A Comprehensive Counter-Argument to Ghana’s Dangerous New Language Policy. An Open Letter to Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu and All Ghanaians Who Care About Our Children’s Futures
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Ghana has announced a catastrophic education policy that will cripple an entire generation. Under the guise of cultural preservation, the education minister has mandated local languages as the primary medium of instruction in all schools, replacing English. This policy is not progressive—it is regressive. It is not empowering—it is isolating. It is not evidence-based—it is ideological. And it will condemn millions of Ghanaian children to economic irrelevance in an increasingly competitive global economy.
This comprehensive analysis exposes the fatal flaws in this policy, demands transparency and accountability from the Ministry, and presents a superior alternative: the MAME Framework (Mathematics, Art, Music, and English), a bilingual education model grounded in cognitive science and proven international best practices.
Our children deserve better. Ghana deserves better. The time to act is now.
THE POLICY AND ITS FATAL FLAWS
The Announced Policy: A Recipe for Disaster
Ghana’s Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced that local languages will become the primary medium of instruction in all schools, replacing English. The Minister argues that “children should learn in their mother tongue, which they understand best,” and has tasked the Ghana Education Service with nationwide enforcement.
On the surface, this sounds culturally sensitive. In reality, it is educationally catastrophic.
Why This Policy Will Destroy Our Children’s Futures
FLAW #1: It Ignores Global Economic Reality
We live in an interconnected world where English is the dominant language of international commerce, technology, science, and diplomacy. By restricting our children’s early exposure to English, we are not empowering them—we are isolating them.
Consider these undeniable realities:
Higher Education Access: Our universities, textbooks, research papers, and academic resources
are predominantly in English. Students educated primarily in local languages will face insurmountable barriers when transitioning to secondary and tertiary education. How do you expect a child taught mathematics in Dagbani for eight years to suddenly comprehend university calculus lectures in English? This policy creates an educational cliff that will cause mass student failure.
Economic Competitiveness: Ghana’s growing tech sector, international business partnerships, and foreign investment all operate in English. We are training a generation unprepared for the jobs that will sustain our economy. When multinational corporations seek employees, when startups need developers, when businesses require managers—they will look to Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and skip over Ghana. Our children will be economically obsolete before they finish school.
Brain Drain Acceleration: Our brightest students will be disadvantaged when competing for international scholarships, graduate programs, and global opportunities. Those who can afford private English-medium education will thrive and eventually leave Ghana for better opportunities abroad. The rest will be trapped in a country where their own education system has handicapped them. This policy doesn’t prevent brain drain—it guarantees it by creating two classes of citizens: the globally mobile elite and the locally trapped masses.
FLAW #2: Linguistic Fragmentation and the Impossibility of Implementation
Ghana has over 80 languages. Which “local language” becomes the medium of instruction?
The implementation questions that the Ministry cannot answer:
• In multilingual communities (Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi, mining towns), which language
takes precedence?
• What about children whose home language differs from the school’s chosen language?
Are they doubly disadvantaged—unable to learn in their actual mother tongue AND
denied English proficiency?
• How do we produce standardized educational materials, textbooks, and examinations
across dozens of languages?
• What happens when a teacher from the Volta Region is posted to the Northern Region?
Can they teach fluently in Dagbani?
• How do children from different regions communicate with each other if educated
exclusively in mutually unintelligible languages?
This policy doesn’t simplify education—it fractures it. We risk creating linguistic silos where a
child educated in Dagbani cannot easily communicate with one educated in Ewe, while both
struggle with the English required for national cohesion and international engagement. We will
Balkanize our own education system.
FLAW #3: The False Premise of “Understanding Best” in Mother Tongue Only
The Ministry’s central assumption—that children learn best ONLY in their mother tongue—is a
gross oversimplification that ignores how language acquisition actually works.
Here’s what cognitive science actually tells us:
Young children are linguistic sponges: Research conclusively shows that children can simultaneously acquire multiple languages without confusion when properly taught. The optimal window for language learning is ages 3-10, when the brain is most plastic. By delaying English instruction until later years, this policy wastes the most critical period for language acquisition.
Bilingual education enhances cognitive ability: Decades of neuroscience research demonstrate that bilingual children often outperform monolingual peers in problem-solving, abstract thinking, executive function, and cognitive flexibility. Learning multiple languages doesn’t confuse children—it strengthens their brains.
Early English exposure is critical, not harmful: Delaying English instruction doesn’t make it easier later—it makes it harder. Children who begin learning English at age 5 achieve significantly higher proficiency than those who begin at age 12. This isn’t opinion—this is documented educational psychology.
The real issue has never been the language of instruction—it has been the quality of teaching, resources, and infrastructure. Changing the medium to local languages without addressing these fundamental problems solves nothing. It’s like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic while ignoring the iceberg.
FLAW #4: No Successful International Model Exists
Name one developed or rapidly developing country that has achieved economic success by restricting children to local language instruction while delaying global languages. You cannot, because no such country exists.
Let’s examine the international evidence:
Malaysia’s Costly Mistake and Reversal: After implementing mother tongue education in science and mathematics in the 1970s-1980s, Malaysia reversed course when they realized their students couldn’t compete internationally in technology and science fields. They switched back to English-medium instruction for STEM subjects. Malaysia learned this lesson the hard way—Ghana wants to repeat the same mistake.
Singapore’s Pragmatic Success: Despite having multiple ethnic groups (Chinese, Malay, Indian, and others), Singapore maintained English as the unifying educational language while teaching mother tongues as subjects—not as the medium of instruction. This strategy helped make Singapore a global economic powerhouse with a GDP per capita 40 times higher than Ghana’s. Singapore proves that you can preserve cultural languages WITHOUT sacrificing global competitiveness.
Rwanda’s Transformation: Rwanda switched from French to English as the medium of instruction and has seen dramatic improvements in educational outcomes, economic development, and international integration. Rwanda now has one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa. They made the opposite choice from Ghana’s current policy—and they’re thriving.
India’s Hybrid Success: India maintains English-medium education alongside regional languages, producing millions of globally competitive graduates annually. India’s tech sector, pharmaceutical industry, and business process outsourcing dominance all stem from English proficient workers. India hasn’t abandoned Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, or other languages—but they haven’t handicapped their children by making these the sole medium of instruction either.
The pattern is undeniable: Countries that prioritise global language proficiency alongside mother tongue preservation succeed. Countries that choose linguistic isolation fail. Why would Ghana choose a path that other nations have already proven unsuccessful? This is not progressive policy—it’s willful ignorance of documented international experience.
FLAW #5: Institutionalising Educational Inequality
Minister, let us be brutally honest about who this policy will actually harm:
Wealthy families will immediately withdraw their children from public schools and send them to private institutions that continue English-medium instruction with quality resources. These children will remain globally competitive.
Poor and rural children will be trapped in under-resourced local language education systems, limiting their mobility and opportunities. These children will inherit their parents’ poverty because the education system has denied them the tools to escape it.
The urban-rural divide will deepen exponentially. Urban private schools will continue producing globally competitive graduates. Rural public schools will produce locally trapped citizens with no pathway to advancement.
This policy doesn’t democratize education—it creates an educational apartheid system where
wealth determines access to opportunity.
