St. Sark cautions Education Minister over Arabic, Chinese languages in Ghanaian schools

The General Overseer of Open Arms Ministry, St. Sark, has called on President John Dramani Mahama and the Minister of Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, to halt any plans to introduce Arabic and Chinese language studies into Ghana’s education system.

According to him, incorporating the two languages into the country’s educational curriculum would place an additional burden on Ghanaian students, who are already required to study numerous subjects.

Speaking at a press conference at the church auditorium on Sunday, St. Sark urged the Ministry of Education to reconsider any move to make Arabic and Chinese part of formal education in Ghana.

He said if the reported initiative has already received approval, President Mahama must personally intervene to stop it.

“If they have approved Arabic and the Chinese language studying agenda, Mahama must put a stop to it. It is a big disgrace to do that,” he stated.

St. Sark argued that Ghanaian students are already faced with significant academic demands and questioned the wisdom of adding more subjects to an already crowded curriculum.

St. Sark Questions Benefits
The General Overseer also questioned the practical benefits that studying Arabic and Chinese would provide to Ghanaian students, particularly in terms of employment opportunities.

He argued that Ghana’s educational priorities should focus on equipping young people with knowledge and skills that can directly respond to the country’s economic challenges and improve their prospects of securing jobs.

St. Sark suggested that Spanish could be a more beneficial foreign language for Ghanaian students, citing its widespread use across several countries.

“Such a move should not be entertained in Ghana,” he stressed.

He further linked his concerns about Chinese language education to Ghana’s unemployment situation.

According to him, promoting Chinese language studies without addressing the country’s job deficit could result in young Ghanaians acquiring the language only to leave the country in search of employment opportunities.

“If they learn Chinese, there will be no work to do in Ghana and they will be made to travel to China to work,” he claimed.

St. Sark extended his concerns to Arabic, questioning the relevance of introducing the language when Ghana continues to face pressing educational and employment challenges.

He therefore urged President Mahama and the Education Ministry to reconsider the reported initiative and instead concentrate on educational policies that can provide practical skills and meaningful opportunities for Ghanaian youth.

He maintained that Ghana’s education system must prioritize the country’s developmental needs rather than adding subjects that, in his view, could further burden students without providing clear employment benefits.