Mr. Stanley Quaynor, the Accra Metro Director of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), has urged the Ministry of Education to prioritize the inclusion of Ghana's indigenous languages in the school curriculum. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Quaynor emphasized the importance of preserving the nation's languages by ensuring that they are adequately taught in schools across all regions.
He noted with concern that in the Greater Accra region, many schools do not offer courses in the Ga language, which poses a threat to the preservation of the language. Mr Quaynor highlighted that the current educational policy has made local languages optional for the Basic Education Certificate Examinations, further exacerbating the issue.
Mr Quaynor emphasized that these trends are detrimental to the development and growth of Ghana's indigenous languages, a concern addressed by International Mother Language Day (IMLD).
In commemoration of the IMLD, the Accra Metro NCCE Office organized a Ga language reading session at the Kaneshie Bishop Basic School, as part of activities held in 15 selected schools in the Greater Accra region.
Explaining the significance of the IMLD, Mr. Quaynor noted that it was instituted by UNESCO to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. He highlighted the historical context of the day, commemorating the students of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) who were killed during a demonstration for the recognition of their language, Bengali, in 1952.
The theme for the 2024 IMLD celebration, “Fostering multilingualism for inclusion in education and society,” aims to emphasize the value and respect for all languages in education and society, promoting cultural heritage and inclusion.
Mr. Quaynor cited a UNESCO report indicating that 40% of the world's population lacks access to education in their mother tongue, underscoring the importance of multilingual education.
As part of efforts to promote Ga language reading among pupils, the NCCE presented six copies of Ga language storybooks to the Kaneshie Bishop Basic School, contributing to the promotion of indigenous languages in education.