Accra: Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, has emphasized the need for policy intervention to support the use of native languages as a medium of instruction at the basic education level. She has called upon the Minister of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to provide logistical backing to teachers and educational institutions in order to sustain the use of indigenous languages for teaching and learning.
According to Ghana News Agency, Madam Dzifa Gomashie, who also serves as the Member of Parliament for Ketu South, made this appeal in a statement read on the floor of Parliament on Friday, February 21, to mark this year's International Mother Language Day. The celebration commemorated its 25th anniversary, highlighting the importance of preserving and protecting linguistic diversity and promoting the use of mother tongues.
The minister noted that many mother languages face the threat of decline or extinction due to factors such as globalization, urbanization, and limited use in formal education and public life. She warned that the gradual erosion of native languages poses a threat to the cultural identity of society and the inter-generational transmission of knowledge systems.
Madam Dzifa Gomashie urged the GES and the sector minister to make concerted efforts to train more teachers in local languages to ensure their continued use in schools. She stressed that indigenous languages are not just a means of communication but also carriers of collective history, traditions, and cultural values, making them essential for preserving cultural heritage and identity.
Ghana boasts over 80 indigenous languages spoken by various ethnic groups across the country, underscoring the need for strategic efforts to maintain linguistic diversity and cultural richness.
