Orthography of Kasem language launched
Navrongo (Upper East) 23 November 2001- The published orthography of the Kasem
language which the Bureau of Ghana Languages (BGL) researched on, was on Wednesday launched in Navrongo in the Upper East Region.
The Regional Minister, Mr Mahami Salifu, who performed the launching ceremony, said language was paramount to the development of a people, since it was an effective means of transmitting the values of the society from one generation to the other.
Mr Salifu, therefore, commended the Kasem language committee for their contribution to the publication of the book and urged other ethnic groups to emulate them adding that language unified a people and gave them their identity.
The Acting Director of BGL, Mr J. C. Abbey paid tribute to the Kasem scholars, who worked on the project. He called on the Bureau to develop all the languages in the country in order to preserve the people's cultural heritage.
He expressed dissatisfaction that major languages taught in the senior secondary schools were made elective instead of core subjects.
He said this affected the performance of students at the training colleges and other tertiary institutions where they were required to have studied local languages at the senior secondary school level and urged the Ministry of Education to reverse the trend.
Pe Roland Ayagitam, Paramount Chief of the Chiana Traditional area and Chairman of the Kasem language Committee, traced the history of the orthography of Kasem language to the early missionaries who were in Navrongo in 1920.
Pe Ayagitam expressed the hope that the orthography would make it possible for the Kasem to be taught in senior secondary schools and training colleges in the area.
Mr Alexis Danti, Lecturer at the Kasem Unit of the Department of Ghanaian Languages at the University College of Education in Winneba, appealed to the public for funds and computers to enable the department to function effectively.
GRi…/
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