Deputy Minister-designate for Works and Housing Dr Prince Hamid Armah, an education expert, has emphasised the crucial importance of promoting local language education in Ghanaian schools.

During his appearance before the appointments committee of parliament on Monday, March 11, 2024, Armah stressed the need for a deliberate effort to achieve this.

“There has to be a deliberate and conscious effort in getting more individuals interested in studying the local language and training more teachers,” Armah said.

He highlighted the benefits of early exposure to local languages and urged authorities to expand language education to include other indigenous dialects.

Dr Armah's passionate advocacy for the revitalisation of local languages in education signifies a significant step towards preserving Ghana's linguistic heritage and promoting inclusive education.

Meanwhile, global studies indicate a concerning trend of language endangerment.

According to research conducted by The Australian National University (ANU), half of the world's documented languages face the risk of extinction.

This threat is exacerbated by the dominance of regionally prevalent languages taught in schools, overshadowing indigenous tongues.

The Ghana Institute of Languages echoes these concerns, particularly regarding the Ga language.

Eric Osei Kwakye, the institute's head of academics, warns of the imminent decline of Ga language education due to a shortage of teachers.

He emphasised the lack of efforts to revitalize local dialects in basic and secondary schools, underscoring the urgent need for action to prevent language extinction.

The ANU study highlights the pressing need for proactive measures to preserve linguistic diversity in the face of global language loss trends.