.jpeg)
Part of the highlights of the policy which was approved by
the Federal Executive Council in 2022 is the use of the mother tongue as the
language of instruction in primary schools across the country.
The Deputy Director of the NERDC, Garba Gandu, presented the
framework to stakeholders at a two-day dialogue on “Reading Initiative in the
UBE Programme and the Use of Mother Tongue/Language of Immediate Environment as
Medium of Instruction.”
He said the framework, approved by the National Council on
Education (NCE), will regulate and serve as a critical guide to learning
activities in Nigeria.
“The commitment of the policy outlines a roadmap for
implementation that national, state, and local actors, as well as development
partners, must follow over the next decade for Nigeria to join the rank of
high-performing countries in reading,” he said.
He, however, noted that the implementation of the framework
depends on each state, as they govern the schools in their respective states.
Mr Gandu said the council has drafted implementation
guidelines for fast-tracking the implementation of the policy.
“We will be working hand in hand with the stakeholders for
the effective implementation of the framework and we will ensure effective
coordination and building of strong partnerships, which we believe are crucial
to the implementation of the National Language Policy at the basic education
level.”
UBEC ES speaks
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic
Education Commission (UBEC), Hammid Bobboyi, said the use of the mother tongue
in schools is critical to productive citizenship, national cohesion, peace, and
prosperity.
Mr Boboyi said if the learning crisis is not addressed, it
would hinder Nigeria from achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He said the use of the mother tongue or language of the
immediate environment as a medium of instruction is good for the future of
Nigeria, as it will ease learning at the basic level, improve research, and
subsequently aid the development of the economy.
“Fundamental learning is critical to the development of
productive citizenship, sustainable development, national cohesion, peace and
prosperity. Therefore, the call for dialogue on these important issues cannot
be overemphasised,” he said.
Quoting from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), he said: “Three out of four children
of basic education age one to 14 years in Nigeria, cannot read a text with
understanding or solve simple mathematics problems.”
He, therefore, urged stakeholders at the dialogue to
“discuss and come up with actionable steps that would not only help UBEC but
all stakeholders in addressing the situation.”
He said despite several interventions by the Nigerian
government, state governments, and international development partners to
address the issue, the challenge remains.
Mr Bobboyi said: “Several factors, such as lack of access to
instructional materials, especially on the language of the immediate
environment, poor teaching quality, insufficient parental guidance, and
lackadaisical attitude of states towards implementing the language policy on
the use of the mother tongue or language of the immediate environment as a
medium of instruction in the lower classes in basic education, are responsible
for this.”
He added that there is a need for commitment from all
stakeholders to overcome the challenges, especially training of teachers in the
local languages.
Challenges
The Executive Secretary of Nigeria Educational Research and
Development Council (NERDC), Ismail Junaidu, in his address, called for the
implementation of the National Language Policy in the Nigerian curriculum
framework.
He noted that the policy approved in 2022 prescribes the use
of the mother tongue or the language of the immediate environment as a medium
of instruction in basic schools for teaching up to primary six.
While stating that no language should be left out, he
lamented the apathy and lack of political will, as well as a shortage of
language teachers, low capacity, and inadequate funds to implement the policy.
He, however, called on relevant bodies to intensify
sensitisation, produce more instructional materials, build the capacity of
teachers and implementing partners, and ensure partnerships between agencies
and development partners for proper implementation of the policy.
Those that participated in the dialogue include the United
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Bank, British Council, Aid for Rural
Education Access Initiative (AREAi), Bayero University Centre for Reading,
USAID: Learn-to-Read, Jolly Phonics, and Ayuda (A Special Needs Foundation).
.jpeg)
.jpeg & description=UBEC, NERDC Move to Implement National Language Policy for Basic Education){kind=link}
0 comments:
Post a Comment