News / Local
Call to give preference to local languages
23 Apr 2012 at 04:22hrs | Views
Bulawayo residents have appealed to the Government to craft an education policy, which would compel schools and learning institutions in each province to give preference to local languages.
Speaking at an education conference at the Large City Hall on Saturday afternoon, residents said they were concerned about the future of their children who were now being taught in Shona at the expense of isiNdebele.
The residents challenged legislators to come up with a law that would ensure that learning institutions give preference to local language in each province. They suggested that the Government should introduce zoning and quota systems in the education sector.
The conference was organised by the Bulawayo Progressive Residents' Association and was attended by hundreds of residents from the city's 29 wards, with local academics being guest speakers.
The residents said they were concerned about the future of their children who were being taught by people who could not speak the local language at primary school. They said this could destroy local languages.
"Why is Hillside Teachers' College teaching Shona? Is there a policy which allows that? Our children are being taught by people who cannot even speak isiNdebele. Go even to rural areas like Nkayi, you would find a teacher who does not know IsiNdebele teaching a Grade One class and abantwana kabezwa lutho. Let us have a quota system, if this is allowed on gender issues why not on education?" said a resident.
Another said, "There is a need for the zoning system because we wonder why a school would enroll a child from another region leaving the one from the local region. Why can we not have a policy which says every school in Matabeleland should teach Ndebele and the same applies to other provinces?"
Other residents felt the Government should assist that institutions of higher learning start training programmes that would empower people from the region.
"One wonders why our local universities, Nust, Lupane and the proposed Gwanda State University cannot offer law studies when such a sector is critical in the day-to-day lives of people. We just say we have Nust when our children are not even going there because our schools do not offer science subjects.
Another resident said: "Schools in our region were destroyed during the war and in 1980s and nothing has been done to revive them and our children are expected to compete with those from areas whose schools have been continuously upgraded. What is the Government doing in terms of dilapidated infrastructure in our schools?"
The residents said MPs from Matabeleland should take it upon themselves to assess the state of schools in the region.
"Legislators know that our schools do not offer science subjects because they have no infrastructure. What are they doing when it comes to enrolment both in schools and tertiary institutions when other areas are developing themselves? We challenge them to do something now to improve our education," said a resident.
In response, Dr Samukele Hadebe, an educationist and former senior lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe's Department of African Languages said there was nothing bad about institutions of learning teaching other languages. This view drew voices of disapproval from the audience.
However, in his presentation earlier, he had concurred with residents that there was a need for an overhaul of the education policy to promote local communities.
Mr Pathisa Nyathi, a writer and scholar said there was a need for a holistic approach and constant monitoring of the education sector.
"We now know where the problem is and what is missing is lobbying and advocacy so that we know where to transform policy and how to lobby. The civil society realised this late to say we need a policy compelling schools to teach local languages in each area," said Mr Nyathi.
He challenged the people of Matabeleland to "learn to talk as one voice, yikho okulibulalayo ukubhonga lisezixukwini".
Mr Gorden Moyo challenged local writers to document the history of the region to improve education and parents to send children to school.
"There is no reason why children should stay at home and not go to school. Even poverty is not a reason why we should not send our children to school," he said.
Plumtree Town Secretary, Mr Davis Dumezweni Luthe, said education is a governance issue and urged people to work for it.
He encouraged people to work closely with their leaders to make sure they benefit from available programmes.
"Some programmes like the Basic Education Assistance Module are not cascading to the people on the ground and there is a need for a mechanism that does not politicise such programmes. As residents, let us strengthen our structures on the ground so that we understand every policy to be able to benefit," he said.
Speaking at an education conference at the Large City Hall on Saturday afternoon, residents said they were concerned about the future of their children who were now being taught in Shona at the expense of isiNdebele.
The residents challenged legislators to come up with a law that would ensure that learning institutions give preference to local language in each province. They suggested that the Government should introduce zoning and quota systems in the education sector.
The conference was organised by the Bulawayo Progressive Residents' Association and was attended by hundreds of residents from the city's 29 wards, with local academics being guest speakers.
The residents said they were concerned about the future of their children who were being taught by people who could not speak the local language at primary school. They said this could destroy local languages.
"Why is Hillside Teachers' College teaching Shona? Is there a policy which allows that? Our children are being taught by people who cannot even speak isiNdebele. Go even to rural areas like Nkayi, you would find a teacher who does not know IsiNdebele teaching a Grade One class and abantwana kabezwa lutho. Let us have a quota system, if this is allowed on gender issues why not on education?" said a resident.
Another said, "There is a need for the zoning system because we wonder why a school would enroll a child from another region leaving the one from the local region. Why can we not have a policy which says every school in Matabeleland should teach Ndebele and the same applies to other provinces?"
Other residents felt the Government should assist that institutions of higher learning start training programmes that would empower people from the region.
"One wonders why our local universities, Nust, Lupane and the proposed Gwanda State University cannot offer law studies when such a sector is critical in the day-to-day lives of people. We just say we have Nust when our children are not even going there because our schools do not offer science subjects.
Another resident said: "Schools in our region were destroyed during the war and in 1980s and nothing has been done to revive them and our children are expected to compete with those from areas whose schools have been continuously upgraded. What is the Government doing in terms of dilapidated infrastructure in our schools?"
"Legislators know that our schools do not offer science subjects because they have no infrastructure. What are they doing when it comes to enrolment both in schools and tertiary institutions when other areas are developing themselves? We challenge them to do something now to improve our education," said a resident.
In response, Dr Samukele Hadebe, an educationist and former senior lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe's Department of African Languages said there was nothing bad about institutions of learning teaching other languages. This view drew voices of disapproval from the audience.
However, in his presentation earlier, he had concurred with residents that there was a need for an overhaul of the education policy to promote local communities.
Mr Pathisa Nyathi, a writer and scholar said there was a need for a holistic approach and constant monitoring of the education sector.
"We now know where the problem is and what is missing is lobbying and advocacy so that we know where to transform policy and how to lobby. The civil society realised this late to say we need a policy compelling schools to teach local languages in each area," said Mr Nyathi.
He challenged the people of Matabeleland to "learn to talk as one voice, yikho okulibulalayo ukubhonga lisezixukwini".
Mr Gorden Moyo challenged local writers to document the history of the region to improve education and parents to send children to school.
"There is no reason why children should stay at home and not go to school. Even poverty is not a reason why we should not send our children to school," he said.
Plumtree Town Secretary, Mr Davis Dumezweni Luthe, said education is a governance issue and urged people to work for it.
He encouraged people to work closely with their leaders to make sure they benefit from available programmes.
"Some programmes like the Basic Education Assistance Module are not cascading to the people on the ground and there is a need for a mechanism that does not politicise such programmes. As residents, let us strengthen our structures on the ground so that we understand every policy to be able to benefit," he said.
Source - TC