Is this the legacy you wish to leave, Minister Iddrisu? A two-tier system where privilege determines destiny? Where rich children learn English and compete globally, while poor are children confined to local languages and local poverty?
History will remember this policy as the moment Ghana chose to abandon its most vulnerable children.
FLAW #6: The Resource Gap That Makes Implementation Impossible
The Ministry has announced this policy without addressing the fundamental question: How will it actually be implemented?
Let’s talk about resources—or rather, the complete absence of resources necessary for this policy to work:
Where are the textbooks? Have you published comprehensive mathematics textbooks in Dagbani, Ewe, Ga, Twi, Fante, Dangme, Gonja, Kasem, and the other 72+ languages? Have you published science books explaining photosynthesis, cell biology, and physics in all these languages? Have you created social studies materials covering world history and geography in local languages?
The answer is no. These materials largely don’t exist. And creating them would cost billions of cedis and require years of work by subject matter experts, translators, editors, and publishers. Yet the Ministry wants to implement this policy immediately.
Where are the libraries? How many functional, well-stocked school libraries exist in rural Ghana? How many schools have reading rooms with diverse local language books? The answer is: almost none. Yet the Ministry expects children to develop literacy in local languages without books.
Where are the trained teachers? How many teachers can teach mathematics fluently in Dagbani? How many can teach science in Ewe while also being trained in effective pedagogy for those subjects? How many teachers have been trained specifically in mother tongue instruction methodology (which is completely different from conversational fluency)?
The Ministry is implementing a policy for which the basic infrastructure does not exist. This is not education reform—it is education malpractice.
DEMANDING TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Critical Questions That Demand Immediate Answers Honorable Minister Iddrisu, before you gamble with our children’s futures, you must answer these fundamental questions. The people of Ghana deserve transparency.
INFRASTRUCTURE AND RESOURCES: WHERE ARE THEY?
Question 1: How many libraries have you opened in schools across Ghana?
You claim children will learn better in local languages, but where are the books? How many functional, well-stocked libraries exist in public schools—especially rural schools? What is your specific plan with timelines and a budget to ensure every school has access to quality local language reading materials?
Without libraries and books, this policy is just empty words on paper.
Question 2: How many local language books have you published and distributed across ALL
subjects?
Mathematics textbooks in Dagbani, Ewe, Ga, Twi, Fante, and the other 75+ languages—do they exist? How many copies have been printed? Which schools have received them? Science books explaining chemistry, biology, and physics in local languages—where are they? Social studies materials covering Ghanaian and world history in 80+ languages—have you produced these?
If these materials don’t exist, how exactly will teachers teach these subjects? Or are teachers supposed to improvise a national curriculum in 80+ languages with no standardised materials?
Question 3: How many textbooks per student have been distributed?
In English-medium schools, we already face severe textbook shortages with ratios of 1 textbook per 5-10 students. What is the textbook-to-student ratio for local language materials? What is your distribution plan? Which publishers have you contracted, and what is the quality assurance process?
Question 4: What is the total budget allocated for developing local language educational materials?
Developing comprehensive curriculum materials in 80+ languages will cost billions of cedis. What is the specific budget allocation? Where will the funding come from? What is the timeline for material development and distribution? Or are you implementing this policy with no budget and no plan, hoping that somehow materials will magically appear?
TEACHER READINESS: ARE THEY PREPARED?
Question 5: How many teachers can read and speak fluent local languages AND teach
effectively in them?
Conversational fluency is completely different from instructional fluency. A teacher might speak Twi at home but lack the specialised vocabulary and pedagogical training to teach mathematics concepts in Twi effectively.
Have you conducted a comprehensive assessment of teacher language proficiency across all 80+ languages? What percentage of teachers are actually qualified to teach in local languages?
Question 6: What happens when teachers are posted to regions where they don’t speak the local language?
A teacher from the Volta Region teaching in the Northern Region—can they teach fluently in Dagbani? A teacher from Kumasi posted to Bolgatanga—can they conduct classes in Frafra? Ghana’s teacher posting system routinely sends teachers across regions. How does your policy account for this reality?
Question 7: How many teachers have been trained in local language pedagogy? Teaching in a mother tongue requires specific pedagogical training—it’s different from conversational fluency. What specialised training curriculum have you developed? How many teachers have completed this training? When do you plan to train the hundreds of thousands of remaining teachers before implementation?
Or are you implementing this policy without training teachers, expecting them to figure it out
on their own?
Question 8: What is the teacher-student ratio in schools that will implement this policy?
Quality mother tongue instruction requires small class sizes for effective interaction, feedback,
and individualised attention. The current reality in Ghana is 40-60 students per teacher,
sometimes more in rural areas.
Have you reduced class sizes to enable effective local language instruction? If not, how do you
expect a single teacher to provide quality instruction to 50+ students in a language for which no
standardized curriculum or textbooks exist?
EQUITY: WHERE IS IT?
Question 9: Where is the equity in education that has been missing across the country?
Minister, Ghana’s education system suffers from massive inequities that have nothing to do
with language of instruction:
• Urban schools have better infrastructure, more teachers, and more resources than rural
schools
• Rich regions receive more education funding than poor regions
• Girls’ education lags behind boys’ in certain regions due to cultural barriers and lack of
sanitation facilities
• Schools in Accra have electricity and internet; schools in rural Northern Ghana have no
roofs
How does changing the language of instruction fix ANY of these problems?
You’re implementing a language policy while fundamental inequities remain unaddressed. This
is like treating a cancer patient’s headache while ignoring the tumor. Why are you focusing on
language instead of fixing the actual problems destroying our education system?
Question 10: How will this policy address existing infrastructure gaps?
Schools without electricity—does teaching in Twi magically install power lines?
Schools without running water or toilets—does instruction in Ewe suddenly build latrines?
Dilapidated classrooms with leaking roofs and no furniture—does local language instruction
repair buildings?
Schools without science labs, computers, or basic teaching aids—does your policy provide
these?
The answer to all these questions is NO. Your policy addresses none of the real problems
while creating entirely new ones.
Question 11: What about children in multilingual communities?
Accra has speakers of dozens of languages—Ga, Twi, Ewe, Hausa, and many others. Which one
becomes the medium of instruction? How do you choose? What happens to children whose
home language isn’t the chosen one?
Mining towns, market centers, and urban areas with mixed populations—how do you handle
these? Do children from different language backgrounds attend different schools, creating
linguistic segregation?
Or have you simply not thought through these obvious complications?
DATA AND EVIDENCE: WHERE IS IT?
Question 12: Can you publish the data that informed this policy?
What educational research studies support mother tongue-only instruction over bilingual education? Which peer-reviewed journals published this research? Which international
education experts were consulted? What pilot programs were conducted in Ghana, and what
were their results?
Where is the evidence base for this massive systemic change? Publish it. Now.
Question 13: What comparative analysis did you conduct?
Which countries’ education systems were studied before implementing this policy? Why did you ignore successful examples from Singapore, Rwanda, and India that demonstrate effective multilingual education models?
Why did you ignore Malaysia’s failed experiment with mother tongue education and their
subsequent costly reversal? Why did you ignore the documented negative outcomes from
similar policies in other developing countries?
Show us the data. Show us the research. Show us the successful models you’re replicating. Or
admit that this policy is based on ideology rather than evidence.
Question 14: What international education consultants reviewed this policy?
Did UNESCO review this policy? Did the World Bank education team provide input? Did any
internationally recognized education experts endorse this approach?
Or was this policy developed in isolation by politicians with no educational expertise,
insulated from expert criticism?
RISK ASSESSMENT: WHAT COULD GO WRONG?
Question 15: What comprehensive risk assessment was conducted before announcing this
policy?
Any responsible government conducts thorough risk analysis before implementing policies
affecting millions of children. Where is yours?
Risks that should have been assessed:
• Risk of students failing to transition to English-medium tertiary education—was this quantified?
• Risk of increased youth unemployment due to poor English proficiency—was this modeled with economic projections?
• Risk of accelerated brain drain as educated Ghanaians emigrate for better opportunities—was this considered?
• Risk of widening inequality between private and public school students—was this evaluated?
• Risk of Ghana losing international competitiveness in trade, technology, and investment—was this factored?
• Risk of social fragmentation as language-based educational silos create communication
barriers—was this examined?
Where is the risk assessment report? Publish it immediately. Or admit that no serious risk assessment was conducted.
Question 16: What economic impact analysis was performed?
• Cost of developing comprehensive educational materials in 80+ languages—what is the
projected budget?
• Cost of training hundreds of thousands of teachers in local language pedagogy—what is the allocation?
• Cost of building libraries and distributing books nationwide—where is the funding?
• Economic cost of producing less competitive graduates—was this calculated?
• Cost to Ghana’s GDP from reduced foreign investment due to workforce language
barriers—was this estimated?
Or is this policy being implemented with no budget and no understanding of economic
consequences, dooming it to catastrophic failure from the start?
Question 17: What mitigation strategies exist for identified risks?
When students struggle to transition from local language primary education to English-medium secondary schools—what’s your intervention plan?
When tertiary institutions report that students lack English proficiency for university-level work—how will you respond?
When employers complain that graduates cannot communicate effectively in business contexts—what corrective measures are ready?
When Ghana’s international competitiveness rankings decline—what adjustments will you make?
Or are you implementing a policy with no contingency plans for entirely foreseeable
problems?
GOVERNANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY: WHO DECIDED THIS?
Question 18: Who were the members of the committee responsible for assessing and
evaluating this policy?
Publish the complete list: Names, credentials, and relevant expertise of each committee
member.
Were there cognitive scientists who understand child language acquisition? Were there
linguists who specialize in multilingual education? Were there education economists who can
model long-term outcomes? Were there child development experts? Were there international
education consultants with experience in successful education reforms?
Who made this decision, and what qualifies them to gamble with millions of children’s
futures?
Question 19: What was the consultation process?
• Which teacher unions were consulted, and what were their official recommendations?
• Which parent-teacher associations provided input, and what did they say?
• Which education researchers and university faculties reviewed the proposal?
• Which civil society organizations focused on education were engaged?
• What public forums were held for citizen input?
Or was this decision made in a closed room by politicians with no education expertise and no
accountability to stakeholders?
Question 20: Was Parliament properly consulted and did they approve this policy?
Did the Education Committee of Parliament conduct hearings and review this policy? Did they
approve it through formal legislative process? What parliamentary oversight exists for
implementation? How will Members of Parliament hold the Ministry accountable for
outcomes?
Or did the Minister unilaterally announce this policy without proper democratic process?
Question 21: What are the measurable success metrics for this policy?
After 5 years, how will you determine if this policy succeeded or failed? What specific student
learning outcomes are you targeting? What literacy and numeracy benchmarks must be
achieved? What international assessment comparisons will you use?
If you cannot define success, how will you know when you’ve failed our children? Or is this
policy designed to be unfalsifiable, with no accountability regardless of outcomes?
IMPLEMENTATION: IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?
Question 22: What is the realistic implementation timeline?
• When will all textbooks for all subjects in all languages be completed, printed, and
distributed?
• When will all teachers complete required specialized training?
• When will all schools have adequate libraries with local language collections?
• When will curriculum standards for all subjects in all languages be finalized?
Or are you implementing immediately, without materials, without trained teachers, without
infrastructure, hoping that somehow everything will work out?
Question 23: Why the rush to implement without adequate preparation?
What emergency necessitates rolling out an unprepared, under-resourced policy that will affect
millions of children?
Why not pilot the program in 3-5 districts across different regions for 2 academic years,
rigorously evaluate outcomes compared to control groups, and then decide whether to expand
based on evidence?
Why not spend 2-3 years building capacity—developing materials, training teachers,
constructing libraries—before nationwide implementation?
Is this about education, or is this about political optics and ministerial legacy? Are you
Prioritising your political career over children’s educational outcomes?
We Demand Transparency and Accountability NOW
Minister Iddrisu, these are not rhetorical questions. These are fundamental issues that any
responsible government would address BEFORE implementing a policy that affects millions of
children and the nation’s future.
The fact that you announced this policy without publicly addressing these questions suggests
one of two deeply troubling possibilities:
Possibility 1: The answers don’t exist because this policy was developed without proper
research, planning, consultation, or preparation. You’re implementing a policy based on
ideology and intuition rather than evidence and expertise.
Possibility 2: The answers exist but are being deliberately hidden because they would reveal
that this policy is fundamentally unsound, inadequately resourced, and destined to fail—but
you’re implementing it anyway for political reasons.
Both possibilities are completely unacceptable and constitute a betrayal of Ghana’s children.
We Therefore Demand the Following Actions Immediately:
1. Full Public Disclosure Within 30 Days:
• Complete policy documentation including all research basis, literature review, and
evidence supporting this approach
• Full risk assessment report with identified risks and mitigation strategies
• Complete committee membership list with credentials of all persons involved in policy
development and approval
• Detailed budget allocation and funding sources for materials, teacher training,
infrastructure, and implementation
• Comprehensive implementation timeline with specific milestones, responsibilities, and
accountability measures
• All consultant reports, international expert opinions, and pilot program results
2. Independent Expert Review:
• Formation of an independent panel of international education experts, cognitive
scientists, linguists, and education economists to evaluate the policy
• Public hearings in all regional capitals where parents, teachers, students, and education researchers can present evidence and concerns
• Peer review of any research or data cited in support of the policy by recognised international education journals
• Publication of the independent panel’s findings and recommendations
3. Mandatory Pilot Program Before Nationwide Implementation:
• Immediate suspension of nationwide rollout
• Implementation of a controlled pilot program in 3-5 districts across different regions
representing diverse linguistic contexts
• Two full academic years of pilot operation with rigorous data collection
• Comparative evaluation of learning outcomes versus control groups using standardised assessments
• Independent evaluation of results by international education experts
• Policy adjustment or complete abandonment based on evidence from pilot results
• Nationwide implementation only if pilot demonstrates clear positive outcomes
4. Parliamentary Oversight and Democratic Process:
• Full debate in Parliament with testimony from education experts before any implementation proceeds
• Formal legislative approval required, not just ministerial decree
• Quarterly progress reports to Parliament’s Education Committee with specific outcome metrics
• Authority for Parliament to suspend or modify the policy if outcomes are negative
• Annual public reports to citizens on policy outcomes and spending
5. Stakeholder Consultation:
• Mandatory consultation with teacher unions, parent associations, and student organisations
• Public town halls in every region for citizen input
• Consultation with private sector employers about workforce language needs
• Engagement with universities about student preparedness and transition challenges
MINISTER IDDRISU: Your silence on these critical issues is deafening. Your refusal to publish
data and research is damning. Your rush to implement without preparation is reckless. Your lack of transparency is undemocratic.
