Teaching is not only for academic excellence

Mar 10, 2008

I wish to respond to Fagil Mandy’s article in the New Vision of March 3 titled, “Teaching in vernacular won’t solve problems.” Whereas it is true that fluency in English is one of the reasons why students in urban schools perform better than their rural counterparts in national examinations,

Robert Isingoma

I wish to respond to Fagil Mandy’s article in the New Vision of March 3 titled, “Teaching in vernacular won’t solve problems.” Whereas it is true that fluency in English is one of the reasons why students in urban schools perform better than their rural counterparts in national examinations, it is also true that what developing countries like Uganda need is not education in English or vernacular for academic excellence.

The question should be about education for sustainability.

It may be good to focus on which languages to use in day to day teaching to enhance pupils’ academic performance. But it is more important for Ugandans, especially educationists, to start discussing and advocating a teaching language that enhances pupils’ values, attitudes, behavioural change and action competences.

Education in whatever language that prepares a child to perform well in class by passing theoretical and examinations, without equipping the learner with appropriate skills with which to exploit his/her environment for sustainable livelihoods, is not the education that Uganda requires today.

Therefore, for one to advocate English or vernacular as a teaching language in primary schools, she or he must consider which language can best evoke the child’s creativity, reflective and critical thinking, articulation of issues, discovery of personal competencies, or which language can best enhance societal values, attitudes and behaviour in a child at that tender age.

The Eco-Community School Programme Uganda Chapter (CECOD) in its endeavour to promote Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is convinced that what Uganda needs now is not teaching in vernacular or English to pass examinations but to teach pupils in vernacular or English for sustainability. Therefore, we should focus on the type of education we need than debating what language to use in primary schools.

In December 2002, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 57/254 proclaiming the period 2005-2014 the Decade on Education for Sustainable Development (DESD). The declaration invites all Member States including Uganda to have Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) mainstreamed in their educational plans and systems.

CECOD Uganda challenges opinion leaders, policy makers, the civil society and all stakeholders to embrace the ESD decade and overhaul Uganda’s education system for the benefit our children and the future generation.

The writer is the Programmes Director of CECOD Uganda

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