'Distasteful' textbooks not approved - NaCCA

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) of Ghana has revealed that some textbooks on the market that negatively characterizes Ewes and Ghana’s first President Dr Kwame Nkrumah have not been approved for use.

NaCCA’s clarification comes after some broadcasters expressed outrage over the textbook for primary schoolchildren which appears to denigrate Ewes in the country.

According to former Citi FM broadcaster Richard Dela Sky, the book characterises Ewes and must be withdrawn.

“My attention has been drawn to some contents of this book (”Golden English”). Now, IF this book for educating our pupils really contains the characterisation captured in the picture to the right, and IF it is indeed a part of the ‘official’ books used in teaching our children as some have suggested, then the Ghana Education Service must withdraw it effective immediately. The reason, I think, is obvious. Put differently, the outrage speaks for itself,” he wrote on Facebook.

Also commenting on the book, popular broadcaster Dzifa Bampoe wrote “When Richard Dela Sky shared this, I thought it was just an “ignorant” mistake but there are two other negative references to the Ewe people. Then the barefaced lies written about Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and the CPP and I am like we have to call this out. I had to have long conversations with my daughter about Osagyefo. This is not right at all”.

But in a statement, NaCCA said the following textbooks currently making waves in the media have not been approved for use in schools

The statement added, “in each of these books and others discovered on social media, the authors make inappropriate references to personalities and ethnic groups which are deemed unfortunate, distasteful, and are in contradiction with NaCCA’s Book Submission Guidelines and Approval Methodology which guide the work of publishers and authors.”