Ga, Dangme, and 12 other languages to be integrated into digital education initiative

The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrissu, has assured the Ga Traditional Council that Ga, Dangme, and twelve other Ghana Education Service-approved languages will be included in future digital and artificial intelligence (AI) education programs.

The Minister gave the assurance during a visit to the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, at the Ga Mantse Palace in Accra on Tuesday. The move comes amid public concern over reports suggesting the exclusion of Ga and Dangme from the country’s language-in-education policy and emerging AI language tools.

“It will be unthinkable for the government to pursue the use of indigenous Ghanaian languages and exclude Ga and Dangme,” Mr Iddrissu stated.

He clarified that recent discussions with Google regarding AI language tools had caused misunderstanding, explaining that the initial pilot project involving Dagbani and Ewe was a non-governmental initiative and not an official policy decision.

The Minister, accompanied by Deputy Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, MPs Alfred Nii Kotey Ashie and Ernest Adomako, and Technical Advisor Prof. George Kweku Toku Oduro, also presented a GH¢100,000 donation to the Ga Mantse Education Fund.

Mr Iddrissu emphasized the government’s commitment to multilingual education that reflects Ghana’s identity, particularly in Greater Accra, the administrative capital.

“I’m one of the strong advocates of the use of indigenous Ghanaian languages to improve learning outcomes at the foundational level of learning,” he said, adding that the goal is to strengthen critical thinking and 21st-century competencies through culturally grounded education.

In response, the Ga Mantse stressed the importance of preserving Ga and Dangme as central to cultural identity and social cohesion in the capital. He called for the responsible use of AI to support linguistic development and enhance translation between Ga-Dangme and English.