I couldn’t speak English as at the time I wrote my JHS exams – Murtala Mohammed

The Member of Parliament for the Tamale Central Constituency, Mr Ibrahim Mohammed Murtala has said he could not speak the queen’s language as at the time he sat for his Junior High School examination.

 Speaking on TV3 NewDay on Thursday, February 17, monitored by GhanaPlus.com he said he was able to write and even came out with flying colours of aggregate six (6) but the challenge had to with expressing himself verbally in the language.

The renowned National Democratic Congress(NDC) politician attributed the development to language challenge adding for pupils in the basic school the appropriate thing will be for them to be taught in the language they understand, that is their mother language”

“……Another thing that as a train teacher, as a professional teacher is the challenge of language, Bella I say this and I will reiterate same, up till the time that I wrote my JHS, I couldn’t speak English and I say that there is a sharp difference between your ability to write and your ability to speak but I got six.  To be very honest, I couldn’t speak but I could write. Yes I could write. It was several years after when I became the Deputy National Coordinator for the NYEP that we had some programmes sponsored by the US government that I realize that it is really true that there is a sharp difference between your ability to read and your ability to write,” Mr Murtala Mohammed.

“…teaching of kids in that lower primary, It is appropriate to teach them in the language they understand,” he mentioned.

Murtala was reacting to TV3 report about Senafu Kofe Basic School, a government school located on the islands in the Kwahu North District of the Eastern Region.

In the report, Ransford Asiedu, a teacher in the school revealed he is unable to speak the Ewe language and that was hampering teaching and learning.

He advocated Ewe speaking teachers be posted to the community instead to assist the pupils.

Bond teachers to address language challenge  – Murtala tells Kwahu North District Assembly

Reacting to the revelation made by the teacher among other things, Mr Murtala Mohammed said “First and foremost, you ask what my feeling was, rage, anger and frustration I nearly shared tears when I saw particular those young kids in the boat going to school”.

He advice the District Assembly should invest in the education of teachers in the area and bond them to stay in the community for a number of years to address the development.

Source: GhanaPlus.com