The Ghana Education Service (GES) has emphasised that one of the main motives behind the government’s directive for the exclusive use of local languages from kindergarten to primary three is to preserve Ghana’s culture and identity.

GES Public Relations Officer, Daniel Fenyi, speaking on the development on JoyNews The Pulse on Monday, October 27, explained that the initiative, announced by the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, seeks to ensure that young learners grow with a strong sense of cultural belonging and appreciation for their roots.

He noted that while Ghana continues to prepare its children to thrive in a globalised world, it is equally important not to lose sight of the traditions, values, and languages that define the nation.

"We believe that, inasmuch as we are grooming our children to suit the global stage or the global world of work, we would also not want to lose our culture and our identity in the process," he said.

Mr Fenyi added that language remains a vital carrier of culture, and teaching in Ghanaian languages at the early stages of education will help instil confidence and pride in pupils about their heritage.

"And so even though we are training our children or learners where English is the predominant language, we still believe that even at that level, they should be able to carry their Ghanaian identity along, their Ghanaian language along, their Ghanaian culture along because that is what will stand them out as unique," he argued.

Last week, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu announced that the use of Ghanaian mother-tongue instruction is now compulsory in all schools across the country.

He said this at the launch of the Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities initiative in Accra. The Minister issued a firm directive to the Director-General of the GES to ensure immediate and strict enforcement of the new policy.

“I am directing the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service and the GES that from today, teacher use of mother tongue instruction is now compulsory in all Ghanaian schools,” Mr. Iddrisu declared.

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