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Teaching of mother tongue in schools will advance learning outcomes — Publishers

By Sodiq Omolaoye, Abuja
04 December 2022   |   3:11 am
The Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) has commended the Federal Government for granting approval for the teaching of the mother tongue in primary schools across the country, describing it as timely and a way to advance the education sector.

The Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) has commended the Federal Government for granting approval for the teaching of the mother tongue in primary schools across the country, describing it as timely and a way to advance the education sector. 

 
The NPA said that with this singular move, the country will be on its way to joining global powers who have advanced in science and tech, as well as medicine as the pupils will assimilate better in their mother tongue than in English, which is a borrowed language
 
Recall that the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, on Wednesday, announced the approval at end of the Federal Executive Council at State House Abuja. 
 
Backing the move, the President of the NPA, and Chairman-in-Council, Dr. Uchenna Cyril Anioke, in a statement, yesterday, said that the government’s policy is in line with the association’s call for the adoption of indigenous language in the teaching of science in primary and secondary schools, even to tertiary institution, as a sure way in raising the bar of teaching and learning as well as promotion of mother tongue. 

He said that North Korea, which is becoming the world’s strongest nuclear force hardly writes in English language, but in their local language where to him they hide their ideas and innovation from those who do not understand the language. 
 
“There is abundant evidence to show that nations who teach and publish books in their local languages are advantageously positioned than those who rely entirely on English language. India, which today has become a choice place for medicine teaches and publishes more in the mother tongue than English language. 
 
“China is a developed country and leads in construction and infrastructure. They hardly speak English and all their books are in local language. In Indonesia, which is also a developed country, teaching and learning are conducted in an indigenous language. 
 
“Nigeria can actualise this and as an association, we welcome the policy of teaching in an indigenous language in the first six years of the pupils’ education. It is in tandem with our prolonged appeal.” 

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