It is a fact and said that if children learn in their mother tongue, they can learn better and faster, they can understand easily and avoid delays in learning. They will also highly develop self- confidence as well.
Obviously, education’s main aim is to strengthen the individuals and societies’ problem-solving culture at all levels. Its general objectives are to develop the physical and mental potential and the problem-solving capacity of individuals and bring up citizens who respect human rights and stand for the well-being of people, as well as for equality, justice and peace.
Recently, the Ministry of Education had carried out National Conference on Curriculum Reform in Ethiopia. Cambridge Assessment International Education Review stated that about 70 percent of learners responding to surveys for the review specified that equality, justice and peace were very important. A specific objective is to recognize the rights of nations- nationalities to learn in their own language, while at the same time providing one language for national and another one for international communication.
The analysis of capacity and capability as part of the review raises concerns about the point at which English-medium instruction is introduced. The language policy allows room for states to decide when to transition to English medium instruction.
Decisions about transition to English medium instruction also have an impact on teacher training and resources. Some schools in the system, for example, private schools, may move to English or other languages earlier than the policy states, which has a knock-on effect on the development of mother tongue languages.
Languages are the subjects most frequently selected as a favorite subject by learners. English and Amharic are also the subjects most frequently selected by learners as a least favorite subject.
It further said that consistent approaches across three languages: mother tongue, national language and international language lead to coherence in terms of language skill across the curriculum. This includes strengthening links to other subjects and developing subject-specific vocabulary in an interconnected way. It would require consistent use of language across all subjects.
Moreover, the document states that the range of languages used in Ethiopian education represents a logistical and curriculum challenge. Supporting the range of mother tongue languages used as medium of instruction in primary schools exposes variation in the challenge of acquiring and developing skills in the different languages.
The Education Roadmap is making recommendations about which languages should be used at which stage. This review recommends preparing for this decision and the new curriculum by developing a common framework for language development to coordinate the coherent and consistent development of all language curricula and supplementary materials. Language curriculum needs to have a strong foundation in storytelling, reading in pre-primary and throughout primary to impact on student achievement.
There should also be a coherent approach to all languages. Reform of the curriculum will need to be allied with steps to strengthening teaching and materials in all required languages, up skilling teacher capacity and understanding of language teaching. This would be supported by a wider policy on the place and purpose of different languages in the Ethiopian education system.
It further said that maintaining the dominant position of language and literacy in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) and primary is proper. Literacy is one of the five learning areas in the existing kindergarten programs and in primary 11-13 periods out of 30 are allocated to languages every week. A focus on language and literacy in pre-primary enables learners to engage in deepening their learning.
For example, learners should be asked to articulate their thoughts, feelings and ideas orally, exploring these in greater depth in response to questions, prompts and reflective comments from the teacher. A new curriculum should maintain this focus on language in early grades whatever decisions are made about language of instruction. Language and literacy should also be the focus for users of sign language.
There are diverse mother tongue languages in Ethiopia and it is expected that all learners will additionally learn in Amharic and English. The Education Roadmap is making recommendation about the grades at which learners will learn in Amharic and English and the earliest possible introduction of Amharic and English will facilitate transition at any grade provided trained language teachers are available. The provision of a framework will coordinate the coherent and consistent development of all language curricula. This will ensure that transitions can be based on common understanding of levels of competency in all languages, it stated.
Importantly, the language curriculum needs to have a strong foundation in oral storytelling and reading in pre¬primary and throughout primary to impact on learner attainment. The focus on reading includes developing positive attitudes to reading and access to reading materials of interest and relevance to learners (e.g. covering cross-cutting themes).
Reform of the curriculum will need to be allied with steps to strengthen teaching and materials in all required languages, up skilling teacher capacity and understanding of language teaching. This would be supported by a wider policy statement on the place and purpose of different languages within the Ethiopian education system.
The Ethiopian Herald October 1, 2019
BY ALAZAR SHIFERAW
