Dr Haruna Zagoon-Sayeed, a senior academic, has called for urgent and far-reaching reforms in Islamic education in Ghana.

He stressed that the fragmented approach to managing Muslim educational affairs continues to undermine progress within the community.

Delivering a lecture on “The State of Muslim Education in Ghana” at the 2026 Hijra Club Ramadan Lectures held at the National Mosque Complex Auditorium in Accra, the speaker noted that no single Islamic organisation or sect has the capacity to address the deep-rooted challenges facing Muslim learners.

He said only a unified and coordinated effort could yield the transformational results needed to strengthen educational outcomes for Muslim children across the country.

He cautioned that minority communities risk remaining marginalised if internal divisions persist.

“When you are a minority and you are also divided, nobody will take care of you,” he said.

He added that Muslims possess significant resources but often deploy them in isolated, sectarian ways that dilute their impact.

He urged stakeholders to adopt a collective vision and work toward integrated solutions that would benefit all Muslim communities nationwide.

He emphasised the need for parenting committees within Muslim communities to help orient mothers and fathers on their responsibilities.

According to him, many Muslim parents, particularly fathers, rarely follow up on their children’s school attendance and academic progress, a situation he said contributes to poor performance in many Islamic-influenced communities.

He said that no child should be allowed to miss classes without the knowledge of parents or teachers.

He noted that while many mothers make efforts to participate in school-related activities, a significant number of fathers do not do the same, creating a gap in educational monitoring and support.

He urged the Muslim community to revisit the model Islamic school initiative introduced several years ago to strengthen quality and provide a template for nationwide improvement.

He explained that out of more than 2,000 Islamic schools, about 40 were initially selected to receive enhanced learning facilities, textbooks and infrastructure, leading to measurable improvements in performance.

However, he indicated that sustaining these gains has been difficult due to inadequate funding and limited community support.

He appealed to Muslim organisations, philanthropists and development partners to revive support for the model school project, stressing that such institutions remain critical to preserving Islamic identity while delivering quality modern education.

He encouraged stronger collaboration between groups working on similar educational projects, urging them to pool resources and avoid duplicating efforts.

The lecturer also called on community leaders to guide government assistance toward targeted educational needs.

He said that Muslim stakeholders must be deliberate about identifying priority areas such as infrastructure, learning materials and teacher development so that state support can be effectively channelled to schools that need it most.

He expressed optimism that with unity, strategic planning and strengthened parental engagement, Muslim communities in Ghana could overcome existing educational challenges and build a resilient foundation for future generations.