31 Oct 2017

The Assistant Minister of Basic Education has said government has no plans to introduce indigenous languages in the education curriculum.

Responding to a motion at Ntlo ya Dikgosi, tabled by Kgosi Rapelang Khuwe of Tutume region which called for government to consider teaching in indigenous languages at primary schools, Assistant Minister Mr Moiseraele Goya highlighted that although research has proven that children learn easily when addressed on their indigenous language, only two languages being Setswana and English were currently used as medium of instruction at government schools. 

Mr Goya stated that as per recommendation of the revised national policy on education commonly known as The Kedikilwe commission,  schools are urged to make arrangements to teach local languages as a core curriculum activity.

The recommendation he said was however deferred as its implementation could result in undue pressure on schools to offer the various local languages spoken in Botswana and the schools may also lack the capacity to teach the languages in terms of personnel rightful teaching materials.

He said the recommendation was also contrary to the national language policy.

Mr Goya cautioned that there are practical and logistical challenges associated with the use of indigenous languages as a medium of reception which includes implications on the training and posting of teachers, the production of training materials in all languages as well as increased specialists to put positive input on the curriculum. He said local teacher aids and community members are however engaged to reduce language barriers in communities where indigenous languages are more dominant than  Setswana or English. 

He highlighted that teacher aids are engaged on students between the ages of three and eight as it is the absorbent stage in child development where children learn quickly and could  adapt rapidly.

His ministry he said, is currently sensitising teachers on the issue of diversity when delivering the curriculum and schools are also encouraged to engage the communities in the areas of primary schooling as volunteer translators.

 In addition, Mr Goya stated that his ministry has introduced a pre-primary programme in about 480 schools by far, which is assisting learners to learn Setswana through play prior to formal primary school education.

He said government does not completely shun the use of indigenous languages in school but it will however be faced with a mammoth task if it was to implement such a programme which is primarily motivated by lack of resources.

 Further Mr Goya cautioned that the teaching of indigenous languages in schools might promote tribalism in the country and  pose a major threat to national unity. The use of Setswana or English in schools, he said was primarily for unifying and creating a common understanding within all Batswana.

Meanwhile, when arguing his motion, Kgosi Khuwe noted that the use of indigenous language in primary school will have positive direct input in the  education sector as students will be able to fully grasp the knowledge as it will be  presented in a language they are fully conversant with.

 Kgosi Khuwe noted that a lot of students particularly   in rural areas where Setswana is not their mother tongue end up performing badly as schools due to the language barrier between students and their teachers. BOPA