ABSTRACT
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the Implementation of the Policy on Language of Instruction in pre-primary schools in Owerri Education Zone. Four research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. The study used descriptive survey design. A sample of 250 subjects made up of 50 head teachers’ and200 classroom teachers, from the local government areas that make up the education zone was used for the study. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire titled: The Implementation of Policy on Language of Instruction. The instrument was development by the researcher and contains 33 items in four clusters. The instrument for the study was validated, and a trial test was carried out to ascertain the reliability of the instrument. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions and t-test while the statistics was used to test the null hypotheses. The findings of the stud show that the language policy in pre-primary schools is not being adequately implemented as stipulated in the National Language Policy on Education. Based on the findings the researcher recommended that pre primary schools should be well supervised by the government or educational agencies to ensure that they comply with the practices stipulated by National Language Policy on Education. This will enhance uniformity and quality in practice.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the study
Pre-primary education provides the bedrock for the child’s later education. A sound and purposeful pre-primary education therefore serves as a solid foundation on which the child’s further education and indeed the child’s life is built. Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN, 2004) defined pre-primary education as “the education given in an educational institution to children prior to their entering the primary school. It includes the crèche, the nursery and the kindergarten. This study concentrated on nursery schools. Nnolin (1993) stated that deficient pre-primary education can prove the child’s greatest undoing later in life. The child’s greatest potentials are identified, developed and sustained most during the pre-primary education level. Abe (1991) pointed out that in Nigeria, it is very sad that pre-primary education is handled in a way that shows lack of respect for something serious and it is treated in an amusing way. It has also been reported that children who have passed out of pre primary schools account for more than 30% of Nigerian’s 56 million illiterates (UNICEF,1999).
One of the major landmarks of the 1969 national curriculum conference was the acknowledgement of the fact that the National Policy on Education (NPE) should contain a policy statement on language policy for pre primary education. This is to harmonize different practices that exist in Nigeria and to justify the importance of language as means of instruction most especially at the pre-primary level. Language is the system of communication in speech and writing that is used by people of a particular country or area. Lockerby (2009) defined language as a coding system and a means by which information may be transmitted or shared between two or more communicators for purpose of command, instruction or play. Ormrod (1995) defined
language as a verbal, physical, biologically innate and basic form of communication. Language is a very important tool for communication in every human being and the mother tongue or language of immediate community plays an important role. If language is lost, then there is loss of link to tradition, the feeling and sense of belonging to a community. Language expresses inner thoughts and emotion, makes sense of complex and abstract thought to learn how to communicate with others to fulfill wants and needs as well as to established rules and maintain one’s culture.
In Nigeria there is a policy guiding language usage right from the child’s first day in school. Policy is a plan of action agreed or chosen by the government. According to Humbert (2003) policy refers to those plans, positions and guidelines of government which influence decisions by government. A “policy” is very much like a decision or a set of decisions which are made to be “implemented” or “carried out”. A policy can also be known as a decision. Akindele and Olaopa (2008) defined policy as “whatever government chooses to do or not to do” and in Nigeria, there is a language policy guiding the education system for pre primary schools. FRN (2004) stipulates that:
“Government appreciates the importance of language as a means of promoting social interaction and national cohesion, and preserving cultures. Thus, every child shall learn the language of the immediate environment. Furthermore, in the interest of national unity, it is expedient that every child shall be required to learn one of the three Nigerian languages: Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba”. (p.5)
The policy also states that government will:
“Ensure that the medium of instruction in the pre primary school is principally the mother tongue or the language of the immediate community; and to this end will; (a) develop the orthography of many more Nigerian’s languages (b) produce textbooks in Nigeria languages. (p5and6).
This is termed a language policy. It is the conviction of the National government that the educational cycle is incomplete if the Nigerian pupils are not able to use their own language and the official language of the country in meaningful communication both within and outside the school system (Kolawole, 1997). The attitude of parents, teachers and the general public suggest that usage of foreign language enlightens children and this poses a problem in implementing the language policy. Mother tongue or language of the immediate community plays an important role in the education of a child. That is why the government noted in the national policy that a child should start his education in his mother tongue or language of the immediate community. The National Policy on Education promotes the right of a child, the child’s safety; helps the child develop confidence to face any educational challenge which will face the child later in life.
Mother tongue is a language of one’s ethnic group, or one’s first language. Vlach (2012) defined mother tongue as a language that a human learns from birth. Also, Nordguist (2012) defines mother tongue as a person’s native language, that is, the language learned from birth. Mother tongue is seen as a language of origin, identification, internal and external identification, competence and function by Kangas (2002). In terms of origin, it is the one that has established the first long lasting verbal contact in terms of internal identification, a language one identifies with as a native speaker of. In terms of external identification, it is the language one is identified with as a native speaker of, by others. In competence, it is a language one knows best. In functions, it is a language one uses most. A research carried out by Fafunwa (1986) proved that children that begin in their mother tongue or language of the immediate community do far much better than children who start their education in another language. Thomas and Collier (2002) noted that the best predictor of cognitive or academic language development in foreign language (L2) is the level of proficiency in mother tongue (L1).
