28 Feb 2021

Language policy on education is being developed to promote the use of mother tongue in schools.

Answering a question in Parliament on February 25, Vice President, Mr Slumber Tsogwane said this was part of the ruling party 2019 General Elections Manifesto.

The VP said as part of the preparatory work on the development of the policy, the Ministry of Basic Education in collaboration with the Department of African Languages at the University of Botswana organised a seminar in March last year to solicit the views with regard to the use of mother tongue in schools.

He said the participants included representatives from the parliamentary committee on education, representatives of various languages advocacy groups, trade unions, UNICEF and EU as well as select teachers at lower primary level.

Mr Tsogwane said the seminar conducted a fact-finding survey to ensure the introduction of mother tongue would be informed by realities on the ground.

He said an implementation plan would be presented before government for consideration and be brought before Parliament during the 2021/22 financial year.

The vice president said the policy was one of the recommendations of the 1994 Revised Policy on Education and the ETSPP.

He further said the teaching aides had been engaged in some parts of the country to assist learners in lower primary schools with their indigenous languages.

Vice President Tsogwane further said the use of mother tongue in schools required extensive preparation to attain the intended objectives.

Some of the languages that had developed their orthographies include iKalanga, Afrikaans, Chimbukushu and Seyeyi while orthographies for other languages are to be developed.

Member of Parliament for Ngami, Caterpillar Hikuama had asked the vice president to state the government’s position and readiness regarding the teaching of minority languages in schools as promised by the Ministry of Basic Education and for their inclusion in socio-economic and political spheres of life in Botswana. ENDS