Former Education Minister and Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has described the use of mother tongue as a language of instruction in Ghana’s basic schools as a delicate policy that requires careful implementation to avoid disadvantaging some pupils.
He said while there are arguments that countries that have achieved significant development did not rely on indigenous languages in education, that assertion does not reflect the experience of all successful nations.
Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Dr Adutwum cited Singapore as an example, saying the country deliberately adopted a language policy to ensure that indigenous populations were not left behind.
He, however, acknowledged that implementing a similar policy in Ghana could be challenging, particularly in cosmopolitan communities where pupils come from different linguistic backgrounds.
“The policy is there but the implementation is difficult,” he said.
Dr Adutwum explained that in a diverse city such as Accra, where people from different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds live and attend school together, choosing one indigenous language as the medium of instruction could create another layer of inequality.
“If you come to Accra for instance, we have people from different places so what language of instruction will you use so you don’t disadvantage others?” he asked.
He further illustrated the challenge by questioning the practicality of a teacher using Ga or Twi to teach a class made up of pupils from several ethnic groups.
“Imagine a teacher speaking Ga or Twi in a class with other ethnic groups?” he said.
Despite the challenges, Dr Adutwum argued that indigenous languages still have an important role to play in helping children understand difficult concepts, particularly through targeted interventions.
He said teachers who identify a pupil’s linguistic strength could use a familiar local language to reinforce understanding where necessary.
“If you can use the local language and a student can understand, you can use them for intervention and differentiation to help them,” he explained.
According to him, Ghana’s language policy should also distinguish between language learning and language acquisition, noting that children can learn English effectively while still maintaining their indigenous languages.
“We have language learning and language acquisition,” he said.
Dr Adutwum added that exposing children to English does not necessarily mean abandoning their native languages, stressing that there are established approaches for teaching English to children as a second language.
“So when you speak English to children, they acquire the language but that doesn’t mean we are leaving our native language behind,” he said.
“We have strategies to teach English as a second language,” he added.
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