Answer our questions. Publish your data. Prove your policy is sound. Submit to independent
expert review. Or withdraw this dangerous policy immediately.
The nation is watching. Our children’s futures hang in the balance.
THE SOLUTION—THE MAME FRAMEWORK
A Superior Alternative: Bilingual Education with the MAME Foundation
Instead of the Ministry’s failed approach, Ghana should implement a bilingual education system
anchored in cognitive science and proven international best practices. The first four years of
schooling must focus intensively on four foundational subjects taught by well-trained
specialist teachers:
The MAME Framework: Mathematics, Art, Music, and English
These four subjects form the cognitive, creative, and communicative foundation that every
child needs for lifelong learning success. Combined with mother tongue support, this
framework will produce globally competitive, culturally grounded Ghanaian citizens.
Why MAME Subjects Are Essential for Early Child Development
MATHEMATICS: Building Logical and Abstract Thinking
Why Mathematics is Critical in Early Years:
Mathematics is far more than numbers and calculations—it is the foundation of logical
reasoning, systematic problem-solving, and abstract thinking that underpin ALL future learning.
Cognitive Benefits of Early Mathematics Education:
• Develops systematic problem-solving skills: Mathematics teaches children to break complex problems into manageable steps, identify patterns, and develop solutions methodically
• Enhances logical reasoning: Understanding mathematical relationships (greater than,
less than, equal to, cause and effect) creates neural pathways for logical thinking
applicable to every subject
• Builds abstract thinking capacity: Moving from concrete objects (3 apples) to abstract concepts (the number 3) develops the mental flexibility needed for advanced learning in all domains
• Predicts lifelong academic success: Research consistently shows that early mathematical competency predicts academic achievement across all subjects, including languages, sciences, and social studies
• Creates economic opportunity: Numeracy skills acquired before age 8 have documented lasting impact on adult economic outcomes, employment prospects, and earning potential
Why Specialist Mathematics Teachers Matter:
Young children don’t naturally grasp abstract numerical concepts—they need teachers specifically trained in age-appropriate mathematical pedagogy who understand:
• Concrete-to-abstract progression: How to use manipulatives (blocks, beads, counters)
to build understanding before introducing symbolic notation
• Developmental readiness: Which concepts children can grasp at which ages, preventing
frustration and building confidence
• Mathematical language: How to teach precise mathematical vocabulary in both English and mother tongue
• Common misconceptions: How to identify and correct typical errors before they become ingrained
• Differentiated instruction: How to challenge advanced students while supporting struggling learners
• Game-based learning: How to make mathematics engaging and fun rather than intimidating
Quality mathematics teaching at this stage prevents math anxiety, builds confidence, and
creates students who see themselves as capable mathematical thinkers.
Why Mathematics Education Beats the Ministry’s Policy:
Mathematics is a universal language. A child who masters mathematical thinking in their early
years can apply these skills in any linguistic context, any country, any situation.
The Ministry’s policy obsesses over the language of instruction while ignoring the universal
cognitive tools children actually need.
What good is speaking perfect Twi if you cannot:
• Think logically about problems
• Understand quantitative relationships
• Analyse data and make informed decisions
• Solve practical problems systematically
• Understand the mathematics underlying technology, finance, science, and engineering?
Mathematics builds the cognitive architecture for all advanced learning. Language is the
vehicle; mathematics is the engine.
ART: Developing Visual Literacy, Creativity, and Fine Motor Skills
Why Art is Critical in Early Years:
Art education is not frivolous—it is foundational to cognitive development, creativity, and
practical skills essential for all learning.
Cognitive and Developmental Benefits of Early Art Education:
• Develops fine motor control: Drawing, cutting, painting, and sculpting build the hand eye coordination and finger dexterity essential for writing, using tools, and physical coordination
• Enhances visual-spatial reasoning: Understanding perspective, proportion, and spatial
relationships through art directly improves mathematical understanding (geometry),
scientific observation, and engineering thinking
• Builds emotional intelligence: Creative expression through art helps children process complex feelings they cannot yet articulate verbally, developing emotional awareness and regulation
• Teaches careful observation: Art requires looking closely at the world—noticing details,
colors, shapes, patterns—skills that enhance scientific inquiry and analytical thinking
• Develops creative problem-solving: Art challenges children to envision something that doesn’t exist and figure out how to create it—the essence of innovation
• Builds perseverance and patience: Completing an art project teaches children that quality work requires time, iteration, and persistence through frustration
Why Specialist Art Teachers Matter:
Art education is not just “coloring time” or free play—it requires structured developmental
progression:
• Understanding developmental stages: Knowing when children are ready for
perspective, proportion, color mixing, and complex compositions
• Teaching proper techniques: How to hold a brush, mix colors, use different media
effectively
• Recognising and nurturing talent: Identifying children with exceptional visual-spatial abilities who might become designers, architects, engineers, or artists
• Connecting art to other subjects: Using art to teach mathematical concepts (symmetry, patterns), scientific observation (drawing what you see), and cultural understanding
• Creating a supportive environment: Encouraging experimentation and original expression while teaching skills and standards
• Differentiated instruction: Supporting children who struggle with fine motor skills while challenging those with advanced abilities
Why Art Education Beats the Ministry’s Policy:
The Ministry’s policy treats education as mere information transfer through local languages. But
creativity, innovation, and original thinking—the skills that will define success in the 21st
century economy—cannot be transmitted through language alone. They must be cultivated
through creative practice.
Consider the global economic reality:
• China invests billions in arts education because they understand future economies
require creative problem-solvers, not just factory workers
• Singapore mandates art and music throughout schooling because creative thinking
drives innovation economies
• South Korea’s economic transformation from poverty to prosperity was built partly on design and creative industries rooted in robust arts education
Ghana’s policy ignores this reality entirely. While competitor nations invest in developing
creative thinkers, Ghana focuses solely on language of instruction—missing the point entirely.
A child with strong art education can:
• Design innovative products
• Solve problems creatively
• Communicate ideas visually
• Understand design principles underlying technology and engineering
• Approach challenges with creative flexibility
A child denied art education has lost cognitive tools no amount of local language instruction
can replace.
MUSIC: Enhancing Memory, Discipline, and Brain Development
Why Music is Critical in Early Years:
Music education is perhaps the most underestimated and most powerful tool for cognitive development. Neuroscience research overwhelmingly demonstrates that musical training
literally rewires the brain in ways that enhance ALL learning.
