Urges Restoration of Existing GES Digital Platforms

Yaw Opoku Mensah, the spokesperson for former Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has strongly countered recent assertions that the Ghana Education Service (GES) remains heavily reliant on manual administrative processes. In a detailed statement, Mensah argued that the groundwork for a digital GES was laid years ago, specifically under the previous administration’s tenure. He urged current education officials to focus on restoring and optimizing existing digital systems rather than attempting to introduce entirely new ones, which he suggests might be redundant or disruptive to established workflows. The push for digital transformation within the GES reportedly began in earnest in 2017, aimed at drastically reducing the bureaucratic burden of paperwork and enhancing overall institutional efficiency. Key among the platforms highlighted by Mensah are the Ghana Education Service Management Information System (GESMIS) and the Self-Placement Recruitment Platform. These tools were designed to streamline teacher recruitment, data management, and placement procedures, providing a digital backbone that the spokesperson claims was already operational and effective before the recent transition in governance. Mensah’s remarks come as a response to perceived narratives that the education sector is starting from scratch regarding digitalization. He emphasized that the focus should be on continuity in digital transformation, noting that several effective platforms have been discontinued or underutilized. The statement calls on the current Ministry of Education to conduct a thorough review of previous reforms to identify why these established systems were sidelined and to address any technical or administrative gaps that led to their dormancy. The debate highlights a broader challenge in Ghana’s public sector: the sustainability of technological initiatives across different political administrations. As the GES continues to navigate its modernization goals, the spokesperson’s call serves as a reminder of the investment already made in digital infrastructure. For stakeholders in the education sector, the priority remains the delivery of efficient services, which Mensah argues is best achieved by refining the proven tools of the past seven years rather than reinventing the wheel.