MPs want local languages at schools

Lawmakers have underscored the importance of teaching local languages in schools to foster inclusivity, comprehension, and national unity. During a debate on promoting the development of previously marginalized languages, several legislators voiced their support for integrating local languages into the education system.

Bubi legislator Elizabeth Masuku highlighted the significance of teaching local languages for inclusivity, stating, "When these languages are integrated into the education system, we create an environment whereby every child feels seen and valued." She also noted that understanding and retaining concepts is more efficient when taught in one's native language.

Rushinga legislator Barbra Thompson emphasized that promoting local languages fosters national unity, calling it a cornerstone for inclusivity in a diverse society.

Beitbridge East legislator Sithabiswe Moyo stressed the importance of local languages for cultural preservation, arguing that children raised without knowledge of their mother language would struggle to understand their cultural principles.

The discussion comes in the wake of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's recent dismissal of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science, and Technology Development deputy minister Simelisizwe Sibanda. Sibanda was fired for his remarks against the deployment of a non-Ndebele-speaking teacher to a school in his Bubi constituency, demanding the transfer of an early childhood development teacher who did not speak Ndebele, the area's mother tongue.