The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced that the use of Ghanaian mother tongues as a medium of instruction is now compulsory in all schools across the country.
He made this known at the launch of the Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities initiative in Accra, where he directed the Ghana Education Service (GES) to immediately enforce the new policy.
“I am directing the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service that, from today, the use of mother tongue instruction is compulsory in all Ghanaian schools,” Mr. Iddrisu stated.
He explained that the policy aims to strengthen cultural identity and improve learning outcomes by allowing children to begin their education in the language they understand best.
“The Ghanaian child was not born into an English family but into a proud Ashanti, Akan, or Ewe family and deserves to learn in that language,” he added.
The Minister noted that the initiative aligns with President John Mahama’s Reset Agenda, which seeks to restore national pride, promote cultural values, and reform the education system to better serve Ghana’s development goals.
Education experts have long argued that teaching in local languages enhances comprehension and critical thinking among pupils, particularly in early childhood education.
