Uganda: Teaching in local languages good policy

[Harold Schiffman]

Teaching in local languages good policy

Publication date: Thursday, 6th March, 2008

By Geraldine Bukenya

The idea of teaching in local languages in lower primary school
classes followed recommendations from a number of researchers. The
2004 Tony Reed report on the review of primary curriculum pointed out
that "generally children learn faster if early education is conducted
in a familiar language". This report was made more relevant by the
fact that its predecessors, the 1989 Kajubi Report and the National
Assessment of Progress in Education (NAPE) had confirmed the low
levels in acquisition of literacy by primary school goers.  These
findings raised concerns that the Ministry of Education had to address
by putting in place an education language policy.

In the policy, the ministry stipulated that:

- The mother tongue be used as a medium of instruction in education up
to Primary Four – although it has been modified to cover only P1-P3)

- The area languages – Luganda, Lwo, Runyakitara, Ateso/ Nakarimojon
and Lugbara - whose orthographies were ready - be taught as a subject
in primary schools and be examinable in PLE.

- That a National Language Advisory Board be established to assist in
the development of Uganda languages.

- The language policy is in use in other countries like Nigeria,
Ghana, South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Lesotho, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.

In rolling out the policy, the ministry envisages a number of benefits:

- Local languages promote comprehension, accuracy of expression,
interest in nature around and increases appreciation of culture, which
is important for one's identity.

- Local languages are a tool for socialisation that helps to shape
people's compatibility with the environment around them. This enhances
the participatory methods used in the classroom like group
participation skills that are effective in achieving learning.

- Local languages create confidence in one's language. This forms the
basis for learning other languages. The people who went to school in
the 1960s and used this system have a better command of the first and
second languages because of this background.

- Local languages are a basis for the formation of an integral part of
the philosophy of an individual, which is an important factor for
future learning of social studies and other humanities

- Local languages are a bridge between the home and school learning.
This enhances the philosophy of teaching from the known to unknown.
This helps the child to relate what is at home to what is learnt at
school.

In implementing the language policy, the ministry is closely guided by
a broad-minded and a development-oriented approach which has helped to
fulfill the ministry's objective of increased access, equity, quality
achievement and retention of children in schools.

Since the launch of the White Paper on Education in 1992, the policy
has passed through a number of steps. These include the development,
trial-testing and implementation of the local language syllabuses for
both Primary Teacher Colleges and primary schools and the preparation
and distribution of modules to support it in the teacher colleges.

The National Curriculum Development Centre in 1999 requested districts
to form District Language Boards, in conjunction with the Ministry of
Education. In 2000, the ministry sent a circular to schools asking
them to forward to the National Curriculum Development Centre the
languages which were ready for use as medium of instructions.
Districts which were ready responded. In 2002, teachers were oriented
in the use of the Primary School Syllabus Vol. II, which has the local
language syllabus content. This was followed by dispatch of guidance
on local language time-tabling, its use as a medium of instruction on
all subjects except English, and the teaching of local languages as a
subject after P4.

The ministry has also sent circulars to schools guiding them on the
implementation of the literacy hour, medium of instruction and the
importance of deploying competent teachers who are fluent in the
language of the area to lower primary classes.

After laying this foundation, the National Curriculum Development
Centre with the intention of enhancing learning achievements in
literacy and numeracy, revised the lower primary curriculum to make it
thematic. This curriculum was rolled out nationally in 2007 for P1 and
in 2008 for P2. For P3, the Thematic Curriculum is being pre-tested in
some selected districts.

Teachers and pre-service student teachers were also trained on
thematic curriculum materials. The curriculum of Primary Teacher
Colleges has been harmonised with the primary curriculum and is being
piloted in preparation for launch in 2009.

We therefore, call upon writers in various languages without
orthographies to develop them and get them approved by the language
boards for submission to the National Curriculum Development Centre .
The writers are also encouraged to write more books in their
respective languages to support the teaching in vernacular but under
the guidance of the appropriate district language boards.

The Ministry of Education considers everybody's contribution in this
cause valuable and important. Achieving quality education is only
possible through collaborative efforts. We have reached this far
together and we can achieve more.

The writer is a language specialist at the National Curriculum
Development Centre



This article can be found on-line at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/459/615142


http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/459/615142

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