My people, e don clear say Federal Government no ban indigenous languages for our schools. Na so Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa talk am as e go on top interview for ARISE News.
As dem drop the gist, Alausa explain say dem no stop people from speaking their languages; wetin dem talk na say make we fit meet up with national exams wey dey happen for English. Dis move go help our pikin no dey lag behind when dem dey face exams like WAEC, NECO, and JAMB.
Dr Alausa dey reason am say e good to use mother tongue for school to help pikin learn, but as Africa we get plenty different languages – 646 to be precise! E mean say we gatz find balance. E mention say students go still take one native language for primary, junior, and senior secondary school. So, no be say dem don wipe our languages comot!
But no be everybody dey gree for dis new waka, oh! One educationist wey name na Anthony Otaigbe, don talk say dis move na big step backward for Nigerian education system. E talk say e go make some languages fade away if we no careful.
The Bible Society of Nigeria even don join mouth talk say dem dey worry say some languages don already dey die because dem no dey use am well again. Alausa come talk say the old policy wey say make we use indigenous languages try to work, but na for some areas dem dey carry am follow. Southwest no implement am, Southeast and South-South no join too, but na the North where e dey happen small small.
E still add say dem originally set dis policy to last only for Primary One to Primary Three, after that, make dem change to English. Na wetin dem suppose do be dat, but somehow some areas don dey overdo am! Kids dey learn up to primary six with their native tongue, but when dem reach to face national exams, wetin dem go do?
Dr Alausa dey remind us say e dey important make our pikin no carry last for literacy and numeracy matter. E don show say areas wey dey over-implement dis policy dey lag behind regions wey dey follow standard. Na wetin dem dey try adjust now, so that children go dey ready to compete globally.
So, make we no carry our languages go where dem no go fit follow us well. We suppose dey proud of our languages, hold dem well, but we gatz fit balance am with the global standards. Na so e be.
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