Why Is Ga Language Treated With Contempt On Its Own Land?

1. Language is one of the most important parts of any culture. It is their heritage, the way by which they communicate with one another, build relationships, and create a sense of community.

2. Ga and Dangme is the language of the people of Greater Accra and the school is viewed as the main avenue for enhancing proficiencies in the spoken language and for the acquisition of reading and writing skills needed for continuous learning and personal development.

3. Greater Accra, which is the home of the Ga and Dangme people, also serves as the gateway to Ghana with an enviable vibrant capital city. It is densely populated and represents about one-third in contribution to the Country’s GDP. Greater Accra has accommodated the most diverse number of tribes mainly because it hosts the country’s major industrial and commercial centres.

4. Sadly, it is feared that a time is coming when the Ga and Dangme language would not be heard due to the phasing off of the Ga and Dangme language in most basic schools in Greater Accra Region which is contrary to the 2004 language policy in Education.

5. In January 2001, the Director General of the Ghana Education Service rationalized the Ghanaian policy as follows: The fundamental philosophy underlying the Ghanaian Language Policy in our schools is to enable the individual acquire a sense of cultural identity and make him/her literate in his/her own mother tongue. Another essential factor is that basic literacy in one’s mother tongue or the local language enhances the child’s ability to transfer and apply acquired learning skills in the local language to proficiency in learning English and other languages. (Signed by the Director General of GES, Jan. 2001)

6. A government white paper published after the submission of the Education Review Committee’s report accepted this recommendation. On the issue of the medium of instruction in P1– 3, a section of the white paper reads: Government accepts the recommendation that the children’s home language and Ghana’s official language, English, should be used as the medium of instruction at the kindergarten and primary level (2004, p.27).

7. In the same section, there was a caveat, which seemed to give some weight to the local language as follows: …where teachers and learning materials are available and linguistic composition of classes is fairly uniform, the children’s first language must be used as the dominant medium of instruction in kindergarten and lower primary (p.27 &28).

8. Ghana’s current language policy (2004 language policy in Education) mandates the use of the child’s L1 as the language of instruction from kindergarten through Grade 3, with English as the L1 thereafter. English is taught as the subject in the lower primary grades, while Ghanaian languages become a subject of study from Grade 4 through grade 9.

9. Essentially, the Policy is that, “instruction at the Lower Primary Level (Primary 1 – 3) will be conducted in the pupil’s mother tongue, or in the major Ghanaian Language of the local area, while English will be studied as one of the subjects offered at the Lower Primary Level. From Primary 4 onwards, class instruction will be conducted in English; and the Ghanaian Language will then be studied as one of the subjects offered.

10. However the phasing off of the Ga and Dangme language in the greater Accra region has raised a lot of concerns that needs to be addressed with immediate effect.

11. On 15^th Feb. 2021, Nene Tetteh Waka III, Paramount chief of Prampram Traditional area in a letter to the Ministry of Education, bemoaned the Ministry to reinforce the teaching and learning of Ga and Dangme languages in all basic schools in the Greater Accra Region

12. In a Graphic online story dated 11^th February 2021, the chief of Oyibi, Nii Bortey Frankwa also regretted the phasing off of the Ga and Dangme language and requested the Ministrey of Education to ensure the teaching of Ga and Dangme in all basic schools in the Greater Accra Region.

13. A Ghana News Agency story on February 24^th also captured the anger of the Queen Mother of La, Naa Ju Yoo Tsofayelor I, demanding the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of education to review their policy of transferring and posting local language teachers outside their home region.

14. On March 4, 2022, Reverend Daniel Kpebitey, Superintendent Minister of the Kaneshie Circuit of the Methodist Church added his voice to the dissatisfaction with the eradication of Ga heritage through the phasing off of the Ga and Dangme language.

15. Citifmonline in a report on on 1^st March 2021 also carried a story in which the Greater Accra Regional Minster designate Mr. Henry Quartey, during his vetting mentioned that he will prioritize the teaching of Ga in all greater Accra schools.

16. To improve the teaching of Ga and Dangme language in the Greater Accra Region, it is urgent that:

17. In conclusion, just as Twi is taught in the Ashanti Region and Ewe in the Volta Region, the teaching of Ga should never be phased off in the Greater Accra Region.

Thank you

Concerned Ga's of Tema.