Ahanta language gains official approval for classroom use

The Ahanta language has taken a major step into Ghana’s formal education system after the Bureau of Ghana Languages (BGL) officially approved and certified its orthography for use in schools, opening the door for the language to be taught and eventually examined at both basic and senior high school levels.

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The decision follows months of assessment and community engagement after a formal submission by the Member of Parliament for Ahanta West, who championed the development of a standard writing system for the language.

A three-member technical team constituted by the Bureau undertook a comprehensive review of the Ahanta orthography, including field visits to schools involved in a pilot teaching programme across parts of the Ahanta area in the Western Region.

During the assessment, the team interacted with teachers, pupils, parents, traditional leaders, church leaders and opinion leaders to evaluate how the orthography was being used in classrooms and how learners were responding.

According to the Bureau, the findings were overwhelmingly positive.In its official endorsement, the Bureau of Ghana Languages stated that the Ahanta orthography meets the required linguistic and educational standards.

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The pilot programme, it noted, had yielded encouraging results, with strong enthusiasm from learners and teachers and growing support from parents and traditional authorities. Chiefs and elders in Ahanta land also expressed readiness to see the language taught more widely in schools.

As a result, the Bureau has formally endorsed the use of the Ahanta language orthography in schools within Ahanta-speaking areas and approved it for the development of textbooks and other learning materials.

The endorsement is described as a crucial step towards making Ahanta an examinable subject at the basic education and senior high school levels. The Bureau further indicated its readiness to certify teaching and learning materials developed using the approved orthography, a move that will allow schools to begin structured instruction once materials and trained teachers are in place.

The approval represents more than an academic milestone. It is seen as a significant boost for cultural preservation, especially for a language that has long been overshadowed by more dominant Ghanaian languages such as Twi, Fante and Ewe.

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Some argue that formal recognition in schools will help safeguard Ahanta for future generations while strengthening children’s sense of identity and belonging.

The development also aligns with Ghana’s broader education policy direction, which emphasises mother-tongue instruction as a foundation for effective learning, particularly at the early stages of education.