The Baraka Policy Institute (BPI) has completed the restructuring of Islamic Education Unit to make it more effective in achieving positive learning outcomes for pupils who attend public Islamic schools in Ghana. BPI was mandated by the National Council of the Islamic Education Unit led by its Chairman, Sheikh Ibrahim Basha. The processes of restructuring took about three years to complete. These included consensus building meetings, expert consultations, drafting of a new IEU Constitution, national discussion on the draft constitution, approval meetings with all stakeholders of the Islamic Education Unit, inauguration of the approved constitution, and the organization of capacity building workshops for IEU National Council members and Regional Managers on the new IEU vision, expectations and Governance system.

BPI 1^st National Muslim Education Conference

In May 2016, the Baraka Policy Institute (BPI) began a national conversation on how to improve educational pursuits in deprived Muslim communities in Ghana. As a think tank which emanated from a Muslim background, we thought that charity begins at home and that we needed to begin with education in Muslim communities in Ghana. Having done some extensive expert consultations, BPI convened the first ever National Muslim Education Conference on the 7^th May 2016 at the Silver Towers at Airport City in Accra. The conference was chaired by the late renowned educationist and former Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, Alhaji Abdul-Rahim Gbadamoshie and attended by experts and stakeholders of Muslim Education in Ghana. At the end of the one-day conference, it was appreciated that the Muslim community in Ghana faces serious challenges in education and that situation was further impoverishing the community. The conference therefore resolved that there was the need to have an extended conference which will tease out specific actions that can be taken to address these educational challenges in order to promote achieve positive educational outcomes in Muslim communities in the country.

BPI 2^nd National Muslim Education Conference                                           

In pursuance of this May 2016 conference resolution, the Baraka Policy Institute (BPI)  and the US Embassy in Accra co-funded a a 3-day national stakeholder conference on educational achievements and mobility in poor Muslim communities in Ghana held on October 20-22, 2017. The conference was well-attended by all stakeholders of Muslim Education in Ghana as well as Muslim experts in education. At this conference, the participants unanimously resolved that there was the need to pay serious attention to the work of the Islamic Education Unit. The conference called for the restructuring of the Islamic Education Unit in order to enhance positive educational outcomes in our communities.

In this regard, the conference specifically tasked the BPI to engage the then existing National Council of the Islamic Education Unit (IEU) for the needed restructuring of the council and the work of the Unit in order to enhance quality teaching and learning in our Pre-Tertiary Islamic schools identified as the important starting point for resolving the educational challenges facing the community.

The Initial BPI/IEU Meeting

In view of this mandate, BPI commenced direct communication with the National Executive Committee of the IEU Council immediately after the conference in order to galvanise consensus on how to proceed with the conference outcomes regarding the Islamic Education Unit. In December 2017, BPI started this journey of restructuring with the National Executive Committee of the Islamic Education Unit led by our Sheikh Ibrahim Basha, the Chairman of the National Council of the Islamic Education Unit who was the key Muslim leader entrusted with the Unit on behalf of the Muslim community at the formal formation of the Unit in 1987. Other members of the National Council who have worked tirelessly with BPI on this project are Sheikh Khidr Adam, Sheikh Ismail Saeed Adam, Sheikh Yusuf Alhassan and the General Manger of the IEU Mr. Abdul-Karim Bapuni and his regional managers of the unit.

At our first meeting held in Accra (Marina Park, Lakeside) on the 9^th December, 2017, the Council led by Sheikh Basha gave BPI the mandate to start the restructuring process by drafting a new constitution for the IEU; and that the draft constitution should detail all the needed changes that will ensure an effective IEU which is able to carry out its mandate. BPI was given a month’s duration from the meeting day to present a draft constitution to the Council.

Presentation of Draft IEU Constitution

On February 10, 2018, a BPI delegation led by the Executive Director of BPI met the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the IEU Council at Tamale to present a draft constitution of the IEU as agreed at the Accra Meeting. After a thorough discussion on the draft, the Council requested that a 2-day meeting of the general membership of the Council made up of: Regional Council Chairman and Secretary from each of the 10 regions, and the 10 regional managers of the IEU should be held in Kumasi to further extensive discussion on the draft.

The Kumasi Plenary Meeting

On the 3^rd of March, 2018, a meeting was held in Kumasi at the Conference Hall of the Office of the Ashanti Regional Islamic Education Unit; and it was attended by the NEC of the National IEU Council, Regional Council Chairmen and Secretaries and the 10 Regional Managers of the Unit. At the end of the meeting, the BPI drafting committee was asked to incorporate some vital agreements at the meeting into the draft and to present the final draft to the National Council for final approval.

The Approval of the Final Draft              

On 16^th April 2018, the BPI IEU Constitution Drafting Committee headed by the Executive Director presented the final draft of the new provisional constitution to the National Council in Tamale for approval. The Meeting was chaired by the National Council Chairman. After a discussion on the final draft, the Council in the stead of the Unit accepted the draft as the new Provisional Constitution of the IEU for the next four years after which a final review will be made in order to produce a substantive constitution for the Unit.