Cognitive and Developmental Benefits of Music Education:
• Strengthens memory and attention: Learning songs, rhythms, and melodies develops working memory, long-term retention, and sustained attention—skills fundamental to all academic learning
• Enhances auditory processing: Music training improves the brain’s ability to distinguish
sounds, recognise patterns, and process auditory information—directly improving language acquisition in ANY language (mother tongue, English, or third languages)
• Develops mathematical ability: Rhythm is fractions (quarter notes, half notes); scales
are ratios and intervals; musical structure involves patterns and sequences—music and
mathematics share deep cognitive connections
• Improves reading and language skills: Musical training enhances phonological awareness (sound discrimination), making children better readers and more effective language learners
• Builds discipline and delayed gratification: Learning an instrument requires daily practice, persistence through difficulty, and patience—character traits that predict long term academic and life success
• Teaches teamwork and social skills: Group singing and ensemble playing develop listening skills, cooperation, timing, and collective achievement
• Creates neural connections: Brain imaging shows that musical training increases gray matter volume, strengthens connections between brain hemispheres, and enhances neural plasticity
Why Specialist Music Teachers Matter:
Music education requires expertise that cannot be improvised:
• Understanding developmental readiness: Knowing which rhythms, pitches, and instruments are appropriate for different ages
• Teaching proper technique: Whether singing, playing instruments, or moving to music, proper technique prevents bad habits and enables progress
• Identifying musical aptitude: Recognising perfect pitch, exceptional rhythm, or other talents during critical developmental windows when they can be nurtured
• Structured progression: Moving systematically from simple songs to complex harmonies, from body percussion to instruments, from unison to harmony
• Cultural integration: Teaching both traditional Ghanaian music (with local instruments
and songs) AND universal musical principles, creating culturally grounded global citizens
• Creating joyful learning: Making music fun and engaging, building lifelong love of music
and arts
Why Music Education Beats the Ministry’s Policy:
Here is the devastating truth that exposes the Ministry’s policy as fundamentally misguided:
Neuroscience research conclusively proves that music education creates neural pathways and
enhances brain development in ways that improve learning across ALL domains—including
language learning, mathematical thinking, memory, and attention.
If the Ministry truly cared about helping children learn effectively, they would mandate music
education, which has been scientifically proven to enhance cognitive development across all
areas.
Instead, they’ve implemented a language policy based on shallow cultural nostalgia rather than
cognitive science.
The scientific reality:
• A child who learns music will more easily learn English, Twi, French, Mandarin, or any
other language
• A child who learns music will have enhanced mathematical ability
• A child who learns music will have better memory, attention, and discipline
• A child who learns music will be a better learner in every subject
A child denied music education but taught only in Ga has gained NOTHING and lost
EVERYTHING.
The Ministry’s policy focuses on language while ignoring the proven tools that actually enhance
learning capacity. This is educational malpractice disguised as cultural preservation.
ENGLISH: Gateway to Global Knowledge and National Unity
Why English is Critical in Early Years:
English is not just another language—it is the global lingua franca of science, technology,
commerce, diplomacy, and information. Denying children early English education is denying
them access to opportunity.
Why Early English Education is Essential:
• Critical language acquisition window: Ages 3-8 represent the brain’s peak plasticity for
language learning. Children can learn multiple languages simultaneously without
confusion during this period. Delaying English instruction until age 10 or 12 wastes this
irreplaceable window, making English acquisition much more difficult later.
• Access to global information: Approximately 80% of global information on the internet
is in English. Scientific research, academic journals, technical documentation, online
courses—the vast majority are in English. Early English proficiency gives children access
to unlimited learning resources.
• National unity: With 80+ languages, English serves as Ghana’s lingua franca, enabling
citizens from different regions to communicate effectively. English-medium education
builds national cohesion while local language education risks fragmenting the nation
into linguistic silos.
• Economic opportunity: International business, tech sector jobs, tourism, diplomacy,
multinational corporations—all operate primarily in English. English proficiency is a
prerequisite for the highest-paying jobs and international career mobility.
• Higher education preparation: Ghanaian universities teach primarily in English.
Textbooks are in English. Research is published in English. Students with weak English
foundations struggle or fail in tertiary education.
• International mobility: Scholarships, study abroad programs, international graduate
degrees, global career opportunities—all require English proficiency. Early English
education opens doors; delayed English education slams them shut.
Why Specialist English Teachers Matter:
Teaching English as a second language (ESL) requires completely different pedagogy from
teaching native English speakers:
• Immersive methodology: Using songs, games, stories, and conversation to make language acquisition is natural and enjoyable rather than tedious grammar drills
• Phonics and pronunciation: Teaching English sounds that don’t exist in local languages,
addressing typical pronunciation challenges specific to different mother tongue backgrounds
• Cultural context: Helping children understand cultural references, idioms, and contexts
embedded in English language and literature
• Building confidence: Creating safe environments where children feel comfortable making mistakes and practising English without embarrassment
• Differentiated instruction: Supporting children who struggle while challenging those
who excel
• Monitoring progress: Identifying and addressing learning difficulties, pronunciation issues or comprehension gaps early before they become entrenched
Why English Education Beats the Ministry’s Policy:
The Ministry’s central claim—that children “understand best” only in their mother tongue—is
patronising, scientifically false, and reveals dangerous assumptions about Ghanaian children’s
capabilities.
The neuroscience is unambiguous:
• Young children’s brains are wired for multilingual acquisition
• Learning multiple languages simultaneously enhances rather than hinders cognitive development
• Children can become fluent in 2-3 languages if exposed during the critical early years
• Multilingualism improves executive function, cognitive flexibility, and problem-solving
Countries around the world routinely produce multilingual children through early education:
• Luxembourg: Children typically speak Luxembourgish, German, French, and English by
age 12
• Switzerland: Multilingualism (German, French, Italian, English) is standard
• Singapore: Children learn English and their mother tongue (Mandarin, Malay, Tamil)
simultaneously
• India: Many children speak their regional language, Hindi, and English
• Netherlands: Most citizens speak Dutch, English, and often German or French
Are Ghanaian children less capable than Swiss, Singaporean, Indian, or Dutch children?
Of course not. But the Ministry’s policy assumes they are. This is not cultural pride—it is the
soft bigotry of low expectations.
The Ministry’s policy says: “Ghanaian children cannot handle learning English and their mother
tongue simultaneously, so we will delay English and handicap their futures.”
This is not empowerment—it is abandonment disguised as cultural preservation.
The truth is:
• Ghanaian children are just as capable of multilingual education as children anywhere in
the world
• Early bilingual education (mother tongue + English) produces better outcomes than
monolingual education in either language alone
• Delaying English education doesn’t make it easier—it makes it harder and less effective
• The real barriers to education quality are resources, teacher training, infrastructure, and
pedagogy—NOT the language of instruction
The Ministry’s policy solves none of the real problems while creating catastrophic new ones.
