How NaCCA gave first-stage approval to ‘tribalistic, bigotry’ history book

It has emerged the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) gave first-stage approval to the history textbooks by Badu Nkansah Publications which has been found to be dominated by tribalistic and bigoted content.

A document forwarded to the host of Good Morning Ghana, Randy Abbey, by former Deputy Education Minister, Okudzeto Ablakwa, indicates the book was given initial approve in September 2020.

The content of the letter shows that NaCCA was overall satisfied with the book, it, however, wanted it to be upgraded to meet the requirement of the new curriculum.

Below is the letter as read by Randy Abbey on Wednesday, March 17 edition of his show.

“Dear publisher, your submission having gone through the first stage of the Textbook Approval Process (TAP) was found to have satisfied most of the technical and content requirement.

“ However, some works need to be done to meet the expectation of the new curriculum. By this letter, we kindly advise you to update the material as per the attached comment and recommendations on the contents for re-submission.

“We will furnish you with a summary assessment mark sheet after the technical assessment is completed within two weeks of the date of this letter. In response to the comment, please state the exact pages [that] have been effected, preferably in a tabular form. See attached and resubmit for final approval.

“Signed by Ntsiful Elijah, acting finance administrator for the executive.”

The content of the book has generated a furore in the country with persons condemning it and calling for a recall of same.

Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu filed a notice in parliament for Education Minister, Yaw Adutwum, to answers questions on the book.

“To ask the Honourable Minister responsible for Education whether the publications titled: History of Ghana, Text Book 3 by Badu Nkansah Publications authored by Badu Nkansah and Nelly Martinson Anim and Golden English Basic 4 authored by Okyere Baafi Alexander both of which contain bigoted content targeted at the Ewe ethnic group have come to his Ministry’s attention; were they approved by any of his Ministry's agencies and what steps Government is taking to purge our schools and book shops from offensive, divisive and incendiary publications of this nature?”

The Volta Regional House of Chiefs said the “content of the books is derogatory allusions and innuendos at Ewes”, calling it “distasteful and a disgrace to the authors and publishers of the said material intended to educate the younger generation of this country”.