Study of French to be made compulsory up to second cycle

Government intends to make the study of French language compulsory from basic school level to the senior high school (SHS) level.

According to President Nana Akufo-Addo, with three French speaking neighbours, Ghana had no option but to learn the language, inability to do so is "unacceptable".

Speaking in Togo at the end of a 3-day visit, the President hinted that the government extension of the compulsory French language to the SHS level will likely take off in September when the next academic year starts.

“I’m fortified in taking this decision because as far back as 10 years ago when I left Ghana into la Francophone I did so in Bucharest. The decision was that the Francophone organization will help us with the teachers of French in the schools because at the end of the day everything you did in the education always comes back to the teachers,” he said.

The President indicated education minister Mathew Opoku Prempeh “has it as a major priority on his agenda”.

He believes the study of French is absolutely essential in empowering Ghanaians to survive in a French speaking majority ECOWAS

Most French speaking countries in the sub-region make the study of English compulsory. It is therefore common to find people from countries such as Togo, Burkina Faso, and Ivory Coast easily interacting with English in Ghana. Most Ghanaians however face major communication barriers in these countries due to the inability to speak and understand the French language.

French language has been compulsory at the basic school level for some time now, but most students are unable to grasp the language partly due to the inadequacy of qualified teachers.