The Federation of Islamic Senior High Schools in Ghana[ FISHSIG], has announced that all is set for the first batch of students to write Arabic as an examinable subject in the 2017 WASSCE exams.

According to the Federation, all necessary procedures and registration processes have been followed by the respective schools to ensure the students sit for the Arabic exams without any challenge.

During a press briefing organized by the Federation in Accra on Thursday, its General Secretary, Mr. Sumaila Mohammed indicated that even though the subject is examinable to all senior high schools in Ghana, the first batch is comprised only of students from the Islamic Senior High Schools.

He also indicated that Arabic which used to be an examinable subject during the GCE O and A levels era is for now only an elective examinable subject for any student or school that wishes to take the language as part of its curriculum.

On whether there is a curriculum for Arabic as an examinable subject, He responded in the affirmative and added everything has been put in place to ensure the smooth take off, continuation and retention of the subject in the country’s educational curriculum.

He pointed out that the efforts to re-introduce Arabic as an examinable subject in Ghana has been a long standing one as it has proved futile since the early 2000s.

The FISHSIG, together with the Baraka Policy Institute , an educational Think Tank , in consultation with the Federation of Muslim Councils[ FMC] and the Office of the National Chief Imam, intensified the efforts since last year to ensure the re-introduction of the language into Ghana’s examinable time-table.

A research conducted by the Baraka Policy Initiative in all the Islamic Senior High Schools in Ghana indicates the readiness of these schools to write the subject at the WASSCE come 2017.

The research amongst other things found out that the schools are already using the WAEC approved syllables to teach Arabic, the schools have competent Arabic teacher graduates from reputable universities in Ghana and beyond as well as using WAEC prescribed textbooks in teaching the subject.

Furthermore, Mr. Sumaila Mohammed stated ‘’the WAEC Ghana office already has examiners from Ghana who moderate and mark papers in Arabic written by candidates from other member countries’’.

He maintained that the re-introduction of Arabic as an examinable subject into Ghanaian schools has enormous economic benefits to the schools and Ghana at large since Arabic is one of the six international languages used by the United Nations.

The FISGSIG General Secretary called on the media to spread the news on the benefits of learning Arabic as a language by students and condemned the notion that the re-introduction was to score points for the Islamic religion.

He commended President John Dramani Mahama and all those who made efforts in ensuring the realization of this goal and further added his voice to the call to ensure a peace before, during and after the December polls.