Speak or not to Speak?

OH MY GOSH!  Never have I met someone who claimed to be just like me.  Until a few days ago, I met a young brother in an elevator.  In that awkward moment when the doors closed.  He looked up at me and mumbled something to interrupt our silence.  I recognized his features and called out his ethnicity he responded "Etisain".  I replied with a delightful "Bokor" with my fingers gesturing tiny to couple the words "Kitsy, Kitsy" before he goes into some big long conversation that I can't answer to.  Then came his revelation  "You are just like me?......What's up with that?   Why didn't our parents teach us their language?".  There was something to his claim...like to say.  I thought I was the only one.  I understood because truly the people that I have met in and around Massachusetts, USA, their children can speak, unlike in the UK it is not uncommon to meet non-speakers, if you will.  Trust me I felt his pain.

Mind you he does have a point and does asks some good questions.

Though I already know the answer.  My mum adamant that we know the truth (fearing that one day we would blame her), told my siblings and I several times not to mention I would over hear my parents arguing about it.  She in favor of us children speaking only Fante in the home......not everyone agreed.  Colonialism had us believing that the British way is the to be desired way...superior to any culture.   However I choose to believe that was then this is now...where there is a will there is a way.  I'm picking it back up with the help of my brothers and sisters at home, in church and the on-line community. Thank you to each and every one of you.  Now!.... the next challenge is to inspire the boys to pick it up too.

Some years back when I was in Ghana year 2000, I believe.  I was watching  the news and they were saying that the Government wanted to prepare the Ghanaian children to have an advantage to compete on an international scale.  So to implement this concept they wanted the children who already speak and write English in School, to come home and everybody in the household; grandma, uncle, mom, dad, cousins whoever and whomever, to all converse not in their local language but in the English language.

Tell me people what are your thoughts on this.

QUESTIONS?
1.  Who exactly is pushing these ideas and what's the latest?
2.  Do you think that Bi and Tri-lingual Children get confused with self identity and struggle academically?
3.  Should we not prepare our kids to become tomorrow's leaders?