Re: To improve learning of English, ban vernacular in schools

It’s true, English language assumed prominence by accident of history and has been the official language and lingua Franca of Nigeria ever since. But notwithstanding this, I don’t think any right thinking person who is proud and conscious of his identity would advocate for the removal of his mother tongue from school curriculum in favour […]

It’s true, English language assumed prominence by accident of history and has been the official language and lingua Franca of Nigeria ever since. But notwithstanding this, I don’t think any right thinking person who is proud and conscious of his identity would advocate for the removal of his mother tongue from school curriculum in favour of an alien language!
Contrary to Hassan’s postulates, inability to speak correct English grammar by Nigerian students has nothing to do with vernacular. Rather, it is a reflection of the deepening crises in the educational system in Nigeria. They are products of a very poor education system which cannot give what it doesn’t have. Besides, it lacks adequate government support, in addition to poor funding, corruption in the system, inconsistent educational policy formulations and emphasis on quantity, rather than quality, all of which contribute to the falling standard of education in the country.
Those who are versatile in native languages often end up better speakers of English as a second language. Many examples abound to buttress the point. The best wordsmiths in the white man’s language, like Wole Soyinka, late Bala Usman, late Chinua Achebe, Alhaji Maitama Sule, and late Chugba Okadigbo, are known to be excellent native speakers of their vernacular languages respectively!  And that didn’t hamper them in the least from learning to read, write and speak fluently in English.
Moreover, almost all the developed countries in the world use their native language to attain technological and socio-political advancement. They were able to domesticate and localized knowledge as a functional medium of enlightenment and education in a simple and graspable way to most of their countrymen and women using local dialect! Such countries include but not limited to Iran, India, China, Japan, the Koreas, and Russia.  And I think Nigeria cannot be an exception to the rule.
Instead of calling for outright ban of native languages in schools, Hassan Mohammed should rather encourage governments at all levels to prioritize education by way of adequate funding in line with UNICEF standards. The removal of history lessons in primary and secondary schools by the federal and state governments should also be reversed to enable young Nigerians understand their history in order for them to develop a sense of self-worth!

Kabiru Tsakuwa, Kano <[email protected]>