[EDLING:949] Experts Focus On Bilingual Education in Africa

[Francis M Hult]

Experts Focus On Bilingual Education 

http://allafrica.com/stories/200508050543.html

New Era (Windhoek) 
NEWS
August 5, 2005 
Posted to the web August 5, 2005 

By Emma Kakololo
Windhoek 

RESEARCH over the past 50 years has underlined the importance of African languages in 
education, but despite these findings, many stakeholders still doubt the value of the 
mother tongue. 

African education ministers have been singled out as being among those who do not value 
the mother tongue and bilingual education. 

Studies by the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) show that in 
Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Zambia, pupils in bilingual schools 
perform better than those in monolingual schools. The same applies to education in the 
mother tongue or in a familiar language instead of foreign languages, especially at the 
lower grades. 

Currently a group of experts on bilingual education and the use of local languages as well 
as education officials from 17 African countries are in Namibia to reflect on this subject 
that is crucial for the development of education in Africa. 

The three-day regional conference that started yesterday in the capital is being organised 
by ADEA, the German Co-operation Agency (GTZ) and the UNESCO Institute for Education (UIE) 
in partnership with the Ministry of Education of Namibia and the Agence 
Intergouvernmentale pour la Francophonie (AIF). 

Based on the current knowledge on the use of African languages in the education sector, 
delegates are expected to come up with strategies for the development of bilingual 
education in African countries. 

Another objective of the conference is to prepare for discussion on bilingual education 
policies at the next ADEA Biennial Meeting, which will explore in greater depth the 
factors that determine the effectiveness of schools and adult literacy programmes as well 
as successful and affordable initiatives for early childhood development. 

Officially opening the seminar yesterday, Minister of Education Nangolo Mbumba was hopeful 
that the conference would serve its purpose in developing arguments and materials to 
enhance advocacy and awareness campaigns aimed at decision-makers and the general public. 

"You have the opportunity to discuss many topics during this conference, including 
language policies at the national and international levels; teaching practices at 
classroom level and active learning; modes of instruction in African languages and 
bilingual education in formal and non-formal education systems; and publishing in African 
languages I hope that you will find the conference arrangements to your satisfaction," he 
stated. 

Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com)