Why will it be necessary to use Ghanaian languages as medium of instruction in higher education?

What is it about?

The higher education sector in Ghana has been expanding over the past decades. An increasing proportion of adolescents get the chance to study at a University or Polytechnic. However, this proportion is still considerably smaller than what it is in countries of the global North. We argue that if higher education expands even more, it will become more and more difficult to first give all students sufficient knowledge of English and then teach them in that language. It will be far more efficient to use Ghanaian languages. This is illustrated by discussing the example of Estonia, which performs better than Ghana in teaching English but still needs to use Estonian in its higher education. The article further argues that the addition of Ghanaian languages as medium of instruction is practically possible, by using a limited number of languages that should be easy to learn for speakers of related Ghanaian languages. Around six languages would be sufficient; these could be chosen on the basis of a number of rational principles, discussed in the article. The article ends by suggesting a number of concrete steps that could be taken to prepare for the change, including setting up an expert committee, preparing a Language Policy Act and aiming for the introduction of new language policy in the next education strategic plan.

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Why is it important?

Using indigenous languages as medium of instruction in Africa has been a hotly-debated topic over the past decades. This article, for the first time, shows how the issue is linked to the issue of participation in education. It is also the first in suggesting a practical way forward in making rational choices for which languages to use and how to go about implementing their gradual introduction.