The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced that teachers’ use of mother tongue instruction is now compulsory in all Ghanaian schools.
According to him, this initiative will help to strengthen comprehension among pupils.
He made the statement on October 24, at the launch of the Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities initiative, where President John Dramani Mahama was in attendance.
He narrated a story about a Ghanaian child in the Ashanti Region who was being taught in English at a very early stage of development.
He said the child then told the teacher in Akan language, “speak some twi because I don’t understand.”
“Mr. President, in line with that and with your authority, I am directing the Director General of the Ghana Education Service and the GES that from today, teacher use of mother tongue instruction is now compulsory in all Ghanaian schools,” he stated.
The Minister explained that the policy is designed to improve learning outcomes, particularly at the foundational level.
“The GES is to ensure strict enforcement of this,” he stressed.
He further noted that every Ghanaian child deserves the opportunity to learn in the language of their home and culture.
“That Ghanaian child was not born into an English family, but a proud Asante, Akan family and deserves to learn,” he said.
He added that the initiative forms part of President Mahama’s broader reform under the Reset Agenda.
“This is part of President Mahama’s reset agenda,” he stated.
