5-member committee to develop language policy

A five-member committee has been constituted by the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, to develop a language policy for the country.

The committee, with representation from civil society organisations and members such as the Technical Advisor to the Minister of Education, Professor George Oduro, has 30 days to submit its report to the Minister of Education.

Mr. Iddrisu disclosed this in Accra on Wednesday during the launch of the book titled “Reconceptualising the Learning Crisis in Africa: Multi-Dimensional Pedagogies of Accelerated Learning Programmes.”

The book, which among others highlights the importance of the use of local language in education, is written by distinguished scholars Professor Kwame Akyeampong and Dr. Sean Higgins.

Mr. Iddrisu, who launched the book, said the compelling argument by the authors about the role of language in learning was an issue “close to my heart.”

He stressed that for too long, African children had been asked to learn in languages they did not understand and then blamed for not learning well enough.

Mr. Iddrisu said language was not a peripheral policy issue; it was foundational in education and learning.

“This is why Ghana’s ongoing work to strengthen our language of instruction policy is so critical. It is the foundation on which comprehension, confidence, and cultural identity are built, especially in the early grades,” Mr. Iddrisu stated.

“When a child begins education in a language they understand, they do not just learn faster; they learn with dignity, as this book argues. They begin to see that their language, their stories, and their knowledge have value and make them successful learners,” he added.

Mr. Iddrisu commended Prof. Akyeampong and Dr. Higgins for writing the book, saying it was “timely and important.”

“Their book reminds us that while the phrase ‘learning crisis’ has become part of global policy language, the real crisis is not in the capacity of African children to learn but in how we have too often ignored the wisdom, languages, and pedagogies that make learning meaningful for them,” the Minister of Education indicated.

Prof. Akyeampong, a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Democratic Development, said the book was written to challenge the “learning crisis” narrative that had shaped global education discourse, policy, and funding in Africa for over two decades.

He noted that the book was based on case studies of Accelerated Learning Programmes in Ghana, Liberia, and Ethiopia, which had demonstrated extraordinary success in supporting out-of-school and underperforming children to catch up and thrive.

“Rather than accepting that African children and schools are failing, the book challenges this deficit framing and argues that the real failure lies in the ethical, conceptual, and practical limitations of imposed, top-down approaches,” Prof. Akyeampong, who is the Professor of International Education and Development at the Open University, UK, added.

Among other suggestions, Prof. Akyeampong emphasised that education must recognise and build on the knowledge and strengths of African children and families.

He said local languages must be used longer in schooling to improve learning and inclusion, and also put the teacher at the centre of education.

BY KINGSLEY ASARE

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