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Tanzania: English to Take Over As Teaching Medium - Government
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The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
29 April 2008
Posted to the web 30 April 2008
Mwanamkasi Jumbe
Dar es Salaam
The government yesterday expressed its plans to make English language the medium of teaching and learning in schools starting from primary to tertiary levels, but warned that the move could be delayed due to lack of competent English teachers.
The minister for Education and Vocational Training, Prof Jumanne Maghembe said this during a prize giving to winners of the BP Tanzania oral and essay competition event held in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
He said that the government wishes to do it as soon as possible but it faces some challenges to reach there.
One of them is that there are no sufficient confident teachers to do that in both primary and secondary schools, no professors in colleges and other higher learning institutions.
Prof Maghembe also said that there are also no enough books and even those available are not authentic textbooks, no additional teaching materials and also serious problems in reading materials.
The government intends to change the current system in schools in to using the English language, but it may take up to five years to implement the programme.
He said that the biggest challenges among students currently are for the children to speak confidently, to argue and come out strongly.
Prof Maghembe said that English is the recognized medium of instruction and communication in the world and everyone is encouraged to learn it in the hope of keeping pace with the changing political, social and economic environment, let alone the globalization process.
He said that the government will always support the BP Tanzania programme and also encourage all students to participate in the competitions.
The minister added that through the programme students will easily enhance their capabilities and thus enable them to pursue scientific and technical education.
He said that to be master of any language students need to be good writers as well as fluent speakers of the language in question. Speaking during the event, UK High Commissioner, Mr Philip Parham said that English is the international language of business and science, the dominant language of internet and the language of an estimated 80 percent of stored information.
He said that English is also the language of the great common law community which extends throughout the Commonwealth and acts s a powerful benchmark and guarantee of basic justice and human rights.
Elaborating, he said that language is not just the means by which people communicate with one another; rather it is first of all means by which people make sense of the world around them and their place within it.
It is what makes them conscious and consciousness is what makes them human, he further noted. However he told students that when they achieve success they should invest back into the community in a way which also preserves the riches of the Kiswahili language and culture, "and indeed the many other languages and cultures of thid birthplace of all the cultures and languages of humanity." The UK envoy said that the British government would spend sterling pounds 8.5 billion, (equivalent to Sh22 trillion) in helping education in developing countries over the next seven years.
Prof Maghembe said that in its efforts in changing the current system among schools to properly use the English language, the government needs assistance in teachers colleges, English courses for primary and secondary schools, and books.
Mr Abel Chanje, the BP Tanzania managing director said that the company spent Sh120 million in organizing the whole event and this year's budget was almost double the previous one, following increasing numbers of students participating.
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In the oral fluency category the first winner was Fatma Seif from Suni Madrasa secondary school, Zanzibar.
Second placed winner was Petro Protas from Kizitwe secondary in Iringa while the third winner was Ninaeli Joel from Loyola secondary school in Dar es Salaam.
In essay competition the first winner was Amos Nuhu from Loyola secondary; the second winner was William Kalenyula from Maua secondary in Kilimanjaro while the third winner was Debora Chongolo from Brooke Bond secondary in Iringa.
English really cannot be the language of the future, on grounds of "linguistic imperialism"
Only a non-national language, such as Esperanto can be the long-term solution. Esperanto has realistic possibilities.
If in doubt please check http://www.Esperanto.net
It is relatively easy to take the moral highground on English as an international medium! No argument agains the Esperanto purity======just with the logistics of making it happen.
Imagine trying to rejig the whole world on the basis of PC ethos alone!
In other words - the world's systems are not perfect and the issue of English maybe among them........but it works and has improved countless lives.
Of course for speakers of other world tongues like Hindi and Mandarin I have some sympathy (and relief) that their language is not the international linguistic currency - but they have the superiority... [Read Full Text]
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