About 500 Islamic educators in the Ashanti Region have participated in in-service training to improve their teaching capabilities.
These educators, selected from Islamic schools throughout the region, underwent training in reading, listening, writing, and speaking skills to better facilitate the instruction of Arabic language to primary level students.
The training is deemed essential as the Ghana Education Service (GES) has made the Arabic language subject to examination. Yussif Mohammed, the Ashanti region’s Islamic Education Unit Manager, emphasizes that educators are expected to master the new curriculum introduced by the GES, thereby transitioning away from outdated teaching methods associated with the Arabic common core curriculum program.
“They have learnt all of this to be able to teach the children well – how to read, write, and listen,” Mr. Mohammed said indicating that, these are the common things the tutors have to be abreast with to teach effectively to assist to children to benefit.
Sheikh Nuhu Ishaq, the Arabic Language coordinator at the Islamic Education Unit in the Ashanti region, emphasizes the importance of upgrading teachers due to ongoing educational reforms.
Dr. Abdul-Basit Al-Hassan, one of the training facilitators, notes that while in-service training to enhance Arabic language teaching is not new, the current program stands out for its unique content. He highlights that the training materials are based on moral ethics, prudence, theology, and history written by Islamic scholars.
“We anticipate that they will gain valuable knowledge to positively impact the children and contribute to societal improvement,” he remarked.
Participants express confidence that the knowledge and skills gained will benefit the children in their respective schools. Mohammed Bashir Abdul-Mumin from Al-Nazamiya Islamic School acknowledges the facilitators’ expertise in addressing fundamental teaching principles, which has provided valuable insights.
He mentioned that he has adopted a new note preparation method that will enhance his teaching approach going forward.
Rafiatu Akilu from Al-Azhariya Primary School expresses optimism that teaching the children will be significantly easier due to the newly acquired skills.
Arabic is now included as a mandatory subject in the recently introduced Ghana Education Service (GES) curriculum for basic education across the country.
The inclusion of Arabic as a compulsory subject of study was motivated by its status as a globally spoken language.
The Council of Islamic Education Unit with support from Al-Ikha Organisation for Development is conducting in-service training sessions in three selected regions, including the Northern and Greater Accra Regions, benefiting numerous Arabic teachers.