Mother tongue at work

MISSIVES FROM OUR EDUCATORS

N. B. Andrews

October 28, 2015

The insidious and invidious dumbing down of our public life continues unabated.

It manifests as dodgy theology from our places of worship with attendant dubious miracle workers; cagey, shifty eyed and double dealing political operatives; the ill-informed and tasteless muckraking by so called "celebrities"; spineless public servants who grovel and genuflect without prompting and my favorite peeve - the performance of private bio functions in full view of the public especially children.

It is relentless and all encompassing and some of us have been gob-smacked enough.

We will continue to speak out even if the only outcome is to place on record, for posterity, that some of us did indeed know better.

Lately, the Ghana Education Service (GES) once an impregnable fortress of discipline, intellectual rigor and its attendant high standards has caught the contagion.

There was a time when the Heads of and teachers in schools such as Mfantsipim, Adisadel, Prempeh, Accra Aca, Wesley Girls, Aburi Girls, Achimota; etc, were national figures and role models.

They commanded respect by setting the highest standards of discipline and decorum in all spheres of public life.

On this account, it is gut wrenching to read the last two missives from the Public Relations Unit at the GES Headquarters.

If anyone should, even at this late hour, have any doubts about the grinding mediocrity that has become a constant feature of our contemporary national life, then let him read this and forever hold his peace.

http://m.myjoyonline.com/marticles/opinion/kor-is-the-new-directorgeneral-of-ges

Your tax dollars are at work here!

Some observers have intimated that presentations such as the above should be investigated and commented on by the National Media Commission since they are the watchdogs of standards in the media.

However, to date, no one has raised a public objection to this woeful and poor presentation from the custodians of our educational system.

So we get yet another painful dose of it.

This time from a dynamic duo of PR officers and educationists of the GES.

http://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/Using-Ghanaian-language-as-medium-of-instruction-in-schools-390375

On this occasion, they weigh in on the vexed question of mother tongue instruction in our schools.

Now let us examine structural components of the presentation by looking at several key sentences.

We will not debate concepts. That has been done numerous times already.

1)
Findings say children who are taught in their mother tongues tend to grasp educational concepts and principles faster and easier than they do when taught in other languages.

The veracity of this statement is limited to the specifics of the research locales - but no matter- is this the kind of construct that should be published from the GES?

2)
A cursory look at things has shown that our nation did pursue a Dual Language Policy before 1925.

Our nation? In 1925? How is that for rewriting history?

3)
The Local Language Policy was revisited, switched off again and back.

We know that "dumsor" has entered the lexicon. However, this is really a stretch.

4)
A visit to kindergarten and lower primary (grade 1 to 3) classes would tell you that the study and use of Ghanaian languages is not being joked with at all.

The syntax tells us more about the authors than the prevailing conditions in our schools and the effects of mother tongue education.

5)
It must be appreciated that schooling is not just about learning to read and write English. It cannot be said to be true that English Language is the only panacea for avoiding unemployment and under-development.
Fluency and control over one’s own language can set the foundation for eradicating poverty and ignorance. It is a contentious assertion but it can be true. Our culture, customs and tradition are best explained and appreciated when told in the native language. We forge better association and socialization with others when we communicate well with them in an indigenous language.

Any one who can unravel this, deserves the highest commendation for patience and tact.

6)
We do not think our pre-occupation now is to fight proponents of local language policy but to contribute to the debate on which of one of our local languages should become the national language of instruction in schools and for better national cohesion and integration.

Here we have crossed the Rubicon and have almost fully landed in never never land; the home of the purveyors of hegemony and by extension the perhaps unwitting and naive sowers of dissension and possibly civil strife.

The presentations referred to above are an indication of the abysmally low standards prevailing in a host of our public institutions.

If the idea is to provide an informed view point and education, it fails.

It would have been risible except for the importance that we should attach to these presentations on account of their source.

The tragedy is that the institution entrusted with the education of our youth should choose to present itself to the public in such a manner.

It is certainly not snobbery to be repulsed by anarchy. To build and maintain social cohesion it is important for all of us to first learn what the rules are, whether it is for manners, speaking, writing, dressing, or any other aspect of civilized life.

Consequently, these missives from our educators leave us with no option than to expose, dissect and provide correction in the fervent hope of markedly better presentations in the future.

Did they not say they will be back?

We shall stay tuned.

N.B. ANDREWS
Blebo We-Sakumo
October 28, 2015.