Teaching in mother tongues begins in 2003

By Catherine Ntabadde THE Ministry of Education and Sports is to introduce the teaching of mother tongue languages and using them as a medium of instruction in 2003. The head of department of languages and linguistics, National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) Geraldine Bukenya made the announcement recently during a workshop at Nsambya. She said that Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) for mother tongue languages will start in 2008. Bukenya also announced that a new primary school syllabus spelling out the teaching of mother languages to be taught has been published but only await official launching. The workshop organised by Makerere University Institute of Languages and Ekitebe Ky’orulimui Orunyoro-Orutooro was aimed at reviewing and updating existing orthography books. Bukenya said that the district language boards were given three years starting last year to organise acquisition of mother tongue teaching materials. “District language boards have to organise acquisition of mother tongue teaching materials. Teachers have to be ready for full scale teaching in January 2003,” she said. She urged the six districts which speak Runyoro-Rutooro to immediately establish a six district language board. Bukenya noted that NCDC, Kyambogo issued a circular in 1998 asking district education officers in Uganda to establish language boards but there has been no response. “NCDC issued yearly reminders but to date only one district has so far established a language board,” Bukenya said.