From Latin to local: Reclaiming identity in schools - Purpose of school motto
School mottos are more than decorative inscriptions on crests and ceremonial banners.
They are concise statements of identity, values, and aspiration.
A motto serves as a moral compass for students, teachers, administrators, alumni, and the wider community.
It inspires discipline, perseverance, integrity, unity, and excellence, while shaping institutional culture across generations.
Across Ghana, many senior high schools and universities proudly carry Latin mottos. Achimota School’s Ut Omnes Unum Sint (That All May Be One); St. Augustine’s College’s Omnia Vincit Labor (Perseverance Conquers All); PRESEC-Legon’s In Lumine Tuo Videbimus Lumen (In Thy Light Shall We See Light); Holy Child School’s Facta Non Verba (Deeds Not Words); the University of Ghana’s Integri Procedamus (Proceed with Integrity), and the University of Cape Coast’s Veritas Nobis Lumen (Truth, Our Guide) reflect a long tradition rooted in history.
The adoption of Latin was not accidental. Latin was once the dominant language of scholarship, religion, and intellectual authority in Europe. Missionary-founded schools and colonial education systems naturally inherited this tradition, especially as elite institutions, such as, Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, and Yale also adopted Latin mottos.
Latin, therefore, came to signify prestige, seriousness, and academic heritage.
Legal use Latin: Necessity or habit?
In law, Latin expressions such as mandamus, habeas corpus, sub judice, and prima facie remain in use because they carry precise technical meanings developed over centuries.
In that professional context, Latin serves a functional purpose within a specialised language of the courts.
However, while these terms may be familiar to lawyers and judges, the justice system is not designed for legal professionals alone.
Ordinary Ghanaians are also users of the courts and must be able to understand the language through which justice is delivered.
Excessive reliance on technical or Latin expressions can create distance between the legal system and the very people it is meant to serve.
This is why clearer communication and greater public accessibility remain essential in modern governance.
By the same principle, school mottos should not only preserve tradition but also communicate meaning clearly to their entire communities.
A motto that requires translation before it is understood loses part of its inspirational power.
If mottos are meant to guide behaviour and shape values, they must be expressed in languages that students, parents, and communities naturally understand.
This is why Ghana must consider a gradual but deliberate shift from Latin mottos to local language mottos in its educational institutions.
Some schools already demonstrate the strength of this approach. Mfantsipim School’s Dwen Hwe Kan (Think and Look Ahead) immediately connects with students and alumni alike.
Prempeh College’s Suban Ne Nimdeɛ (Character and Knowledge), similarly, reflects values that are both deeply cultural and universally understood
A compelling example is Tanyigbe Senior High School in the Volta Region.
The school originally used the Latin motto Pugnate Summa Vi (Fight with All Your Might). While meaningful, it remained distant for many stakeholders.
Over time, the school community agreed to adopt the Ewe expression Vli Vevie, which captures the same spirit of determination, but in a language that resonates more deeply with students, parents, and the surrounding community.
Today, the motto is not only recited but fully understood and lived.
Language, identity, belonging
Language is more than a tool for communication; it carries identity, philosophy, and worldview.
When students repeatedly engage with mottos in Akan, Ewe, Ga, Dagbani, or Nzema, they develop a stronger emotional and intellectual connection to the values being taught.
Some may argue that replacing Latin mottos erases history.
This concern is understandable but misplaced.
Respecting tradition does not mean preserving colonial-era practices unchanged.
Institutions evolve with society, and Ghanaian schools can honour their history while adopting expressions that better serve present and future generations.
Parliament provides a useful example. Speaker Alban Bagbin has been commended for challenging aspects of inherited colonial dress traditions and encouraging reforms that reflect Ghanaian identity and practical realities.
His leadership demonstrates that institutions must not remain unchanged simply because practices are old; they must adapt in ways that reflect national identity and relevance.
The future of Ghanaian education should not only sound scholarly. It must sound truly Ghanaian.
The writer is Head of Finance and Administration,
Ga East Municipal Education Directorate.
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