The recent announcement by the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, that the use of local languages as the mode of instruction would become compulsory in basic schools in the country, has sparked a nationwide debate from teachers’ associations, parents and educational experts. Although some have applauded the move as culturally and pedagogically sound, others have raised questions about teacher capacity, dialect diversity and the preparedness of schools.
Some are also interpreting it to mean that all levels of basic education would switch entirely to local language instruction.
However, in a subsequent clarification by Clement Apaak, the Deputy Minister of Education, on Monday, October 27, 2025, following public outcry over the earlier announcement, he explained that the directive specifically applies to Kindergarten to Basic 3, not the entire basic school system.
He said the initiative is part of the Ministry’s efforts to strengthen foundational learning and improve literacy skills among young learners before transitioning to English as the main language of instruction.
According to him, pupils at the early childhood level learn best when taught in a language they understand.
Adding his voice to the debate in an article, the former Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Kwasi Opoku-Amankwah, opined that Ghana is a multilingual and linguistically heterogeneous country, and that the estimated number of indigenous languages spoken varies from 30 to over 83, including cross-border languages such as Hausa.
He said, while the aspiration remains that mother tongue should be the medium of instruction from primary one to primary three, certain operational challenges make it difficult to give this effect.
These include the lack of fully developed orthographies and instructional materials in many local languages, the lack of local language teachers and the fact that textbooks are mainly developed in the dominant English Language, as well as publishers’ lack of interest in local language materials production, due to the small size of the market.
NET2 TV NEWS spoke with Madam Harriet Lomotey, the District Director of Education of the La Nkwantanang Madina Assembly (LaNMA), to provide further clarity on the matter.
She said the new initiative would make learning easier for the Ghanaian child, stating that she does not foresee any challenges. She also asserted that the Education Ministry wants children to have a strong foundation in their mother tongue, which is why it said local languages should be used.
Story by: Isaac Clottey