The MAME Framework: Synergistic Integration
These four subjects are not isolated silos—they work together synergistically to build
comprehensive cognitive, creative, and communicative capabilities:
Mathematics and Music:
• Rhythm is fractions and ratios (quarter notes = 1/4, half notes = 1/2)
• Musical scales involve intervals and mathematical relationships
• Pattern recognition in music enhances pattern recognition in mathematics
• Both develop logical, sequential thinking
Art and Mathematics:
• Geometry comes alive in visual art (shapes, symmetry, angles, perspective)
• Proportions and ratios are fundamental to realistic drawing
• Spatial reasoning developed through art enhances mathematical thinking
• Both require precision, attention to detail, and systematic thinking
English and Music:
• Both develop auditory processing and sound discrimination
• Learning songs in English accelerates language acquisition
• Rhythm and rhyme enhance memory for vocabulary and grammar
• Both involve patterns, structure, and creative expression
Art and English:
• Visual storytelling and narrative through images
• Learning to describe and discuss artworks builds vocabulary
• Illustrating stories enhances comprehension and creative writing
• Both involve symbolic thinking and communication
All Four Together:
• Develop the whole child—cognitive (Math), creative (Art), disciplined (Music), and
communicative (English)
• Create multiple neural pathways for learning, ensuring every child has strengths to build
on
• Provide diverse entry points for engagement—children who struggle with one area can
excel in others
• Build transferable skills applicable across all subjects and life domains
Outcomes: Comparing MAME Framework vs. Ministry Policy
A child who completes 4 years of MAME education has:
Cognitive foundations:
• Logical thinking and problem-solving skills (Mathematics)
• Visual-spatial reasoning and observation skills (Art)
• Enhanced memory, attention, and auditory processing (Music)
• Bilingual proficiency in mother tongue and English
Creative capabilities:
• Original thinking and innovation potential (Art)
• Pattern recognition and creative problem-solving (Music)
• Ability to approach challenges from multiple perspectives
Practical skills:
• Fine motor control and physical coordination (Art)
• Discipline and persistence (Music)
• Communication skills in global language (English)
• Mathematical literacy for everyday life
Future readiness:
• Prepared for English-medium secondary and tertiary education
• Access to global information and opportunities
• Competitive for international scholarships and careers
• Foundation for lifelong learning in any domain
Cultural grounding:
• Strong mother tongue literacy and cultural connection
• Understanding of Ghanaian musical and artistic traditions
• Ability to bridge local and global contexts
A child subjected to the Ministry’s local language-only policy has:
Limited cognitive development:
• No systematic mathematics instruction by specialist teachers
• No structured art or music education
• Delayed English instruction during critical acquisition window
• Under-resourced instruction in local language with inadequate materials
Uncertain outcomes:
• No guaranteed quality due to lack of textbooks, trained teachers, and infrastructure
• Risk of failure when transitioning to English-medium secondary education
• Disadvantage when competing for tertiary education and employment
• Limited access to global information and digital resources
Perpetuated inequality:
• Wealthy students escape to private English-medium schools
• Poor students trapped in under-resourced local language education
• Urban-rural divide deepens
• Educational apartheid becomes entrenched
Economic handicap:
• Unprepared for jobs requiring English proficiency
• Limited international career mobility
• Geographic confinement to local/regional opportunities
• Perpetuation of poverty cycle
MAME Implementation Framework: Making Excellence Accessible to All
Years 1-4 (Ages 5-8): The MAME Foundation Phase
Daily Schedule Structure:
English (90 minutes daily):
• Immersive instruction by certified ESL specialist teachers
• Story time, songs, conversation practice, vocabulary games
• Phonics and reading development
• No grammar drilling—natural language acquisition through use
• Small group conversation practice
• Integration with other subjects (art projects described in English, math problems
discussed in English)
Mathematics (60 minutes daily):
• Instruction by certified mathematics specialist teachers
• Concrete manipulatives (blocks, beads, counters) progressing to abstract concepts
• Problem-solving focus, not rote memorization
• Real-world applications and mathematical games
• Emphasis on understanding WHY, not just HOW
• Bilingual approach: concepts introduced in both English and mother tongue
Music (45 minutes daily):
• Instruction by certified music specialist teachers
• Daily singing (traditional Ghanaian songs and international repertoire)
• Rhythm and movement activities
• Introduction to musical instruments by Year 3
• Basic music theory (reading simple notation)
• Group musical activities developing teamwork
• Preservation of Ghanaian musical heritage alongside universal musical principles
Art (45 minutes daily):
• Instruction by certified art specialist teachers
• Drawing, painting, sculpture, and other media
• Developmental progression from basic shapes to complex compositions
• Teaching techniques: perspective, proportion, color theory, composition
• Incorporating Ghanaian artistic traditions (kente patterns, adinkra symbols, traditional
crafts)
• Portfolio development showing growth
• Integration with other subjects (illustrating stories, creating mathematical patterns)
Mother Tongue/Local Language (45 minutes daily):
• Reading and writing in home language
• Cultural stories, folktales, and oral traditions
• Building literacy in the mother tongue
• Cultural identity and heritage preservation
• Connecting to community and family
Integrated Learning (90 minutes daily):
• Physical Education
• Science (hands-on, experiential)
• Social Studies (Ghanaian history and culture)
• Taught bilingually or in the mother tongue with English vocabulary introduced
• Emphasis on inquiry, exploration, and hands-on learning
Teacher Training Requirements: Investing in Excellence
The MAME framework requires significant investment in teacher quality—but this
investment pays dividends for generations.
Mandatory Qualifications for MAME Teachers:
1. All MAME subject teachers must complete:
o Bachelor’s degree in their subject area or education
o Specialized MAME certification program (6 months intensive)
o Early childhood education training
o Ongoing professional development (20 hours annually)
2. MAME Specialist Certification includes:
o Subject-specific pedagogy for ages 5-8
o Child development and learning psychology
o Differentiated instruction and inclusive education
o Assessment and progress monitoring
o Classroom management and engagement strategies
o Integration across MAME subjects
3. English teachers additionally require:
o ESL/EFL teaching certification
o Understanding of common mother tongue interference patterns
o Immersive and communicative teaching methodology
o Training in phonics and reading development
4. Ongoing Professional Development:
o Quarterly workshops with master teachers
o Peer observation and feedback programmes
o Access to international online professional development
o Annual performance evaluation based on student learning growth
o Salary increments tied to professional development and effectiveness
Teacher Compensation and Motivation:
• MAME specialist teachers receive 20% salary premium over standard teachers
• Housing and transportation allowances for rural postings
• Clear career progression pathway
• Annual excellence awards for outstanding MAME teachers
• International exchange opportunities for top performers
Resource Allocation: Funding Excellence
The MAME framework requires substantial investment, but the return on investment is
incalculable—a generation of globally competitive, economically productive citizens.
