<div dir="ltr">
<h2><a href="http://www.ghananewsagency.org/social/international-mother-language-day-marked-in-upper-east-129183" title="International Mother Language Day marked in Upper East">International Mother Language Day marked in Upper East</a></h2>
<div class="gmail-clear"></div>
<div class="gmail-image-box">
<img class="gmail-main" src="http://www.ghananewsagency.org/assets/images/xsocial---mother-language-2.jpg.pagespeed.ic.f1ID3O7dUz.jpg" alt="Mother Language 2"><br>
</div>
<div><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif" lang="EN-GB">By
Anthony Apubeo, GNA</span></b>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif" lang="EN-GB">Bolgatanga, Feb. 26,
GNA – Mother Language Day has been marked in Bolgatanga with a call on
stakeholders in education to device modalities that would encourage the study
of native language in the region.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif" lang="EN-GB">The day, which is
celebrated worldwide on February 21 each year, was organized by World Vision
International- Ghana.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif" lang="EN-GB">It brought together
various stakeholders in the education sector including teachers and pupils from
some basic schools in the region.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif" lang="EN-GB">Mr Timothy Amang-Bay
Akanpabadai, the Upper East Regional Operational Manager of World Vision
International-Ghana, said the teaching of one’s mother language to pupils
enhanced academic performance of pupils.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif" lang="EN-GB">He said the mother
language is the policy of instruction and when children study it well, it aids
them to understand things better in school and perform well.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif" lang="EN-GB">“It is important that
as we mark the International Mother Language Day, we reflect on how we have
collectively done with the language of instruction policy in schools,” the
Regional Operation Manager added.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif" lang="EN-GB">Mr Akanpabada said the
celebration was a reminder to all stakeholders in the education sector to
implement strategies and measures that would improve on the academic
performance of students particularly at the basic level in the region.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif" lang="EN-GB">He said “in 2015,
Ghana conducted the Early Grade Reading Assessment and it revealed that only
two percent of primary two children can read with comprehension. In Upper East
Region 98 percent of children in primary two could not identify letter sounds
or three letter words and this has serious repercussions for the nation’s
development and also towards sustainable growth.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif" lang="EN-GB">The Regional
Operations Manager said World Vision International- Ghana, has invested about
US$1.5 million in the past nine years in the Kassena-Nankana West, Talensi,
Garu, Bawku and West Mamprusi districts to improve on education through the
provision of school infrastructure, teaching and learning materials, bicycles
for pupils, refresher courses for teachers as well as Water and Sanitation
Hygiene (WASH) facilities.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif" lang="EN-GB">He pledged continuous
collaboration with communities, local authorities and government institutions
to provide quality education and help sustain the well being of “4,500,000
people including children within families and communities, especially the most
vulnerable by 2021.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif" lang="EN-GB">Whilst appealing to
the government to implement the instruction policy in schools and the schools
to put the materials into good use to derive maximum benefits, Mr Akanpabada
asked traditional leaders and the private sector to invest in books in the
mother language to preserve the cultural heritage of the country.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif" lang="EN-GB">Madam Patricia Ayiko,
the Upper East Regional Director of Education, said quality education at the
basic level was very necessary in tackling the numerous problems that children
encounter.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif" lang="EN-GB">Meaningful advocacy
and collective efforts, she said, were paramount to achieving improved
education and appealed to both public and private stakeholders to assist in the
effort.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif" lang="EN-GB">Mr Rockson Ayine
Bukari, the Upper East Regional Minister, in a speech read on his behalf by
Madam Yvonne Wonchua, the Administrative Officer at the Regional Coordinating
Council, said pupils performed better in other parts of the country due to
inclusion of the mother language and added that efforts are far advanced to
have the languages in the region included.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif" lang="EN-GB">He said policies were
being rolled out to assist drivers who do not have formal education to acquire
driver’s licenses.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif" lang="EN-GB">Two pupils, Achiri
Olivia and Ayuumbeo Cynthia who presented a proposal to the stakeholders on
behalf of their colleagues, said every developed nation demanded the effective
participation and contribution of its skilled human resources hence efforts
must be geared towards creating an enabling environment for quality basic
education to thrive.</span></p></div>
<br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone: (215) 898-7475<br>Fax: (215) 573-2138 <br><br>Email: <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a> <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div>
</div>