Mother tongue policy limited to KG-Primary 3 – Education Ministry
By Stephen Freeman
The Ministry of Education has clarified that the use of Ghanaian languages as the medium of instruction applies only from Kindergarten to Primary Three (Lower Primary), not throughout all basic school levels.
The clarification follows a directive by the sector minister, Haruna Iddrisu, on the compulsory use of Ghanaian languages in schools, a move that has sparked public debate.
The Minister of Education had earlier directed the Ghana Education Service (GES) to enforce mother tongue instruction in all Ghanaian schools. He said the directive forms part of efforts to reform the education sector while promoting the use of local languages in teaching and learning.
However, speaking at the launch of the Foundational Learning Action Tracker on Monday, October 27, Deputy Education Minister Clement Apaak said the clarification was necessary to settle the ongoing discussions.
“The Honorable Minister for Education has asked me to clarify that the policy directive he announced on Friday regarding the compulsory use of mother tongue as a medium of instruction in our public basic schools is confined, emphasis, confined to KG up to Primary 3. In other words, KG and Lower Primary. Having clarified what seems to have given a few persons sleepless nights, I bring you greetings,” the deputy minister said.
Meanwhile, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Coast’s Department of Basic Education, Dr Joyce Tawiah-Mensah, urged the government to demonstrate strong political commitment to ensure the effective implementation of mother tongue instruction in Ghanaian schools.
Reacting to the directive, Dr Tawiah-Mensah commended the initiative but stressed that its success would depend on the government’s readiness to provide the necessary resources and teacher training.
“It’s something that we can do, but we need political commitment in terms of teacher training, materials, and others,” she stressed.
