Islamic educators in the Ashanti Region of Ghana recently took part in a comprehensive in-service training program aimed at enhancing their teaching skills. The 500 educators, who were drawn from Islamic schools across the region, received training in reading, listening, speaking, and writing, which are essential skills for teaching the Arabic language to primary level students.
This training is seen as crucial because the Ghana Education Service (GES) has introduced Arabic language as a subject for examination. As a result, educators are expected to familiarize themselves with the new curriculum and transition away from outdated teaching methods associated with the Arabic common core curriculum program.
One of the facilitators of the training program, Dr. Abdul-Basit Al-Hassan, highlighted that the materials used for the training were based on moral ethics, prudence, theology, and history written by Islamic scholars. The objective is for the educators to gain valuable knowledge that will positively impact the children and contribute to societal improvement.
Participants in the program expressed confidence that the knowledge and skills they have acquired will greatly benefit the children in their respective schools. For example, Mohammed Bashir Abdul-Mumin from Al-Nazamiya Islamic School acknowledged the expertise of the facilitators in addressing fundamental teaching principles, which has provided valuable insights.
In addition to the Ashanti Region, the Council of Islamic Education Unit, with support from Al-Ikha Organisation for Development, is also conducting in-service training sessions in three selected regions, including the Northern and Greater Accra Regions, to benefit numerous Arabic teachers.
The inclusion of Arabic as a mandatory subject in the Ghana Education Service (GES) curriculum for basic education across the country is a response to its status as a globally spoken language. As such, the training of Islamic educators is a positive step towards providing quality education in Arabic language and promoting its importance in Ghana.
