- Charges Kwara govt to adopt policy
A leading Pro-Democracy group, Kwara Must Change has commended the Lagos state government for introducing mandatory test of Yoruba knowledge into its academic syllabus, especially for primary and junior secondary school students.
Kwara Must Change said that indigenous language is a thinking language for all human race and it is a sign of progress and acceptance of human reality that Lagos state has fully embraced and became symbol of African mental freedom.
In a statement by the Convener of Kwara Must Change, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, the group said that all states in Nigeria should follow the footsteps of Lagos in adopting indigenous language as a means of acquiring, testing and disseminating knowledge to primary and junior secondary school students.
According to Hamzat, adopting indigenous language in teaching and testing knowledge aid learning proficiency and eliminate unnecessary barriers posed by foreign languages, especially English currently being used as the only means of learning in Nigeria.
Hamzat explained that, almost all mechanics in Nigeria can dismantle and couple vehicle engines without speaking English, whereas, most mechanical engineers, including professors who can speak English may hardly do the same. Same with electricians, welders etc.
“Inability to speak English cannot prevent people from learning and understanding and it is a great sign of mental freedom to embrace your own indigenous language as a language of learning in the formative of years to enhance comprehension ” Hamzat said.
Recall that the Lagos State Government approved Yoruba Language as a subject for testing the knowledge and thinking ability of Pupils sitting for the Placement Test by Continuous Assessment Scores CAS) in the State.
The Lagos State government noted that the study of Yoruba Language is already embedded in the Education Curriculum of the State, adding that primary six pupils transiting to Government Public Junior Secondary Schools would be tested in Yoruba Language in the Year 2025 placement test by Continuous Assessment Scores (CAS).
It also noted that UNESCO had adopted the Motion/Policy of using the child’s language environment in schools until the child gets to primary three in his/her education career to strengthen the teaching and learning of the child’s indigenous language.
Kwara Must Change therefore urges the Kwara State government to adopt this policy in the state, as part of the ongoing reforms in the education sector.
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