Ahead of President John Dramani Mahama delivering his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Friday, 27 February 2026, in Parliament, civil society organisation Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) has outlined key expectations, urging the government to account for its education commitments from the past year.

The group noted that in the 2025 SONA, the President unveiled an ambitious education vision through some 41 initiatives and major reforms aimed at transforming the sector. One year on, with a significant GH¢42.1 billion allocation to education in the 2025 budget, Eduwatch says Ghanaians deserve clarity on how these funds were used to pursue that vision.

Eduwatch says it is critical for the President to outline “key accomplishments and outcomes that have emerged in the past year”, explain challenges encountered and present mitigation strategies to strengthen policy and budgetary efficiency and effectiveness.

A top priority for the organisation in the 2026 SONA is an update on the government’s strategy for targeted recruitment and equitable deployment of teachers to underserved basic schools. Eduwatch underscored that the failure to recruit teachers in 2025 deepened staffing deficits, particularly in rural and deprived districts where shortages were already severe — a gap that has strained learning conditions and worsened the crisis of out-of-school children.

According to the statement, the lack of adequate teacher deployment “has not only strained learning conditions, but has also aggravated the out-of-school children crisis in communities where access to qualified teachers remains a decisive barrier to participation and retention.”

Eduwatch’s calls for accountability come as the SONA is expected to cover a range of sectors, including the economy, health, education, agriculture and infrastructure, while also outlining policy priorities for the year ahead in line with constitutional requirements.

The President’s annual address serves as a platform to assess government performance and set the tone for legislative and policy actions in the coming year.