Language Policy and Decolonizing African Education

Abstract

Decolonizing education in Africa south of the Sahara has been heavily discussed, as the literature indicates (Albaugh, 2009;Owu-Ewie, 2006; Piper &Miksic, 2011;Sukumane, 1998). A vital component of decolonizing African education is the use of mother tongue languages (Butts & Haskins, 1973; Wilson, 1987). The NALAP is a language education policy that, in part, encourages the use of Ghanaian mother tongue languages early on in students’ education. The Ghanaian government created the NALAP to bolster efforts to decolonize education there (Owu-Ewie, 2006). The following report outlines advocacy actions that can be taken to help decolonize education in Ghana, as well as suggestions ensuring that policies like the NALAP are successfully implemented.