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