Mother tongue or language of the environment is part of a child’s personal, social and cultural identity that brings about the reflection and learning of a successful social pattern of acting and speaking. It is therefore an indispensable or intellectual moral and physical aspect of education (UNESCO, 1999). Mother tongue has a very powerful impact on the formation of an individual. Guvercin (2010) noted that mother tongue is the beautiful sound in which one hears and gets familiar with before birth, while in the womb and this has an important role in shaping the thoughts and emotions. Mother tongue or language of the immediate environment has an important role in framing the thinking emotion and spiritual world because a strong bond between a child and his parents, especially the mother is established by virtue of love, compassion, body language and also through the most important one, which is verbal language. A policy that is formulated which is not implemented cannot solve the problem. Implementation is to put something that is officially decided into action. Hayes (2001) defined implementation as, to put into effect according to some definite plan or procedure. Also, Burke, Morris, and McGarrigle (2012) defined Implementation as putting the goals and objectives set forth in a policy decision into practice. These scholars also went ahead to state that policy implementation therefore, includes all activities that must be undertaken in the course of action to be followed in order to realize the intended objectives of a given policy. It is very important to adhere to the national language policy on education so that government’s intended objectives will be realized. In realization of this policy, production of textbooks on mother tongue or language of the immediate community is necessary for adequate implementation. Sulleman (2012) noted that even though the Federal Government had promised to reduce many more Nigerian languages to writing, not much is known about the implementation of that promise. The policy has the merit of recognizing the need to use mother tongue or language of the immediate community in education, but the problem is that no mechanisms are in place to enforce the policy provisions of the NPE by way of legislation or something. And also, recently the current practices in the use of mother tongue or language of the immediate community as a language of instruction in pre primary schools in Owerri education zone is not yet known.
In implementing the national policy on language of instruction, there should be the act or practice of instructing or teaching which is known as instruction. Instructions at this level should be based on the mother tongue or language of the immediate communities. Instruction is the activity that imparts knowledge or skills. Oladosu (1990) noted that instruction is a process of leading the learner through a sequence of statements or body of knowledge that can increase the learner’s ability to grasp, transform or transfer what he is learning. Driscoll (1994) defines instruction as the deliberate arrangement of learning conditions to promote the attainment of some intended goals. The major pressing problem militating against achievement of set objectives is language barrier. An important aspect of instruction is the appropriate guidance of the learners both in learning and preparation for a career. According to Hornberger (2006), when the language used for learning is not a language familiar to the pupils, it becomes a barrier to learning. This study intended to also find out if there are difficulties or problems encountered during the implementation of this mother tongue or language of the immediate community policy. Benson (2009) pointed out that most homes resolve in using English Language as a language of instruction and this leads to conflict of language to the child.
The challenge for educators and policy makers is to shape the evolution of national identity in such a way that the rights of children are respected and the cultural, linguistic and economic resources of the nation are maximized (Kangas, 2000). Parents also need to understand the importance of the mother tongue for them to encourage teachers and heads of schools to implement this policy. Cummins (2010) noted that while children may not be physically punished for speaking their mother tongue in the school, a strong message is communicated to them that if they want to be accepted by teachers and the society, they have to renounce allegiance to their home language and culture. Unfortunately, it can have disastrous consequences for children’s rights to appropriate education and undermine communication between children and their parents. Any credible educator will agree that schools should build on the experience and knowledge that children bring to the classroom and instructions should also promote children’s abilities and talents. Capacity of teachers, intelligence wise, and the teachers knowledge of the mother tongue or language of the immediate community is very important in the implementation of this policy. Ackerman (2006) noted that quality pre primary education does not simply arise by establishing pre primary facilities and hiring staff. Rather, it is the result of specific, intentional practices that support the recruitment and retention of well trained teachers.
Development of orthography should be recognized Olaofe (1990) suggests that more than merely concentrating all efforts on the development of the three Nigerian languages as is the case at the moment, linguistics should be used to develop as many minority languages as possible. This is a clarion call on the state governments whose languages have orthographic deficiencies to pool their linguists in order to remedy existing flaws as well as devise orthographies for linguistic groups that have none. A situation where some language boards are dominated by language enthusiasts, to the detriment of writers and linguists, should not be encouraged. If there is adequate development of orthography of our Nigeria languages, it will make it easy for adequate implementation of the national policy on language.
Statement of the problem
The attitude of parents, teachers and the general public suggests that learning and speaking foreign languages, especially English language as the first language (L1) and as language of instruction, makes their children civilized. As a result, they discourage their children from speaking languages of their origin or learning educational concept using the language of their origin. The policy has the merit of recognizing the need to use the mother tongue in education, but that it is where everything stops. There are just no dependable mechanisms put in place to ensure the success of the program. Similarly, no mechanisms are in place to enforce the provisions of the NPE by way of legislation or something. This probably explains why no school is known to have been sanctioned for flouting the provisions of the NPE as it concerns mother tongue or language of the immediate community in instruction. This seems to suggest that government is deliberately turning a blind eye towards the mother tongue or language of the immediate community policy. Nigeria is a large and complex country and the linguistic situation in many areas remains poorly known. Every year, the existences of several new languages or dialects are recorded for the first time and there is every reason to think this will continue.
Studies on the use of the policy on the language of instruction in some parts of Nigeria have shown its indispensability as well as the danger of its total neglect in child’s education. There has not been a replication of similar studies in Owerri education zone in order to address the popular notion that English language is an indispensable means of instruction in pre primary schools. This poses a great challenge to the technique of teaching as most pre primary school pupils find it difficult to understand the explanations of certain concepts using the foreign language alone.
Purpose of the Study
The general purpose of this study is to determine the Implementation of the Policy on Language of Instruction in pre primary schools in Owerri Education Zone. Specifically the study sought to:
- Ascertain the extent of production of textbooks in the mother tongue or language of the immediate community.
- Ascertain the current practices in the use of the mother tongue or language of the immediate environment as a language of instruction in nursery schools.
- Ascertain the difficulties encountered in the use of the mother tongue or language of the immediate community.
- Ascertain the extent of development of orthography of the mother tongue or language of the immediate community.
