The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) has officially launched a Chinese language curriculum for Ghana’s basic, junior high, and senior high schools, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) and the 2025 Chinese Ambassadors Awards ceremony.
The event, themed “A Decade of Cultural Exchange and Excellence in Chinese Language Education,” drew together education stakeholders, traditional leaders, diplomats, and academics.
Prof. Samuel Ofori Bekoe, Director-General of NaCCA, spoke on behalf of NaCCA Board Chairman Prof. Vincent Assanful, describing the event as a watershed moment in Ghana’s educational history and international connections.
He stated that the purpose of the event was to operationalise a vision to prepare Ghanaian students for competitiveness in the contemporary global economy, going beyond simple celebration.
In order to succeed internationally, Ghanaian students must now develop cultural intelligence and multilingual skills, according to Prof. Assanful, who clarified that literacy in the twenty-first century has moved beyond mastery of one’s mother tongue and English.
He pointed out that NaCCA’s function went beyond regulation to include strategic collaboration in setting up Ghana’s future labour force in the international marketplace.
He said that the NaCCA’s decision to formalise the teaching of Chinese in Ghana’s basic education system was influenced by its mandate to create pertinent, standards-based, and forward-looking curricula, especially in light of China’s increasing global economic influence and its position as Ghana’s most important development partner.
He claimed that the Confucius Institute at UCC’s technical and cultural know-how was essential because the curriculum development process could not be completed in a vacuum.
He disclosed that NaCCA has been working closely with the Institute on technical projects over the past few months, going beyond language appreciation to the exacting science of education.
According to Prof. Assanful, the resulting draft curriculum was competency-based, emphasising functional literacy and communicative proficiency over rote memorisation; contextually adaptive, guaranteeing alignment with Ghanaian values and realities; and structurally sound, benchmarked against the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) standards while blending in seamlessly with Ghana’s Common Core Program.
He stressed that the introduction of the Chinese language curriculum was an economic intervention meant to lower trade, diplomatic, and technology transfer barriers between Ghana and China, rather than only an academic endeavour.
According to him, the program will help develop Ghanaian engineers, diplomats, physicians, and businesspeople who can work well with their Chinese counterparts.
Prof. Assanful emphasised that the curriculum’s success will depend on its execution, and he charged the Confucius Institute with continuing to assist teacher professional development in order to generate a solid pool of Ghanaian educators who are capable of carrying out the program.
He urged the Confucius Institute to concentrate its next ten years on integration and national effect while congratulating the organisation on its first ten years of founding and expansion.
He reiterated NaCCA’s dedication to offering regulatory assistance to guarantee the curriculum generates Ghanaian individuals who are competitive on a global scale.
Dr. Juliet Dufie Otamie, the Central Regional Director of Education, emphasised the importance of education and culture in fostering better ties between Ghana and China in a speech read on her behalf.
She described the Confucius Institute as a platform that had empowered the youth via knowledge, skills, and exposure to the world, noting that education remained a potent tool for opening doors and generating chances for young people.
Many students now have access to possibilities that were previously unattainable, both domestically and abroad, thanks to the Institute’s work, she said.
She claimed that students who had little prior knowledge of China had become self-assured speakers with an understanding of Chinese culture and global perspectives as a result of learning the language.
She urged others to follow in their footsteps and take advantage of the opportunity provided by such international educational alliances, praising pupils who had accepted the challenge to learn the language.
The Confucius Institute’s influence, she continued, showed how education and culture could be utilised to improve international relations while giving young people the skills they need to succeed in a world that is becoming more interconnected.
Prof. Emmanuel Amo Ofori, the director of the Confucius Institute in Ghana, detailed the institute’s development from its conception in 2008 to Hanban’s approval in December 2015 and its formal debut in June 2016.
The institute has developed into a thriving centre for language learning, cultural exchange, academic collaboration, and community participation, he said, describing it as the result of a long-term partnership between UCC, its Chinese partner university, and the Chinese Embassy.
He said that over the previous ten years, the institute has trained thousands of students, arranged cultural festivals, helped companies interacting with the Chinese-speaking world, and encouraged student and scholar exchanges between Ghana and China.
He expressed hope that better academic integration, research collaboration, and innovation will be the main focus of the upcoming ten years.
Prof. Dennis Worlanyo Aheto, the acting vice-chancellor of UCC, characterised the event as a time of pride, happiness, and contemplation on ten years of development, collaboration, and economic opportunity supported by the Confucius Institute.
He pointed out that the Institute had grown to be one of the university’s most influential international partnerships, making a substantial contribution to global engagement and the development of human capital.
With over 11,000 students passing through the facility each year, he said that the Confucius Institute has influenced the lives of thousands of pupils.
He said that in addition to teaching languages, the institution had been instrumental in helping the university and the community around it undergo digital transformation, giving students skills necessary for the rapidly changing global knowledge economy.
Prof. Aheto emphasised the institute’s growing reach, pointing out that its Chinese language programs now encompass basic schools in addition to postsecondary institutions, fostering multilingualism at a young age.
He cited the institute’s two-day career and opportunities expo, which helped many young people find jobs, start their own businesses, and advance their careers, as evidence that its influence went beyond academics.
Furthermore, he discussed the Chinese Ambassador’s Awards, exchange programs, and scholarship options that have made it possible for staff members and students to pursue training, education, and research in China.
He urged Ghana and China to work together much more to strengthen their economic, cultural, and educational connections.
Professors Solomon Ofori-Acquah and Ke Ningli emphasised the importance of linguistic competence, research, and mentorship in Chinese language education, while Prof. Ishmael Mansah, Head of Hospitality and Tourism at UCC, argued for teacher training colleges to introduce Chinese language programs.
Prof. Dennis Worlanyo Aheto, the interim vice-chancellor of UCC, as well as former vice-chancellors Prof. Dominic Kofi Agyeman Kuupole, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, and Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, received citations for their visionary leadership during the occasion.
Prof. Kwadwo Opoku Agyemang, the inaugural Director of the Confucius Institute at UCC, was also given a special citation for his groundbreaking work.
Mafaatih Wunnam Alidu Cotachi was named the African winner of the international competition for elementary school pupils.
Kwaku Henaku Otsin was also recognised for winning the $400 cash prize for first runner-up in the national competition for primary school students held at the UCC, while Michelle Yeboah Nyamah won the $200 cash prize for second runner-up.
Source: newsthemegh.com