International Mother Language Day is a UNESCO approved Day marked globally every 21st February to recognize and promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
The idea to celebration of International Mother Language Day was approved in 17th November, 1999 by UNESCO and have been observed throughout the World since 2000.
According to the UN, multilingual and multicultural societies thrive through the preservation of their languages, which serve as conduits for traditional knowledge and cultural heritage.
This year’s celebration is under the theme: “Multilingual education is a pillar of intergenerational learning”.
2024 Celebration
The NCCE in collaboration with the Ghana commission for UNESCO organized a Reading Festival as part of the Accra World Book Capital, 2023.
In Gt. Accra Region, the celebration is being observed with reading activities simultaneously on Wed.
21st February, 2024 with a school each in 15 Selected Districts.
Eminent Ghanaians capable of reading the Ga (Local) Language is invited as the resource person for each school and made to read a portion of selected Ga Book and encourage students to emulate the habit.
Korle Klottey Municipal Office of the National Commission for Civic Education observed this year’s Day with students of the Rev. Ernest Bruce Memorial Methodist School (JHS), Adabraka with Mr. Seth Quaye, a Senior Accountant at the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly.
The event took place in the auditorium of Rev. Ernest Bruce Memorial Methodist Church.
Mr. Quaye who read Chapter 1 (three and a half paged) of a selected Ga Book entitled “Nileegbe 6” from the Bureau of Ghanaian Languages quizzed the students on the passage.
He finally encouraged the students to take the Mother tongues very important and even learn other local languages.
"This will propel you to greater heights in future. “it will also boost your confidence and help your break other barriers”, he concluded.
The lively and educative reading session continued with three selected students (Stephen Atoku, Joshua Yeboah and Vera Boateng) also reading a chapter each of three other Ga Literatures, (i.e. Nillegbe 4, Nillegbe 1 and Shishijee Kpakpa 6).
Three community members who witnessed the event expressed their joy about the whole exercise and encouraged the students to take their mother languages especially the Ga Language which seem to be dwindling very serious.
They also took the opportunity to correct some pronunciations which were wrongly made by the students during their readings.
In his final remarks, the Municipal Director for Korle Klottey Municipal Office of the National Commission for Civic Education, Nii Adjiri Sackey, submitted that the programme and the theme is in the right direction and a welcoming one.
This, according to him is because language is one of the heritages won for us by our fore-fathers through their blood and toils most of our fathers hence there is the need to guard and protect it jealously as well as promote it by learning, studying, speaking and writing them in our daily interactions.
He noted that Ghanaian families are gradually trading their Mother Languages for foreign languages.
Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith