By SITEMBILE SIWAWA
GOVERNMENT says the introduction of
local languages as a medium of instruction in schools is likely to reduce on the
number of drop-outs once the Education Curriculum Framework comes into effect.
Speaking in an interview, Education deputy permanent secretary Christine Mayondi
said the education sector is less likely to have drop-outs as pupils will be
able to demonstrate what they know, ask questions and participate.
"Recent
research suggests that children learn to read faster if they speak the language
of instruction because they already have a source of vocabulary knowledge of
language construction," Ms Mayondi said.
Ms Mayondi said the introduction of
local languages as a medium of instruction will also prevent local languages
from dying.
She said local languages reinforce the learners' self- esteem by
validating their cultural identity and their home culture and traditional
knowledge are enhanced.
"When you kill a language, so many facets associated
with a people disappear with the language and we all have a duty to preserve our
languages," she said.
Ms Mayondi said the Medium of Instruction Policy will be
there for teaching initial literacy from pre-school to grade four and is an
effort to enhance learning achievements in learners in all areas in early
education and lower primary.
"This year, the new curriculum is being piloted in
selected schools in all districts and come January 2014, the new curriculum will
be implemented in both government and private schools," she said.
She said the
policy will first be rolled out to grade ones next year and in 2015 it will move
to grade two and five, which is a point of entry for upper primary.
In 2016 it
moves to grades 3 and six and 2017 to grade four and seven covering the whole
primary education.
"It will be a gradual process because there is a lot involved
like preparing learning materials for all grades," she said.
And Inspire
Children's Academy founding director Mubita Nawa has welcomed the move by
Government to introduce local languages as a medium of instruction.
"It is good
to have our children taught in local languages because they will learn about
their culture and languages and have an identity," Mr Nawa said.
However, Mr
Nawa said inasmuch as the policy has been brought to the fore, it remains
cardinal for parents to be involved as they are the major stakeholders because
most of them do not allow their children to speak local languages.
He said
parents who do not like their children to be taught or spoken to in local
languages will be a hindrance to policy adherence.
"We have a situation where
parents only want their children to learn languages like Spanish and French to
broaden their academic performance and so this will be the major obstacle we
will face once the policy is implemented," he said.
He has appealed to
Government to explain which specific languages will be used in schools as there
are 73 tribes in Zambia.
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