The new provisional IEU Constitution has been carefully drafted to empower the Council and Management at the National, Regional and District Levels. This is to ensure quality and good performance in our schools. Indeed, the new IEU constitution addresses ownership, funding and quality. In this regard, one of the important provisions in the new constitution is that it has broadened the National Council of the IEU to reflect the representation of all dynamic Muslim leadership organisations in the country as well as the inclusion of Muslim experts in education and other relevant fields. This is very important because it symbolizes unity of purpose and makes it easy to raise funds to support the Unit. It also opens the doors for diverse experiences which are expected to enrich the management of the Unit and to enhance the quality of our schools.

Formal Launch of the New IEU Constitution

On the 7^th May, 2018, the new Council per the new IEU Constitution was launched in Accra at the conference room of the Police Mosque at Cantonment. The event was chaired by Naa Alhassan Andani, MD of Stanbic Bank Ghana and the Chair of the BPI Board. The National Council Chairman Sheikh Ibrahim Basha, Council Members across the ten regions of Ghana envisaged by the new IEU Constitution, Regional Managers of the Unit and the President of BPI Mr. Salem Kalmoni as well as other important national Muslim stakeholders were in attendance.

First Post-Restructuring National Council Meeting

On the 10^th November, 2018, the Council has had it first post-restructuring meeting at Durra Institute in Accra. The meeting was supported by Durra Institute, an ultra modern Institute for the study of the Arabic Language. At this meeting,  the Council appointed its first Executive Secretary in the person of Rear Admiral (rtd) Mohammed Munir Tahir who will head the Council’s new national secretariat in Accra. The role of the new position of an Executive Secretary for the Secretariat of the National Council is to supervise and co-ordinate the implementation of decisions of the Council in order to ensure effectiveness of the Unit.

Introduction of the new Executive Secretary of the IEU Council

On the 29^th November, 2018 the new Executive Secretary was formally introduced to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the IEU in Tamale. The meeting was chaired by the National Chairman, Sheikh Ibrahim Basha. At this Tamale meeting, the Executive Secretary’s letter of appointment was formally signed by the National Council Chair. Subsequently, the Executive Secretary started his work On 2^nd January, 2019 as indicated in his appointment letter. However, it is important state that the management division of the Islamic Education Unit is still headquartered in Tamale. And the General Manager of the IEU heads that division of the Unit.

BPI Capacity Building Conference for the New IEU

On the 9^th-10^th February 2019, BPI organized a 2-day National Capacity Building Conference for IEU National Council members and Regional Managers at Madina Institute of Science and Technology in Accra. This was done to ensure that the key stakeholders of the Islamic Education Unit (IEU) get a better understanding of the new arrangement and share the new vision of the unit. The conference was expected to equip the stakeholders with the needed knowledge, plan and tools that will make the Unit more effective and productive. The Conference was well-attended by the expected stakeholders including the National Council Chairman, Sheikh Ibrahim Basha, the new Executive Secretary, Rear Admiral Tahir, the General Manger of the IEU, Mr. Abdul-Karim Bapuni and all National Council Members and Regional managers. At the formal opening of the conference, the Minister of State at the office of the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Hon. Abubakar Saddique Boniface was the Special Guest of Honour whilst Mr. Anis Haffar, a renowned educationist and a Member of the GES Council was the Guest Speaker. There was also a special engagement with participants by the Minister of Inner Cities and Zongo Development, Hon. Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid. The discussion with the Hon. Minister centred on the Zongo Ministry and the development of Muslim education in Ghana.

Four main topics were discussed at the workshop segment of the conference: Quality Leadership for Superior Educational Outcomes (By Mr. Anis Haffar, an educationist and Director of GATE Institute, Accra);“Sustainable funding for an effective Islamic Education Unit” (By Mr. Abdulai Issaka, Lecturer, Valley View University, Accra); “Understanding the New Vision of the Islamic Education Unit (IEU)- The Role and Responsibilities of Council Members” (By Sheikh Ishaak Nuamah, an Educationist); and “The role of Regional Managers of the IEU in ensuring Quality Muslim Education in Ghana “  (By Dr. Harun Zagoon-Sayeed, The Executive Director of BPI).

Renovation and Refurbishment of a New IEU National Council Secretariat

In view of this new arrangement, BPI has renovated and furnished an office for the Executive Secretary at the Greater Accra offices of Unit at Kanda.  The office serves as the Secretariat of the National Council for effective co-ordination of the activities of the Council. In this regard, BPI has assigned an Administrative Secretary to the secretariat to assist the Executive Secretary in his daily administratve duties.

Maiden IEU Annual General Meeting (AGM)

The new IEU constitution demands that the Unit organizes an Annual General Meeting (AGM) in order to provide an annual planning platform to take stock and reflect on activities done in the year and plan for the ensuing year. In pursuance of this new IEU constitutional provision, the Baraka Policy Institute (BPI) in collaboration with the National Council of the IEU organized the first ever AGM for the Unit. The AGM was held on 20-21 December, 2019 at the Madina Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) in Accra.  The maiden AGM received reports from various technical committees set up in accordance with the new constitution, reports from Regional Managers on the states of the IEU in the regions, and the Annual Report from the National Executive Committee of the IEU National Council. Additionally, the maiden AGM was used to formally launch a teaching and learning improvement project called the Targeted Educational Improvement Programme (TEIP) for schools under the Islamic Education Unit.

The concept of TEIP was developed for the IEU by the Baraka Policy Institute (BPI); and the general objective of the project is to accelerate positive learning outcomes in schools under the Islamic Education Unit (IEU) of the Ghana Education Service across Ghana. The Project is expected to run for 6 years from 2020 to 2025.