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By Bianca Iboma-Emefu
Mother Tongue Education (MTE) has been a subject of debate for more than half a century in advanced and developing countries. Despite different views on MTE, there is an uneasy consensus about its importance in the educational system, especially in the foundational years of schoolchildren. 
Education experts revealed that globally, there are 50-75 million “marginalised” children who are not enrolled in schools. They admitted that children whose primary language is not the language of instruction in schools are more likely to drop out of school or fail in early stages of schooling.
However, research has shown that children’s first language is the optimal language for literacy and learning throughout the early stages of schooling. Linguistics experts are becoming worried about the need to ensure that children keep their linguistic heritage.
The Education Report sought the views of stakeholders and the findings revealed disparities of opinions on the contentious issue.
A lecturer, Department of English Language, Lagos State University (LASU), Dr Ganiu Bamgbose, said studies have shown that children assimilate better when taught in the language of the environment. He said an experiment by a former Minister of Education, Prof. Babatunde Fafunwa, revealed that pupils assimilate better in a local language and it became a policy that children in Primary 1 and 3 be taught in their native languages but, sadly, this hasn’t been implemented in Nigeria:
“It is highly feasible. In fact, there are over 500 languages in Nigeria. This is why the target is that pupils should be taught in the language of the environment. So, each school uses it as the language of instruction, the language of that environment. For instance, if a child is going to school in Badagry, he will be taught in Egun language.
“However, this policy is for the first three years of the primary school. Afterwards, pupils would be taught in English language and a native language would be offered, compulsorily, by all the students.”
Former Miss Tourism Nigeria and Miss Tourism United Nations, Mrs. Ebele Enemchukwu, said: “I am totally in support of teaching mother-tongue languages in schools, if nothing else, at least the three main Nigerian languages, which, sadly, are being de-emphasized in some schools.
“In the corporate world, for example, you find that people who resist postings to certain parts of Nigeria do so not for what one would consider major reason(s), but owing to the fear of not fitting in as a result of language barriers. Such challenges may be avoided if mother-tongue languages are made mandatory in schools, especially those formative years of primary and secondary education.
“When I schooled, the three Nigerian languages, Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa, were taught and the choice of at least one language was made mandatory for every pupil. I am better for it today.
“I was shocked to learn that, in my children’s school, only one Nigerian language is offered, and sadly that isn’t their mother tongue. The issue for me isn’t that they are learning a language, a language other than theirs, because, as I always say, people who speak many languages fit better into many roles and have chances of expanded opportunities later in life.
“My challenge, however, is that the option for other Nigerian languages is not on the table at all. This has caused us to be more deliberate in teaching them Igbo language at home, since we aren’t willing to pull them out of that school, which is otherwise great.”
The proprietor of Betharbel Montessori School, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Mrs. Monisola Aiyekuiseyin, observed that some pupils may not be familiar with the local language and pupils who were transferred from another area/state would face communication challenges and lack of reading materials: “If the teacher is not conversant with the language, pupils will lose out academically. Some will equally face pronunciation challenges of some words. In English, pupils may not learn English faster, adjusting to English is not always easy when they cross from grade.’’
She said pupils educated in private schools may face great challenges as they are taught in English, especially those who have had the exposure of English at an early stage in pre-school in private schools: “There are opportunities of learning in local language for pupils. Continuity with the first language, pupils learn fast and feel part of the learning activity. Some terminologies would be much easier, as they would be familiar with the words in the local context, which makes the learning process interactive.”
A teacher at St. Paul’s Anglican School, Uzere Kingdom, Delta State, Gladys Efemona, said, for a child’s intellectual enhancement, teaching in local language is preferable and it will yield results, compared to the foreign languages: “If they are taught in our local languages, the level of assimilation would be high and we would be able to preserve our heritage.”
She insisted that learning through mother tongue was the right of the child. It makes children strong in mental and social bonding: “Learning does not begin in school. Learning starts at home in the mother language. Although the start of school is a continuation of this learning process, it also presents significant changes in the mode of education.”
Chairman, Nigeria Union Teachers (NUT), Ojoo chapter, Lagos, Mr. Tajudeen Oladipupo, said: “Mother tongue education is part of quality improvements in literacy because learning to read is a foundational skill that pupils need to master to be able to continue learning.
“In countries like Nigeria, where multiple ethnic groups exist, the curriculum will be developed in the national languages. Pupils who learn to read in their mother tongue are able to transfer these skills to a second language a few years down the road. They love reading the stories that describe things around their community. In many developing countries, an important number of pupils enter school not speaking the language of the classroom.
“Many education systems favour those using national or ‘global’ languages instead of mother tongue teaching. Education is often carried out in the old colonial language, such as English or French.
“This is based on the belief that certain international language is important. Developing the use of mother tongue to deliver lectures poise a lot of challenges that should be addressed first before we can apply it.’
“Sometimes in multilingual countries with many local languages, teachers do not speak the local language which the pupils learn at home. They speak the dominant language. In other cases, teachers themselves may not be fully proficient in the language of instruction.”
Professor of Account Management, Crawford University, Igbesa, Ogun State, Comfort Omorogbe, argued: “I don’t support the use of our mother tongue to be used schools. Despite the three main languages, students, who go through language classes in schools, still cannot communicate with it effectively, whether orally or written.
‘’English Language readily facilitates communication, though it is from our colonial master. English Language places students in an advantageous position to interact with more people in most parts of the world.
“Education outside the country becomes almost seamless, unlike learning with local languages. In an ever evolving society, where development and technology is advancing, learning in our native language would keep us perpetually backward.’’
