Nigeria to Promote Indigenous Language in Primary School

     Last week, I read an article about an educator in Fiji who wanted to bring English language labs into classrooms so that people in Fiji would be more successful. This article entitled, Indigenous Languages as tools for Technological Advancement by Iyabo Lawal, is saying that they should hold off on teaching Nigerian students English because it’s stunting their possible development in the areas of math and technology. The Education Department of Nigeria wants their children to be more successful in the area of mathematics and science at the primary school level. Many are saying that teaching of these subjects should be in the children’s mother language.

     In Nigeria, students do not speak English as their first language in the home; however, they are being taught their courses such as mathematics and Science in the primary classrooms in English. According to their scholars this is causing problems with “primary school dropouts in the country, 40 to 60 per cent is traceable to premature introduction of English as a language of instruction, poorly trained teachers and inadequate teaching and learning facilities”. Students did not understand what they were being taught because it was in a foreign language to them. This article states that India had adopted a similar strategy of teaching math and science in the indigenous language at the primary levels and they are now a technology powerhouse.

    There are some challenges to these proposed changes.  For example, the indigenous languages may not have the vocabulary to cover these technological topics. Also, their teachers may not know the mother tongues in the community of the school that they are teaching in. Also, there may be several indigenous languages in larger school districts. In this case, which language would the school teach in?

     This article raises some interesting discussion points. Many countries teach English in schools because they believe that it will help their citizens in the world marketplace.  The education department in Nigeria is literally saying that teaching their children English at the primary level in place of their indigenous language is frustrating them and keeping them from make advances. As educators, we hear many arguments for introducing second languages at an early age. This is an argument against that practice. This article points out the importance of having first language education only at the primary level.