Education policy analyst Ruben Ameh has urged the Ministry of Education to adopt a blended learning approach that combines English with local languages at the basic level.
Speaking on the Orange Sunrise program on Monday, October 27, 2025, Mr. Ameh expressed concern that the new directive which mandates instruction solely in local languages could harm children’s long-term learning outcomes.
He argued that limiting early education to local languages may weaken children’s grasp of English. “The way this policy is structured, comprehension of the English language risks becoming a mere prop. At the toddler stage, children are highly capable of learning multiple languages at once,” he said.
Mr. Ameh also raised issues about teacher deployment under the policy. He suggested that each teacher should receive training in a specific Ghanaian language and be posted to communities where that language is commonly spoken.
“If teachers are not aligned with the language of the local community, both teaching and learning will suffer. Proper training and strategic placement are critical,” he emphasized.
He concluded that while promoting local languages is essential for cultural preservation, early exposure to English remains vital for academic success and global competitiveness.
