Learning sciences in local languages: now is the time

Let's talk about the philosophy of natural sciences. The mention of the word philosophy frightens many a people. Philosophy requires deep thought. Because the average person dislikes cranking his own mind, he would rather immerse his mind in such effortless subjects like soccer, prophesy and betting. Philosophy enriches the mind the same way exercise strengthens the body. Philosophy is largely viewed as a subject for the few knowledge savvy people. Interestingly, every person uses products of philosophy daily-unknowingly though. We are governed by the laws of science everyday. Science is a product of philosophy. Did you not use electricity today? Did you not use an engine to drive to work today? Did you not survive many possible crashes because of the brake pedal today? Are you not reading this article on a screen that can change colors at the slightest command?

The laws of light, color, inertia, gravity and many other science laws were discovered by deep thinking philosophers whose minds saw beyond the sight limits of the common mind. It is interesting though that the majority if not all these philosophers learnt their trades using their very own languages. Only this morning I was engaged in a very animated debate on the subject of teaching sciences in vernacular. It was a struggle pitting skeptics against optimists, with the latter trailing way behind in opinion.

Skeptics weighed into the debate with such sharp points as to the definite difficulty in finding the correct names for certain scientific nouns, terms and verbs. Minds quickly congregated on how really photosynthesis and the periodic table of elements can be named. How about chlorofluorocarbons? Or hydrotetrachromethane? Looking at these makes the whole attempt impossible!

Philosophy involves the ability to think the unthinkable. Impossibility exists more in the mind than outside. Lazarus Dokora is a doctor of philosophy. It reflects that in his mind there is openness about the impossibility of impossibility. His decision must be inspired by the Nziramasanga recommendations on the curriculum. Nziramasanga was also a doctor of philosophy.

Imagine yourself being a neighbor of Isaac Newton in 1700. What verdict would the village give upon his report that he is seeing things that the rest of the village cannot see? This scenario is one that would make a tsikamutanda handy. Philosophy borders on the impossibilities which it converts to possibility. All countries that have managed to send spacecrafts into orbit learn sciences in their own languages. Never mind the trouble they faced in converting the Pythagoras theorem from Greek to theirs.

Language is a wonderful art given to mankind by God. For every word in Greek, there is a French equivalent, so must there be a Korekore one too albeit the matching challenges. Language helps people express life and nature. We cannot fail to develop ourselves because of fear of creativity. Until and unless we develop indigenous knowledge systems, we cannot be inventers of anything that can change the course of history.

It may be interesting to discover some day that certain phenomena that Africa indentifies as witchcraft is not witchcraft at all but pure natural sciences which Africans are failing to teach each other into useful industrial processes. Without full knowledge, characters like Benjamin Franklin could have been stoned to death in Sharia communities for witchcraft on claiming and proving the power of invisible electricity. Indigenous knowledge systems are powerful tools through which humankind can develop itself.

In 1990, the Internet was unknown, neither was the word. With it came data bundles, Wi-Fi, VOIP and many other new names that necessity demanded. Learning using a second language gives the learner the burden of comprehending the language ahead of comprehending the concept taught. In the dual process of language and concept learning, a considerable amount of information is lost. Once the learner is faced with the hurdle of comprehending the language, it is doubtless that the outcome of that process will have diminishing returns.

Government's gallant decision to attempt teaching sciences in indigenous languages is plausible. Skeptics are going to get ammunition from the difficulty the process is going to get but far seeing optimists whose eyes see beyond generations will see the positives in the horizon. With this kind of thinking, we will have far fewer people accused of witchcraft, industry will be able to reap some considerable rewards from the so called witchcraft industry and the country will be open to world famous scientific rewards. Let's go vernacular.