Ndebele ban reports dismissed

MATABELELAND North Provincial Education Director (PED) Boitathelo Mguni has dismissed media reports that the Binga Rural District Council (BRDC) has banned the teaching of IsiNdebele in local schools saying the move was not in line with the country's education policies.

On Friday last week the BRDC shocked all and sundry by passing a council resolution banning the teaching of IsiNdebele after the community had allegedly raised concerns that the teaching of Tonga alongside IsiNdebele stifled its development and the preservation of the culture of the Tonga people.

Tonga received official language status in the country's new constitution last year alongside Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Ndebele, Shangani, Shona, sign language, Sotho, Tswana, Venda and Xhosa.

The previous constitution recognised only Ndebele, Shona and English and compelled the education curricula to encompass these languages as examinable subjects in schools.

In areas where previously marginalised languages are taught in schools, they are educated alongside Ndebele or Shona, a development which threatens efforts to equate their status with Ndebele and Shona.
But Matabeleland North provincial education boss Mguni scoffed at the reports that the teaching of IsiNdebele had banned in Binga saying the language will still be taught in Binga schools because it was part of the country's wide curriculum.

"I am not privy to developments in Binga regards the banning of the teaching of IsiNdebele but what I can say is that if media reports are anything to go by the word ban cannot be used because no one can ban a language from being taught in any area in Zimbabwe," said Mguni.

"The education curriculum is not run by Binga Rural District Council but the Ministry of Education because it is a curriculum which affects everyone in Zimbabwe," added Mguni.

Mguni also said schools have a wide curriculum to follow comprising up to 15 subjects hence banning a subject which is in the national curriculum was out of context.

"Our education system has a wide curriculum which gives anyone the right to choice but chosing which subject will be examined doesn't mean other subjects cannot be taught in schools," advised Mguni.
Mguni who sounded calm over an issue which might spill to Parly said she had not received any communication from the local authority hence isiNdebele would be taught tomorrow as schools open for the third.  

Tonga language is widely spoken in Binga but it is also spoken in Hwange, Gokwe North in the Midlands and parts of Nyaminyami district in Mashonaland West. It was first examined at grade 7 in 2011 and plans to have it examined at ordinary level have been mooted.

Although Mguni downplayed the matter its intensity cannot be underrated since the meeting was also attended by outspoken Tonga language rights advocate Senator Chief Siansali and Chief Sikalenge.