FG Approves Mother Tongue as Compulsory Language of Instruction in Primary Schools
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
The federal government has approved a new National Language Policy which makes mother tongue a compulsory medium of instruction for public primary school pupils.
Making this disclosure Wednesday was the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, while briefing reporters on the outcome of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.
While explaining that government is aware that its implementation will be difficult, the minister revealed that the mother tongue will be used exclusively for the first six years of education, while it will be combined with English Language from Junior Secondary School.
According to him, even though the policy has officially taken effect, it can only be fully implemented when government develops instructional materials and qualified teachers are available.
Adamu explained that the mother tongue to be used in each school will be the dominant language spoken by the community where it is located.
The minister said government is prepared to preserve cultures and their peculiar idiosyncrasies, stressing that so much has been lost due to the extinction of some local language.
He assured Nigerians that all Nigerian languages, which he said are over 600, are equal and will be treated as such.
Details later…
Source: ThisDay Newspapers
Much as it is desirable to use the mother tongue as a medium of instruction, after all the Chinese, Koreans and French use their own languages for instruction, still I can forsee resistance in the Christian north, especially with the new awareness and identity created as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency and terrorists attacks in that part of the country. For me, government should have started this on a pilot case instead of going the whole hog without adequate preparations.
Why does Nigeria government toy with the destiny of citizens. Has this been tested. I'm sure this policy is encouraged by the northern resistance to English as a medium of instruction. I think it is one attitude that has affected modern education in the North. An Hausa man will rather speak his language. And this is affecting their English. Mother tongue was experimented with at University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo university and it failed. Why do we always change what is working?