Policy intervention needed to sustain use of indigenous languages at basic education level — Tourism Minister 

Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, has underscored the need for a policy intervention to help in the use of native languages as a medium of instruction at the basic education level.

She, therefore, urged the Minister of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to provide logistical support to teachers and educational institutions in order to sustain the use of indigenous languages for teaching and learning.

Madam Dzifa Gomashie, also the MP for Ketu South, made the call in a statement read on the floor of Parliament on Friday, February 21, to mark this year’s International Mother Language Day.

This year’s celebration of the Day commemorate its 25th anniversary, which reminds the world on the need to preserve and protect linguistic diversity and promotion of mother tongue use.

The minister observed that many of the mother languages were at risk of decline or extinction due to globalisation, urbanisation and limited use in formal education and public life.

The minister indicated that the gradual erosion of the native languages threatened the society’s cultural identity and inter-generational transmission of knowledge system.

She entreated the GES and the sector minister to make concerted efforts to train more teachers to teach the local languages in schools.

“The use of indigenous languages is not only means of communication but also carry our collective history, traditions and cultural values.

“It is an essential element for preserving our cultural heritage and identity,” Madam Dzifa Gomashie emphasised.

Ghana is home to over 80 indigenous languages spoken by the various ethnic groups across the country.

GNA