[lg policy] Senegal: Wanted: A clear and coherent language policy

[Harold Schiffman]

Wanted: A clear and coherent language policy

©UNESCO/M. Hofer - Children learn much better in their mother tongue.

The introduction of national languages in schools of Senegal has been
on governments' educational agenda for decades. Several experiments
have been carried out but without real success. Today, the use of
national languages is still not a reality.....It is generally accepted
that the use of mother tongue in schools is a powerful remedy against
illiteracy.
In her message on the occasion of International Mother Language Day,
on 21 February 2012, Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO stresses
how "linguistic diversity accelerates the achievement of the
Millennium Development Goals, in particular the objectives of
Education for All".

Panel discussion in Dakar

To celebrate the 13th edition of the International Mother Language
Day, UNESCO's Regional Office for Education in Africa, based in Dakar,
and the Ministry of Education of Senegal are bringing together experts
to discuss bilingual education in Senegal. The discussions will
revolve around the theme Use of mother tongues for inclusive
education.

Urgent need for language policy

Experts from the Senegalese Ministry of Education, universities and
civil society will review the difficulties of introducing national
languages in Senegal's education system. They will also propose
solutions to move forward.

"The goal is to see together how best to install multilingualism in
Senegalese schools," says Yao Ydo, Chief of Peace Education and
Sustainable Development in UNESCO Dakar.

"We know that a child who first learn to read and write in his or her
mother tongue has a much greater chance of succeeding in school and it
makes it easier to read and write in a second language," he added.

"It is therefore urgent to define a clear and coherent language policy
that allows the national languages to play their rightful role in the
progress towards implementing Education for All," Ydo says.

-- 
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/dakar/about-this-office/single-view/news/wanted_a_clear_and_coherent_language_policy_in_senegal/
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