The GA Traditional Council has called on the Ministry of Education to make the teaching of Ga and Dangme languages compulsory in basic schools across the Greater Accra Region, to reflect the linguistic and cultural identity of the indigenous people of the capital.
The call was made when the Minister of Education, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, paid a courtesy call on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, and members of the Council at the Ga Mantse Palace in Accra on Monday.
The visit was to formally invite the Ga Mantse to an upcoming Indigenous Language Conference scheduled for March in Accra and to assure the Council of the government's commitment to protecting and promoting the Ga language.
Mr Iddrisu, who was accompanied by key officials from the ministry, announced that the Google Gemini Artificial Intelligence tool on Ghanaian languages would be expanded to cover all 12 designated national languages.
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These include Mfantse, Twi, Ewe, Dagbani, Nzema, Hausa, Dagaare, Ga and Dangme.
He said the government was committed to promoting multilingualism in the country, stressing that the Ga language remained an integral part of Ghana's cultural heritage.
Welcoming the minister and his delegation, the Ga Mantse, through Nii Otublohum III, Kyidom of the Ga State, expressed concern over increasing public debate on language policy, particularly among the Ga-Dangme people, noting that the engagement was necessary to articulate the views of the indigenous communities.
The Council presented an eight-point position paper to the minister, including a request for Ga and Dangme to be designated as core subjects in the basic school curriculum throughout the Greater Accra Region.
They welcomed the ministry's proposal to integrate 12 Ghanaian languages into a planned artificial intelligence language pilot programme and urged that Ga be fully incorporated into the initiative.
The Council further called for a clear government policy commitment to protect, develop and promote the Ga language as a national cultural asset, including structured programmes for its preservation, digitisation and modernisation.
Another concern raised was the posting of trained Ga and Dangme language teachers, particularly graduates from the University of Education, Winneba, who are often posted outside the Greater Accra Region despite the demand for their services within the capital.
The Council, therefore, appealed for such graduates to be posted to schools within the region.
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Additionally, the Council proposed the development and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Education and the Ga State to establish a long-term framework for the teaching, promotion and technological development of the Ga and Dangme languages.
They also called for regular consultations between the ministry, the Ga State and other stakeholders to monitor progress and address emerging challenges.
The Council indicated that a formal press communiqué would be submitted to the ministry following the meeting.
The minister made a personal donation of GH¢100,000 to support the Ga Mantse Educational Fund.
