Educationist backs call for use of local languages as medium of instruction

An educationist Michael Nsowah says Education Minister, Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman’s call for Ghanaian children to be taught in local languages is in the right direction.

Mr Nsowah who is a former Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, says research has proven children are able to learn faster when they are taught in languages they play with.

At the World Bank’s “Shared Prosperity Forum” last Friday Professor Naana Agyeman indicated that she was determined to push through the language policy so children can be taught in their mother tongue before they reach primary four.

The call to change the use of English language as a medium of instruction in school at all levels has been raging for years but there has always been a lack of political will to walk the talk.

Prof. Opoku Agyemang was optimistic that once “we can remove [English as the medium of instruction], we will change this country.”

The forum held at the University of Ghana assembled several high-level opinion leaders from the public and private sectors to reflect on two ambitious goals- end extreme poverty by 2030, and to effectively promote income growth among people in the bottom 40 percent of the population in every country of the world.

Mr. Nsowah is confident the move, when implemented, will improve learning.

“It has always been a good idea, it is restricted to the first three years, from primary four, the medium of instruction becomes English”, he told Joy News.