Educationist Ellis Ferdinand Clarifies Minister’s Directive on Use of Local Language in Pre-Tertiary Schools

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Ellis Ferdinand
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Ghana Ellis Ferdinand
FERDINAND ELLIS

Ferdinand | EducationGhana | October 27 | Educationist Ellis Ferdinand Clarifies Minister’s Directive on Use of Local Language in Pre-Tertiary Schools

Education blogger and researcher Ellis Ferdinand has clarified that the new directive by Education Minister Hon. Haruna Iddrisu on the use of mother-tongue instruction applies mainly to preschool and lower primary levels, not all pre-tertiary classes.

Accra, October 26, 2025 — EducationGhana.org

Educationist and curriculum specialist Ellis Ferdinand has offered a detailed clarification on the recent directive by the Minister for Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, requiring teachers to use the mother tongue as a medium of instruction in pre-tertiary schools.

 

Speaking through an article published on EducationGhana.org, Ferdinand explained that the minister’s announcement, made during the launch of the Disability Scholarship Programme at the Accra College of Education on October 24, 2025, should be understood in the context of Ghana’s long-standing language-in-education policy. According to him, the directive does not replace English as the primary language of instruction across all levels but rather reinforces the use of Ghanaian languages at the foundational stage, where they are most effective in supporting comprehension and literacy.

Clarifying the Minister’s Stance

Ferdinand noted that while the Minister called for the use of local languages in teaching, the policy specifically targets preschool and lower primary levels, where children are developing foundational skills. He added that at the upper primary level, classrooms are expected to adopt a multilingual transition model, allowing teachers to use both local languages and English for progressive learning.

 

“At the Junior High School (JHS) and Senior High School (SHS) levels, English will remain the main medium of instruction,” he clarified, stressing that the mother tongue serves as a bridge to advanced English proficiency rather than a substitute.

Academic Backing for the Policy

Citing studies from UNESCO and the Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP), Ferdinand explained that global evidence supports the use of the mother tongue in early education, as it enhances comprehension, cognitive development, and confidence in learners.

 

He referenced local research by Tackie-Ofosu (2015) and Adjei & Klu (2018), which found that Ghanaian children who begin learning in a familiar language show stronger performance and smoother transition to English in later years. “This approach does not weaken English instruction; instead, it strengthens it by ensuring that pupils fully understand basic concepts before encountering them in a new language,” he stated.

Implementation Challenges

Despite its benefits, Ferdinand warned that successful implementation requires clear communication and adequate resourcing. He identified shortages of trained teachers, insufficient materials in Ghanaian languages, and misconceptions among parents as the main obstacles. He proposed that the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Ghana Education Service (GES) should:

  • Provide explicit policy guidelines and timelines for rollout
  • Strengthen teacher training colleges in bilingual pedagogy
  • Develop textbooks and storybooks in Ghanaian languages
  • Conduct pilot programmes before national implementation
  • Engage the public through awareness campaigns to explain the policy’s purpose

Balancing Local and Global Competence

Ferdinand emphasised that Ghana’s education system must aim to produce bilingual learners who are confident in both their local languages and English. He said the new directive, if carefully managed, could help pupils “learn from the known to the unknown” — a principle deeply rooted in effective pedagogy.

 

He concluded that Hon. Haruna Iddrisu’s decision reaffirms Ghana’s commitment to inclusive and culturally relevant education. Still, the success of the directive depends on teacher preparedness, resource availability, and community understanding.

Background

Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, while addressing the launch of the Disability Scholarship Programme at the Accra College of Education, directed the GES to ensure that teachers at the basic level use the mother tongue to improve learners’ understanding. The Minister explained that the use of Ghanaian languages at the early stages would enable pupils to “grasp concepts in a language they understand” before transitioning fully to English.  

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