Kwesi Pratt has downplayed the relevance in studying French language in Senior High Schools as widely held by the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo.
President Nana Akufo-Addo has disclosed that his government plans to make the study of French language compulsory in all Senior High Schools from next academic year in September.
The government intends to make the language compulsory to promote neighborliness between Ghana and her neighboring countries.
The President made this remark in Togo during a two-day official visit to the country.
According to him, Ghana, which is surrounded by three Francophone countries should be proficient in the French language.
“[I’m] strongly for making French a compulsory language in our schools right up to the end of Senior High School. 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.
But Kwesi Pratt disagrees with the government because to him, the French language doesn't have an international appeal as compared to the Hausa language.
Contributing to a panel discussion on Friday's edition of "Kokrokoo" on PeaceFM, Mr. Pratt preferred Hausa takes precedence over the French language, and therefore called on the government to make the study of Hausa compulsory instead of French.
“If you want to introduce common language in West Africa to facilitate trade and so forth, the most widely spoken language in West Africa is Hausa not French or English. I don’t know anywhere in Ghana that they don’t speak Hausa. Nigeria which is the largest economy in West Africa, Hausa is the dominant language and so on. So, if we want to promote West Africa trade and so on, why would we promote French instead of Hausa? Hausa is the dominant language in West Africa and Hausa has become an international language…”
To him, Hausa should become the official language in the nation.
“If Hausa is already the widest spoken language in West Africa, why don’t we use Hausa? Why don’t we develop Hausa to become the official language of West Africa if that is what we want? Why do you go for French?
“…so what future are we looking at? Are we looking at the next 5 years? Are we looking at the next 30 years? Are we looking at the next 100 years? What projections have we made that we’re saying French should be a compulsory language in our Senior High Schools?” he questioned.
Mr. Pratt backed his assertions with a claim that "language is carried on the back of economic development and development in scientific technology if your influence in the world is what makes the language grow and thrive” and so if the government wants to market the country, then the choice for French isn't the sure way.
"...if we’re taking a global approach to language as an instrument for business and so on, why French? Why not Chinese? Chinese is more widely spoken than French…Chinese is becoming an international language today…” he said on Peace FM's Kokrokoo.
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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There is no basis in what he said. The whole world, the two (2) most populous languages that if you learn and you can go laces are English and French. You dont need a PHD to know this. Kasa nkoaa.
this Pratt sees everything bad in every potentially good idea. Here is a person with abad heart. He needs a psychiatrist.
I DON'T THINK KWASI PRAT ALSO HAS ( PHD) KWASI PRAT SHOULD CHANGE HIS NAME, BECAUSE YOUR FATHER IS NOT FRENCH NATIONAL, BUT YOU HAVE THEIR NAME, YOUR NAME ( PRAT) THE MEANING OF YOUR NAME IN ENGLISH IS ( TALK ) THAT IS WHY YOU ARE TALKING, AKWASI, MY NAME IS ( ISA WATALA) THAT TELLS YOU THAT I, AM A GHANAIAN, AND MY PARENT ARE ALSO GHANAIAN, YOUR NAME( AKWASI PRAT ) TELLS ME THAT YOUR FATHER IS A FRENCH NATIONAL, I HAVE TO LOOK FOR YOUR ROOT, MY BE YOUR ARE HAUSA AND YOUR PARENT WONT YOU TO CAME TO GHANA SO THEY NAME AKWASI, YOU HAVE TO FUN A JOB AT AMSTERDAM RED LIGHT AND SHOUT FOR THE GIRLS OR AUCTION CENTER IN CANADA OR AMERICA SO THAT YOU CAN ( PRAT, PRAT, PRAT, PRAT ) GHANAIANS SHOULD LEARN HAUSA, OH MY GOD,
What is really wrong with this ***barred word*** ***barred word***, Kwasi Pratt? He just wants to say something and attract attention. Where is Hausa spoken in the world stage? French is spoken in Europe, in the Americas, and Africa. It is an internationally recognize language and second most spoken language in the world if not the first. How can you compare it to Hausa?
Nana's prposition is better. At least for now. French is a language spoken or translated in the United Nations Organisation apart from the fact that is Widely spoken and written in West Africa. Anybody who can speak and write French and English is more competitive at the UN and its subsidiaries the world over. At the UN Security Council, the French and English have more weight and power and all these can weigh infavour of a Ghanaian who can speak and write French and English; the two being very powerful in the UN. By this Ghana can make our young potentially competitive at the Global level than if Hausa were made compulsory.
I've always known that this Kwasi Pratt is somebody who talks from his neck but he has proven that he is more than an illiterate ***barred word***. What is wrong with him? I've never seen a someone who is always against good things. How can he compare French with Hausa. oh my goodness
this man has a very clever way of staying in the news. just ignore him. he is totally irrelevant in the politics of GH today.
Peace FM should stop that p-***barred word*** to come to their studios from now bcos he sounds nuisance these days so many don't listen to him including myself and I can't comprehend why peacefm online put his photo at the front page and publishes his story every time he come there as if he is the only person on the panel. Ssttuppid old pratt
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS MAN? FRENCH AND HAUSA WHICH IS MORE INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED?
I was expecting you to write all what you said in twi or the local dialect. dont be silly