The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced that all basic schools in Ghana must now use local languages as the primary medium of instruction. The directive, he said, is intended to strengthen learning at the foundational level and improve comprehension among young pupils.
Speaking at the launch of the Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disability initiative in Accra, Mr. Iddrisu explained that the decision aligns with President John Dramani Mahama’s broader education reform agenda, which prioritises strong early learning outcomes as a cornerstone for national development.
“Mr President, the story is told of a young girl whose teacher somewhere in the Ashanti Region went in and was waxing English, teaching at those early stages of development. Then, the child told the teacher that, ‘try to speak a little Twi, so that I can understand you’,” he said.
According to the Minister, this real-life example captures the essence of the new policy. “So, Mr. President, in line with that and with your authority, I am directing the Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the GES that from today, teacher use of mother tongue instruction is now compulsory in all Ghanaian schools.”
He directed the GES to strictly enforce the directive, stressing that a Ghanaian child must first learn in a familiar language before mastering others. “That a Ghanaian child was not born into an English family but a proud Ashanti Akan family and deserves to learn. This is part of President Mahama’s Reset Agenda,” he said.
Turning to the new Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disability initiative, Mr. Iddrisu described it as both a campaign promise fulfilled and a reflection of the President’s compassion toward vulnerable citizens. He said the initiative ensures inclusivity and reinforces the belief that “disability is not inability.”
The Minister revealed that the initiative would cost the state and the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) about GHS31 million, adding that President Mahama had approved additional long-term funding to sustain it.
“President Mahama has asked me to assure you that so long as he is President, from now until 2028, the GETFund will commit GHS50 million every other year to support a new disability fee and other associated interventions,” he said, according to a GNA report.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to expanding access to quality education, Mr. Iddrisu disclosed that President Mahama had secured fresh support from China. During the President’s recent visit, Chinese leader Xi Jinping presented Ghana with a 200 million Yuan Renminbi grant (approximately 30 million US dollars) to strengthen bilateral cooperation in education.
The Minister said President Mahama had directed that the funds be used to establish a Catholic Science University in Damongo, the Savannah Regional capital. “Accordingly, President Mahama is dedicating the 200 million RMB for the start and establishment of a Catholic Science University in Damongo in the Savannah Region. So that, at least, that will be done,” he stated.
Mr. Iddrisu added that plans were also underway to establish two new technical universities in Jasikan in the Oti Region and Techiman in the Bono East Region, as part of efforts to boost access to technical and vocational education across the country.
