The Ghana Education Service (GES), as part of processes that have begun to ensure the instruction of Gurune in Kindergarten and in lower primary schools, is expected to commence the recruitment of skilled Gurune teachers across the country. For those who are already educated in the language and have already been employed by the GES, it may be time to begin their re-designation to ensure that the skilled language teachers are put in the classrooms as the instruction of Gurune begins.
This forms part of a rather comprehensive approach to develop the language at the basic level and ensure a smooth, rapid scale-up of same to the upper primary, junior high school and the second cycle institutions.
Professor of Linguistics at the University of Education Winneba and former Upper East Regional Minister, Ephraim Avea Nosh made proposed these ideas when he spoke on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show, Wednesday, July 20, 2022.
“One of the basic things, is to begin to identify the teachers that are already in the system. There are two categories; one category is those who are real teachers but for one reason or the other, are teaching other subjects or are doing other things. These are people we would need to identify, motivate and encourage them to get back to teach the language. The second group is those who are outside and have no jobs. These people came with the expectation that this thing would have been approved several years ago but for some time now, the thing has not been approved.”
“We need the Ministry of Education and GES, who have approved this, to give some priority or some special quota for such people to be recruited as quickly as possible,” he said.
He said aside from looking at immediate employment, more should be done to encourage young people who are now beginning to develop interest in teaching to quickly take up the opportunity of teaching Gurune and go through the needed training.
“Many people should begin to offer themselves instead of roaming around and having no certificate at all or those who have done other programmes and want to do Gurune as a Masters option of PGDE.”
While some materials have already been developed around Gurune, Professor Avea Nsoh insists that more must be done. The development of the language must continue, he said.
Background
The Ghana Education Service through the National Council for Curriculum Assessment has approved Gurune as a Ghanaian language to be taught in schools. Gurune is a language spoken by the Frafra people in the Upper East Region.
A letter signed by the Director General of GES, Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa to the Upper East Regional GES director stated that NaCCA is therefore in a process of developing the appropriate teaching and learning materials for Kindergarten and Lower Primary Schools.
The advocacy for Gurune to be taught in schools over the years was unsuccessful until now. One key person who has been championing this advocacy is a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Education, Winneba, Ephraim Avea Nsoh, a native of the Upper East region.
Source:Â A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
