Uganda: http://allafrica.com/stories/200802061102.html

[Harold Schiffman]

Let Pupils Study in Vernacular


The Monitor (Kampala)


OPINION
7 February 2008
Posted to the web 6 February 2008

By Michael J. Ssali


Mr Anselm Wandega's article, Language policy hampering unity in Africa
(Daily Monitor, January 23) carried a number of irregularities. His
attack on the Ministry of Education for introducing teaching in local
languages was unfair. It was quite evident that Wandega understands
very little about the thematic curriculum and the motive behind
teaching pupils in their local languages. He asked whether teaching in
local languages was a product of a well-thought out and consultative
process.


Yes it was, and it has been open to debate among educationists for
more than 10 years now. Evidence of this was the publication by the
Ministry of Education and Sports of the National Primary Teacher
Education Series Local Language books in 1997, wrtten in several local
languages.

And on page 6 of the Luganda version, it is written: "... the children
shall be taught in their mother tongue, learning its grammar, rules,
using mother tongue for creative writing and speaking, and learning
the oral literature of their people". This message is contained in all
the books of the other local languages. Some districts piloted it
before it was finally rolled out across the country.

Mr Wandega needs to know that the thematic curriculum doesn't stop
teachers from teaching English in lower primary. It promotes teaching
of all other subjects in local language while English is taught right
from p.1. In other words, mathematics, science, art and craft, oral
literature, physical education and religious education will be taught
in local languages under the Thematic Curriculum arrangement, but
English as a subject will still be taught in P.1, P.2 and P.3. When a
child goes to P.4, all the subjects will be taught in English because
by then, the pupil will be understanding it. The Ministry of Education
knows that English is an important international and official language
in Uganda.

Mr Wandega also forgets that we need to develop our African languages
and folklore for our cultural identity. He criticises the new teaching
system as encouraging tribal thinking instead of national thinking.
But education is meant to teach us to peacefully co-exist in mutual
respect. We belong to our family first, then to our village, then to
our tribe before we belong to Uganda. We are also Ugandans first
before we are Africans. How can we pretend that our tribes don't exist
and that they are irrelevant to us?

Relying on what President Museveni said that a single African
government is impossible because there is no common language is wrong.
In Rwanda, Somalia and Burundi - people speak their respective common
languages but are they united? Kenyans speak Kiswahili but aren't they
cutting each others throat today?

Compare such countries with others like Canada where in one part the
people speak English while the other speak French yet they are united
and developed.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200802061102.html

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