[lg policy] Botswana: We need an inclusive Languages Policy

[Harold Schiffman]

 We need an inclusive Languages Policy
 	
Date 	28-10-2011

Government’s commitment to cultural diversity is once again under the
spotlight as the so-called minority tribes demand the use of mother
tongue instruction at primary schools. How government, particularly
the Ministry of Education and Skills Development will respond to this
task will become evident next year when a Languages Pitso is convened
to thrash out the devil in the details and hopefully revise the
present Languages Policy. The State argument that certain languages
like Ikalanga and Sesarwa cannot be taught in schools because of lack
of teaching materials sounds hollow to proponents of mother tongue
instruction. They say that they have already canvassed the requisite
materials including developing orthography for the teaching of the
languages, and only seek government’s blessings to implement the
decision. Domboshaba Cultural Trust representing the Kalanga section
and the Kuru Development Trust (KDT), which to a greater extent
represents the interests of the Basarwa community have made
commendable inroads which government can no longer afford to turn a
blind eye to. For example, KDT has managed to translate the Bible into
Naro language, the same being true also for the Ikalanga Bible
project, Ndebo Buya. Even as the ministry cites teacher training and
deployment as some of the implications accompanying this policy
decision (introduction of mother tongue instruction), especially that
at present teachers can be deployed to any part of the country, thanks
to the current language policy- it is worth noting that the state has
an obligation to be seen to be inclusive and to foster national unity.
It therefore behoves the state to acquiesce to the tribal groupings’
demands. The current initiatives to develop and preserve local
languages and cultures through the Ministry of Youth, Sports and
Culture initiatives fall short of solving the issue at hand. To
preserve culture is to preserve the languages of the people and this
cannot be reduced to random cultural festivals. In the same vein the
National Broadcasting Board (NBB) must begin to issue licences for
community radio stations in order to facilitate this noble project of
promoting unity in cultural diversity. Even young democracies like
Namibia and South Africa have already surpassed us on this score. We
must take the challenge head on, as this could also mark the dawn
economic diversification through cultural tourism.

Once people are confident to converse, write and communicate in their
mother tongues, they are able to conquer any trying circumstances as
the Asian Tigers have ably proven.

http://www.botswanaguardian.co.bw/newsdetails.php?nid=2870&cat=BG%20Comments


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