It is a delicate policy – Dr. Adutwum on use of mother tongue as medium of instruction in schools
Former Education Minister and Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has described the use of mother tongue as a language of instruction in Ghana’s basic schools as a delicate policy that requires careful implementation to avoid disadvantaging some pupils. He said while there are arguments that countries that have achieved significant development […]
Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, former Education Minister and MP for Bosomtwe, has described the implementation of mother tongue as a medium of instruction in Ghana's basic schools as a delicate matter that needs careful handling to prevent disadvantaging some students. While some may argue that successful nations do not rely on indigenous languages in education, Dr. Adutwum points out that this assertion doesn't hold true for every prosperous country.
During an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, he cited Singapore as a country that deliberately adopted a language policy to ensure indigenous populations were not left behind. However, he acknowledged that implementing a similar policy in Ghana could be challenging, especially in cosmopolitan cities like Accra, where pupils from diverse linguistic backgrounds attend the same schools.
In a diverse city like Accra, where people from various ethnic and linguistic backgrounds live and study together, Dr. Adutwum questioned which language of instruction would be most appropriate to avoid disadvantaging certain students. Using the example of a class comprised of pupils from multiple ethnic groups, he illustrated the difficulty of having a teacher speak Ga or Twi to teach a group of children.
He questioned the practicality of using indigenous languages in instruction in such situations. Despite these challenges, Dr. Adutwum argued that indigenous languages still play a crucial role in helping children understand complex concepts. He suggested that teachers could use a familiar local language to reinforce understanding when necessary, identifying a pupil's linguistic strength to employ a language they are comfortable with for intervention and differentiation purposes.
Dr. Adutwum emphasized that Ghana's language policy should differentiate between language learning and language acquisition. He stressed that children can learn English effectively while still maintaining their native languages. According to him, exposing children to English does not mean abandoning their native languages, as there are established approaches for teaching English as a second language.
He clarified that speaking English to children helps them acquire the language, but it does not necessarily mean they will stop using their native languages. Dr. Adutwum added that there are tried and tested strategies for teaching English as a second language, allowing children to maintain their linguistic heritage while learning the language of instruction.
Written by urgent.news from Adom Online's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
