Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Clement Abas Apaak, has clarified a new language policy, stating the compulsory use of mother tongue for teaching applies only to kindergarten and lower primary levels.
Policy Clarification
The statement comes after a public debate was sparked by an announcement last week by the Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, that the policy would be compulsory across all basic schools.
Speaking at the launch of the Foundational Learning Action Tracker in Accra on Monday, 27 October, Dr Apaak sought to correct what he described as misinterpretations in some media outlets.
“The Honourable Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, 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 three. In other words, KG and lower primary,” Dr Apaak said.
Initial Announcement and Rationale
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu had made the initial announcement on Friday, 24 October, at the launch of the Free Tertiary Education Programme for Persons with Disability.
He said the move aligned with President John Dramani Mahama’s education reform agenda, which is “aimed at strengthening foundational literacy and learning outcomes across the country.”
The Minister had directed the Ghana Education Service (GES) to ensure strict nationwide enforcement of the policy, which led to immediate public discussion and mixed interpretations regarding its scope.
According to Dr Apaak, the clarification is intended to ensure the smooth implementation of the language policy and prevent confusion that could “disrupt effective teaching and learning across different grade levels”.