Required Infrastructure Investments:
1. Classroom Resources:
• Mathematics manipulatives for every classroom (cost: ~$500 per classroom)
• Art supplies: paints, brushes, paper, clay, scissors (cost: ~$300 per classroom annually)
• Musical instruments: drums, xylophones, recorders, etc. (cost: ~$1,000 per school)
• English learning materials: storybooks, flashcards, audio resources (cost: ~$400 per
classroom)
• Mother tongue reading books (cost: ~$300 per classroom)
2. School Libraries:
• Every school must have functional library
• Minimum 1,000 books per school (bilingual collection)
• Children’s literature in English and major local languages
• Digital resources where electricity is available
• Trained librarian or library coordinator
• Estimated cost: $5,000-10,000 per school initial setup
3. Dedicated MAME Classrooms:
• Art room with proper lighting, water access, storage for supplies
• Music room with instruments and acoustic considerations
• Mathematics lab with manipulatives and learning stations
• Each school needs these specialized spaces
4. Class Size Reduction:
• Maximum 25 students per class for MAME subjects
• Requires hiring more teachers and possibly building more classrooms
• Critical for effective instruction and individualized attention
Total Estimated Investment:
• Per school (500 students): $30,000-50,000 for initial setup
• Annual per-student operating cost: $100-150
• Teacher training and compensation: $200-300 per teacher
Funding Sources:
• Government education budget reallocation
• International development partners (World Bank, USAID, DFID)
• Private sector partnerships
• Gradual implementation over 3-5 years to spread costs
Cost Comparison:
• Ministry’s local language policy: Low initial cost, catastrophic long-term cost in human
capital loss
• MAME framework: High initial investment, massive long-term returns in human capital
development
Ghana must choose: Pay now for excellence or pay forever in poverty and missed
opportunities.
Assessment: Measuring Progress Without High-Stakes Testing
MAME Assessment Philosophy:
Assessment in the MAME foundation years focuses on growth, development, and learning
progress—NOT high-stakes testing that creates anxiety and narrows curriculum.
Assessment Approaches:
1. Formative Assessment (Ongoing):
• Daily observation and documentation by teachers
• Identifying students who need additional support
• Adjusting instruction based on student needs
• Celebrating progress and growth
2. Portfolio Assessment:
• Art portfolios: Collection of work showing progress over time
• Music recordings: Performances captured periodically
• Mathematics journals: Problem-solving work and explanations
• English reading logs: Books read and comprehension discussions
• Mother tongue writing samples: Stories and essays
3. Practical Demonstration:
• Mathematics: Solving problems using manipulatives, explaining thinking
• Art: Completing projects demonstrating learned techniques
• Music: Performing songs, playing simple instruments
• English: Conversational assessment, reading aloud, storytelling
4. Parent Communication:
• Quarterly parent conferences
• Portfolio sharing with families
• Guidance on supporting learning at home
• Celebrating children’s accomplishments
5. No High-Stakes Testing Before Year 5:
• Focus remains on learning, not test scores
• Reduces anxiety and preserves love of learning
• Allows broader, richer curriculum
• Prevents teaching to the test
Assessment is used to support learning, not to punish or rank children.
Pilot Implementation Plan: Evidence-Based Rollout
Unlike the Ministry’s reckless nationwide immediate implementation, MAME framework
should begin with rigorous pilot testing:
Phase 1: Pilot Program (Years 1-2)
• Select 5 districts across different regions (Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, Takoradi, Bolgatanga)
• Represent diverse linguistic and socioeconomic contexts
• 10-15 schools per district (75 schools total)
• Full MAME implementation with adequate resources, trained teachers, and support
• Control schools continue current curriculum for comparison
Phase 2: Evaluation (End of Year 2)
• Independent evaluation by international education experts
• Compare learning outcomes: literacy, numeracy, creativity, English proficiency
• Assess student engagement, attendance, and attitudes toward learning
• Gather feedback from teachers, parents, students
• Analyse cost-effectiveness and scalability
• Document challenges and lessons learned
Phase 3: Decision Point (Year 3)
Based on pilot results:
• If successful: Begin phased nationwide expansion
• If mixed results: Adjust and pilot for additional year
• If unsuccessful: Return to drawing board
Phase 4: Phased Nationwide Expansion (Years 3-7)
• Expand to 20% of schools per year
• Prioritise under-resourced regions
• Build infrastructure and train teachers in advance of implementation
• Continuous monitoring and quality assurance
• Course corrections based on data
This approach is responsible, evidence-based, and respects children too much to gamble with
their futures.
A DIRECT MESSAGE TO MINISTER IDDRISU
Minister, If You and Your Advisors Are Confused, Don’t Extend Your Confusion to Innocent
Schoolchildren
Honorable Minister Iddrisu,
I address you now directly, colleague to colleague, Ghanaian to Ghanaian, with the bluntness
this crisis demands.
If you and your team of advisors in government and the education ministry are confused about
education policy, you should NOT extend your confusion to innocent schoolchildren.
These children did not ask for their futures to be experimented with. They did not elect you to
gamble with their economic prospects. They did not grant you permission to impose ideology
over evidence. They deserve better.
Your Policy is Fundamentally Flawed—and You Know It
The fact that you cannot or will not answer the basic questions posed in this document reveals
the truth: This policy is not based on research, data, or evidence. It is based on political
calculation, cultural nostalgia, and shallow thinking.
You have not published:
• Research supporting this approach
• Risk assessments
• Implementation plans
• Budget allocations
• Evidence of adequate resources
You have not demonstrated:
• Teacher readiness
• Availability of textbooks
• Existence of libraries
• Successful international models
• Pilot program results
You have not explained:
• How this addresses actual education problems
• How you’ll handle multilingual communities
• How students will transition to English-medium tertiary education
• How this improves upon bilingual alternatives
Your silence is not strategy—it is admission of unpreparedness.
You Are Creating Educational Apartheid
Let me be absolutely clear about what your policy will accomplish:
Wealthy Ghanaians will immediately withdraw their children from public schools. They will
send them to private institutions maintaining English-medium instruction with qualified
teachers, libraries, and resources. These children will remain globally competitive.
Poor Ghanaians will have no choice. Their children will be trapped in under-resourced local
language schools with no textbooks, inadequately trained teachers, and no pathway to
economic advancement.
You are creating two Ghanas:
1. A privileged Ghana where children receive quality English-medium education and can
compete globally
2. A disadvantaged Ghana where children receive under-resourced local language
education and remain trapped in poverty
Is this your vision for Ghana? Educational apartheid where birth determines destiny?
You Are Wasting Ghana’s Demographic Dividend
Ghana has a young, growing population—our greatest potential asset. But young people are
only an asset if they receive quality education that develops their capabilities.
Your policy ensures that Ghana’s youth will be:
• Less educated than competitors
• Less economically productive
• Less internationally competitive
• More likely to emigrate
• Less able to drive national development
Other African nations are investing in education quality. You are gambling with language
ideology. They will win. We will lose. And you will be responsible.
International Examples That Prove You Wrong
1. Malaysia tried your approach. It failed. They reversed course.
2. Singapore chose bilingual education. They became wealthy.
3. Rwanda chose English-medium instruction. They’re thriving.
4. India maintains English alongside local languages. They’re a global tech power.
You are ignoring these lessons and repeating documented failures. Why?
The Questions You Cannot Answer Reveal the Truth
1. How many libraries have you built? Zero or nearly zero.
2. How many textbooks have you published in 80+ languages? Inadequate or none.
3. How many teachers can teach effectively in local languages? You don’t know.
4. What data supports this policy? You haven’t published any.
5. What risks did you assess? You haven’t disclosed any.
6. Who reviewed this policy? You won’t tell us.
Your inability or refusal to answer these questions is disqualifying. You are implementing a
massive policy affecting millions without basic due diligence.
This Is Not Cultural Preservation—It Is Economic Sabotage
Minister, I understand the appeal of cultural preservation. I value Ghanaian languages and
heritage deeply. But your policy is not preservation—it is self-sabotage disguised as cultural
pride.
