Assin Fosu (C/R), May 11, GNA - A ten-day training of trainers workshop on the use of new books in Ghanaian languages with special reference to Twi for 71 head teachers from the Assin North and South Districts is underway at Assin Fosu in the Central Region. The workshop is a collaboration between the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ), Assistance to Teacher Education Programme (ASTEP), World Vision Ghana and the Teacher Education Division of the Ghana Education Service.

Briefing the Ghana News Agency at Assin Fosu, Mr Kyei Baffour, Workshop Co-ordinator, said following the cry of pupils and teachers about the lack of books in Ghanaians languages, GTZ in partnership with ASTEP developed materials in five languages, Twi, Ewe, Ga, Dagbani and Gonja.

The books were on Mathematics, Environmental Studies and Literacy (reading and writing), he said.

Mr Baffour said apart from the materials developed, GTZ also supported the training of the facilitators. He said WVG provided funds for the training of the teachers, while the Teacher Education Division was the implementing agent.

Mr Baffour said the participants were being trained to enable them to retrain teachers under them.

Opening the workshop, Mr Kwabeng Karikari-Apau, District Chief Executive for Assin North, said the government white paper on the Education Review Committee, which recommended the use of Ghanaian Language as a medium of instruction in the kindergarten and the lower primary had cleared the doubt on which language was to be used at that level.

The DCE appealed to parents who used English as medium of instruction at home to be careful not to confuse the children with the new directive.

"We have to develop English as a second language but not the first, he said and added that as Ghanaians we are identified by our language and culture."

Mr Baffour explained that materials for the production of books in other languages like Fante were ready but financial constraints had stalled their coming out. 11 May 05