Professor Dr. Adams Bodomo, a Ghanaian linguist and Professor of Linguistics and African Literatures at the University of Vienna, Austria, has condemned the government’s proposed language policy for basic education, describing it as “one of the worst language education policies” he has seen in Ghana and anywhere in the world.
The internationally acclaimed scholar criticised the policy, which forms part of the Ministry of Education’s revised basic school curriculum proposing the introduction of French, Arabic and Chinese from the kindergarten level. He argued that the move undermines Ghanaian languages and reflects a neo-colonial approach to education.
“It is one of the worst language education policies I have seen in Ghana and anywhere in the world. I am sure it is going to be very easy for the next progressive government to reverse,” Prof. Bodomo said in a post on Facebook on Saturday.
The revised curriculum, unveiled by the Ministry of Education, seeks to equip learners with competencies for an increasingly interconnected world through reforms that include coding, artificial intelligence and expanded language studies.
However, the proposal to introduce foreign languages at the preschool level has triggered debate among educationists, linguists and the public over its practicality and its implications for the development of indigenous languages.
Prof. Bodomo argued that the policy departs from internationally accepted best practices in language education, where children first develop literacy and cognitive skills in their mother tongues before gradually learning additional languages.
“In most parts of the world, people concentrate on teaching their children homegrown languages at lower levels of education and then gradually move to foreign languages,” he stated.
He questioned why Ghanaian children should be introduced to several foreign languages at the earliest stages of their education while indigenous languages continue to receive limited attention.
“Why don’t we respect our own Ghanaian and African languages and the cultures associated with them? Let the child begin with their own language or mother tongue and another Ghanaian or African language at the early stages of education and then gradually incorporate foreign languages optionally,” he said.
The linguist also criticised the proposal to introduce French, Arabic and Chinese alongside English at the kindergarten level.
“Why must all Ghanaian children be forced to learn French, Arabic and Chinese at kindergarten levels, in addition to English that is already part of our colonial burden?” he asked.
Prof. Bodomo, whose scholarship in African linguistics, multilingualism and language policy spans more than four decades, said successive governments have failed to heed his longstanding advocacy for what he describes as “localised trilingualism” and “linguistic Pan-Africanism.”
Under that approach, children would first attain proficiency in their mother tongue, learn another Ghanaian or African language, and only later study foreign languages as optional subjects.
“I have been writing about this language policy thing for the last 40 years, but these neo-colonial African politicians don’t mind my ideas of localised trilingualism and linguistic Pan-Africanism,” he said.
He concluded by calling for the policy to be reversed, describing it as misguided and disconnected from Ghana’s linguistic and cultural realities.
“I can’t wait for the next government or even this government itself to reverse this dambolyɛlɛ/nkwaseasɛm/wawanci/upuuzi policy,” he stated.
The Ministry of Education has maintained that the revised curriculum is intended to produce globally competitive learners while strengthening foundational skills. However, it has yet to respond specifically to Prof. Bodomo’s criticism of the proposed language policy.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
