FG drops mother tongue policy

FG drops mother tongue policy

The Federal government has introduced that English will now function the primary medium of preparation in all Nigerian faculties, formally cancelling the countrywide policy that required teaching in indigenous languages.

Minister of schooling, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday, November 12, while speaking with reporters on the Language in training international conference 2025 organised through the British Council in Abuja.

the two-day convention, themed “Language, schooling and Inclusion: Empowering each Learner,” introduced together educators, policymakers, researchers, and improvement companions from throughout Africa, South Asia, and the United Kingdom to speak about language-primarily based techniques for inclusive training.

Dr. Alausa explained that the policy exchange ambitions to improve studying outcomes and promote consistency across Nigeria’s educational device. even as acknowledging the cultural importance of indigenous languages, he maintained that English ought to be the main medium of coaching from pre-number one to tertiary training.

“English language need to be used to train our students at all levels as a way of guidance. over time, mother tongues have been used to train and this has in large part been chargeable for the screw ups recorded in assessments. The national coverage on language has been cancelled. English now stands as the medium of guidance across all stages of schooling,” he said.

according to the minister, statistics from national examinations consisting of WAEC, NECO, and JAMB revealed that the immoderate use of indigenous languages in some regions had contributed to bad comprehension and declining performance amongst students. He emphasised that coverage selections need to be guided by way of evidence as opposed to emotional or cultural sentiment.

Dr. Alausa introduced that English offers a unifying communication platform in Nigeria’s multilingual context and opens doors to global expertise, era, and opportunities.

inside the identical event, Julian Parry, Director of English Programmes for Sub-Saharan Africa on the British Council, reaffirmed the corporation’s dedication to selling inclusive and equitable education via language-responsive teaching.

“Language can act as a bridge to inclusion, identification, and opportunity for every learner,” Parry stated, noting that collaboration and proof-sharing had been key to improving educational effects globally.

also speakme, Chikodi Onyemerela, Director of Programmes at the British Council Nigeria, highlighted the organization’s ongoing paintings in inclusive education.

“given that 2015, via our Pan-Ethnic lecture rooms Programme, we’ve evolved inclusive pedagogy tasks that allow instructors to embed inclusive practices within the school room,” he said.

The policy shift marks a major transformation in Nigeria’s education system, with the government emphasizing international competitiveness and uniformity in guidance even as pledging endured assist for indigenous language maintenance outside the formal lecture room setting.