[lg policy] Jamaica: Education and the discriminatory language policy

Wed Jan 29 14:20:06 UTC 2014

Education and the discriminatory language policy

Louis MOYSTON

Wednesday, January 29, 2014     2
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A scene from the VW Super Bowl ad which had dialogue containing the
Jamaican patois that elicited many comments last year.

Most recently the minister of education announced the inclusion of an oral
component to the school's English Language examination. The language policy
at the Ministry of Education is steeped into the dark history of a racist
colonial past. This recent announcement of applying the 'untested
hypothesis' to a major educational problem will not provide a solution to
the learning crisis. There has been a discriminatory language policy in our
political thinking resulting from the hegemony of the colonial culture; and
1962 has not changed that reality. English is taught as a second language
in countries where there is a dominant creole language (or languages). The
cultural sections of the United Nations urged member states to recognise
these languages, but Jamaica remains resolute, withholding official
recognition of Patois. English is taught to the majority of our students
under the assumption that they speak that language. There is no doubt about
the relationship of criminality to the failure of our system of education
and this language problem. Regardless of school and community, if teachers
cannot effectively communicate to their students, then no learning can take
place.

During the last quarter in 2013, there were calls for student to have
knowledge of another language. The head of the tourist transportation
sector called for "students to study a second language". The president of
the hotel and tourist association endorsed the concept with her call for
"foreign language promotion in the schools". It was during that same period
that an office related to the Ministry of Tourism announced its programme
to teach Spanish and Russian languages to workers in the tourism sector
(Observer, November 25, 2013). In more recent days there is a call from a
business concern about the lack of linguistic qualities and its hindrance
to foreign investments. This instrumental approach to language acquisition
is dangerous. We all welcome these discussions, but while there has always
been the concern for the learning of another language, there has been no
nationwide recognition that there is, at first, the goal to teach English
Language so that most Jamaicans, Patois-speaking Jamaicans, can learn it.
This is at the heart of the problem. Many people confuse the teaching of
English as a second language with the teaching of Patois. The call is for
the former. It was at last year's Super Bowl there was a popular
celebration of that VW ad. The white American who spoke the "Jamaican
language" in that ad was invited to Jamaica. He was lauded locally.

In a recent article celebrating Tessanne's victory, the writer argues that
the discussion "on English centres on poor performance of so many Jamaican
students". The writer asserts that that, while it is good to push for the
universal acceptance of Patois, and while it is worthwhile to study it, "we
cannot afford to do this to the detriment of English Language". This is
indeed a gross misconception of the problem laced with elite views of
Patois. On the heels of this statement came the minister of education with
the fool's gold of having an oral component in English examinations. It is
important that observers do not confuse the issue of teaching Patois with
that of teaching English as a second language to Patois speakers. Secondly,
it is most important that there is official recognition for Patois as that
language of majority of the Jamaican people, the black masses. Thirdly, the
oral component works for French and Spanish because those courses provide
the "rules of the game" to students who do not speak those languages. So,
they are not taught those languages under the assumption that they speak
them. In these cases the oral component is useful. English is taught under
the assumption that the students speak the language. If they cannot be
communicated within the schools then no proper learning will take place. So
this is why the discussion on English Language is usually associated with
poor academic performance. We speak about Singapore and its successes. In
that state, English is taught as a second language to its many 'dialect'
speakers.

Yes, there are many European and other countries where English is taught.
It is taught in those areas as a second language and not under the
assumption that they speak it. The politicians know very well that the
dominant language in Jamaica is Patois. They know very well that English
cannot serve them effectively on the platforms when they are in campaign
mode. In fact, one young political leader, while in the Ministry of
Education, chided the radio stations for their presentations in Patois. His
stage appearance was rooted in that language which he speaks, but no one
could understand him. So, he saw the light and is now raising hell with
Patois on the platforms of his political meetings.

Most recently, there was this report of by the minister of education
correlating levels of imprisonment with certain school which inspired a
huge outcry. The report was not one of causation, but association. I wonder
if the researchers looked at the communities from which those subjects
emerged, and also their social and economic backgrounds, all of which are
associated with huge cultural deficits in those students. One of those
cultural deficits is the language. The schools on a whole have not been
able to reach those students; communication has not been effective. As far
as I am concerned, the language problem is associated with this huge
problem of certain schools' attendees ending up in criminality and
violence. Where is the reasoning and the proper decision-making approach?

A few years ago I was in Grant's Pen. I asked a little boy, no more than
nine years old to perform the latest "deejay music". He reeled off a few in
minutes, not missing a beat nor a word. I said his ability to recall is
strong. He was at that time not so strong in his schoolwork. The deejay
communicated to him effectively because they speak the same language. If we
all agree that it is important for our students to learn English, the
language for education and the global workplace, then we must agree that it
must be taught so the majority of students can learn it in order for
learning to take place. This is the core of the problem concerning poor
academic performance among Jamaica students.

Mr Minister, your new policy of oral component in English is certainly not
related to the problem of teaching English language to Patois speakers
unless that language is taught as a second language. It is the only
sensible thing to do. This is a matter concerning human rights to ignore
the majority of people in this country and the language that they speak.
Where is Jamaicans For Justice? Where is the public defender?

*thearchives01 at yahoo.com <thearchives01 at yahoo.com>*

*http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Education-and-the-discriminatory-language-policy_15896188
<http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Education-and-the-discriminatory-language-policy_15896188>*

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