|
| Government urged to review the national language policy |
3/18/2007 |
|
Kumasi, March 17, GNA - Government and all stakeholders in the education sector have been urged to have a second look at the national language policy which makes it compulsory for teachers to use English language as a medium of instruction at the basic education level. Mrs. Aba Brew-Hammond, a lecturer at the Publishing Studies Department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), who made the call, explained that children could learn better with the local language which their parents transmit to them right after birth, saying children grasp other cultural and moral values from their local language.
The seminar was organized by the College of Arts and Social Sciences of KNUST dubbed 93Intra-College Seminar" for the students of the university.
She said this at a seminar on the theme: 93Projecting Monolinqual Ideologies in Multilinqual Classrooms in Ghana: A Critical Look at the English 96 only language in Education Policy". She stated that, it was not fair to use only English language to teach since it created problems for children in understanding whatever they were taught, adding that teaching children with bi-lingual however could pave way for easy understanding before being introduced to English language as a medium of instruction.
Professor Daniel Buor, Provost of College of Art and Social Sciences, who chaired the seminar commended the lecturer for her research into the languages in the country and said any attempt at using only one local language as our lingua franca could generate into chaos but the local languages should be used at school during the child''s formative period before introducing them to English language. Rev Dr Nathan Samwini, a lecturer at the Department of Religious Studies at the KNUST, on his part said there was the need for a national formula for development and make sure any government who would come and meet it could continue its implementation.
He stated that the development of the nation depended on continuity of planning and effective implementation of good policies instead of changing policies by every government who come to power.Source:
GNA
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