You can preserve Ghanaian languages WITHOUT crippling our children’s futures. You can teach
mother tongues WITHOUT abandoning English. You can celebrate cultural heritage WITHOUT
economic isolation which we have done since independence.
The MAME framework does exactly this: Strong bilingual education with mother tongue literacy
AND English proficiency AND cognitive development through Math, Art, and Music.
Your policy is a false choice: You pretend we must choose between cultural identity and global
competitiveness. This is nonsense. We can have both. But you refuse to pursue both because it
requires actual investment, planning, and effort.
You Owe Ghana Answers—Now
Minister, here is what you must do immediately:
1. Answer every question in this document publicly within 30 days.
2. Publish all research, data, risk assessments, and implementation plans.
3. Submit your policy to independent international expert review.
4. Suspend nationwide implementation pending pilot program results.
5. Engage in genuine consultation with teachers, parents, and education researchers.
Or:
6. Withdraw this policy entirely and work with experts to develop an evidence-based
alternative like the MAME framework.
You cannot hide behind ministerial authority. You cannot dismiss criticism as neo-colonialism.
You cannot deflect with cultural rhetoric.
This is about children’s futures. This is about Ghana’s future. This is about your responsibility as
a leader.
Will you rise to that responsibility, or will you stubbornly pursue a failed policy until it’s too
late?
A CALL TO ACTION FOR ALL GHANAIANS
This Is Not Just an Education Issue—It Is a National Crisis
Fellow Ghanaians, this policy affects us all:
• Parents: Your children’s futures are at stake
• Teachers: You will be forced to implement an impossible policy without resources
• Students: Your education and opportunities are being gambled with
• Employers: You will face workers lacking necessary language and cognitive skills
• Citizens: Ghana’s economic competitiveness and international standing will decline
We cannot remain silent while our children’s futures are stolen.
What You Can Do
1. Parents:
• Attend PTA meetings and voice concerns
• Write to your Members of Parliament
• Join parent coalitions demanding transparency
• Share this document widely
2. Teachers:
• Unionise and present unified concerns
• Document lack of resources
• Demand adequate training and support before implementation
• Refuse to implement without proper preparation
3. Civil Society Organisations:
• Demand public hearings
• Organise expert panels
• Commission independent research
• Mobilise public awareness
4. Private Sector:
• Advocate for workforce readiness
• Support alternative education models
• Invest in supplementary education programs
• Publicise concerns about graduate quality
5. Media:
• Investigate and expose policy failures
• Interview international education experts
• Document lack of resources
• Hold government accountable
6. Parliament:
• Conduct thorough hearings
• Demand evidence and data
• Exercise oversight authority
• Represent constituents’ concerns
7. International Partners:
• Condition education funding on evidence-based policy
• Support pilot programs and rigorous evaluation
• Provide technical expertise
• Advocate for children’s best interests
Demand These Actions
Short Term (30 days):
• Full disclosure of policy research and planning
• Public answers to all questions raised
• Suspension of nationwide implementation
• Formation of independent expert review panel
Medium Term (6 months):
• Pilot program in select districts
• Comprehensive teacher training program
• Development of bilingual materials
• Parliamentary oversight mechanisms
Long Term (2-3 years):
• Evidence-based policy decision after pilot evaluation
• Gradual implementation of successful approach
• Investment in teacher quality and resources
• Establishment of quality assurance systems
CONCLUSION: The Choice Before Ghana
Two Paths, Two Futures
Ghana stands at a crossroads. The path we choose will determine whether our children thrive
or merely survive in the 21st century.
PATH A: The Ministry’s Current Policy
• Local language-only instruction without adequate resources
• No published evidence base
• No risk assessment or mitigation
• Immediate nationwide implementation
• Inadequate teacher training
• No textbooks or libraries
• No pilot testing
• Predictable outcome: Educational catastrophe, widening inequality, economic decline
PATH B: The MAME Framework
• Bilingual education (mother tongue + English)
• Evidence-based approach grounded in cognitive science
• Focus on Math, Art, Music, English taught by specialists
• Comprehensive risk assessment and planning
• Pilot program before nationwide implementation
• Investment in teacher training and quality
• Adequate resources and infrastructure
• Predictable outcome: Globally competitive, culturally grounded citizens driving national
development
The Bottom Line
Minister Iddrisu, you have three options:
Option 1: TRANSPARENCY
• Answer all questions publicly
• Publish all data and research
• Submit to independent expert review
• Engage in genuine consultation
• Make evidence-based decisions
Option 2: COURSE CORRECTION
• Acknowledge policy flaws
• Withdraw current policy
• Adopt evidence-based alternatives like MAME
• Invest in quality implementation
• Build for Ghana’s future, not political legacy
Option 3: STUBBORNNESS
• Continue refusing to answer questions
• Implement policy without preparation
• Ignore evidence and expertise
• Accept responsibility for catastrophic outcomes
• Be remembered as the Minister who destroyed a generation’s prospects
The choice is yours. History is watching. Our children are waiting.
Our Final Message
To Minister Iddrisu and the Government of Ghana:
Our children deserve better than ideological experiments. They deserve evidence-based policy,
adequate resources, qualified teachers, and education that prepares them for success in their
country and their world.
Stop gambling with their futures. Start planning for their success.
Answer our questions. Publish your data. Submit to review. Or withdraw this policy.
The time for transparency is now. The time for accountability is now. The time for excellence
is now.
Our children cannot wait. Ghana cannot wait.
To Fellow Ghanaians:
Share this document. Demand answers. Organize. Advocate. Vote.
Our children’s futures—and Ghana’s future—depend on us.
We will not be silent. We will not accept mediocrity. We will not allow our children’s
prospects to be stolen.
#SaveGhanaianEducation #MAMEFramework #EvidenceBasedPolicy #TransparencyNow
Respectfully but urgently submitted,
A Concerned Ghanaian Engineering Product Developer and Advocate for Children’s Futures
October 26, 2025
“The best time to fix education was yesterday. The second-best time is today. The worst time is
tomorrow, when it’s too late.”
A
CT NOW. OUR CHILDREN DEPEND ON IT.
About the Author: Peter Amedzake, Ph.D. (Applied Physics), MBA (Financial Risk), is the founder
and CEO at Nexus Strategic Consulting (NSC), where he specializes in emerging technologies and
strategic innovation management. He advises Fortune 500 companies, government agencies,
and global stakeholders on technology evaluation, strategic positioning, and investment timing
for breakthrough technologies. Dr. Amedzake’s expertise in applied physics, Financial Portfolio
and Derivatives, Artificial Intelligence, Business Analytics, Technology Process Engineering,
Technology Integration, New Product Development, and financial risk management provides a
unique vantage point at the intersection of science, technology, and capital strategy.
This blend enables him to translate cutting-edge scientific advances into commercially viable opportunities while mitigating technological and market risks. With over 20 years of leadership experience across advanced manufacturing, quantum systems engineering, AI, and energy systems, Dr. Amedzake is recognised for bridging deep technical insight with strategic foresight, helping organisations anticipate disruption, optimise resources, and secure competitive advantage in rapidly evolving global markets.
