The Role of African Languages in Education and Sustainable Development
The issue of the use of African languages in education is part of the continuing reflection on the reform of African education systems. For a number of ministers, the question lies at the heart of their vision of the new African school. In order to encourage the discussion on this topic, ADEA facilitated the holding of a regional meeting of ministers, the Pan-African Seminar on the Problems and Prospects of the Use of African Languages in Education held August 26-30, 1996 in Accra, Ghana. ADEA’s Working Group on Education Research and Policy Analysis helped lay the groundwork for the seminar.
In one of his articles, Ayo Bamgbose(1) writes: Language is without doubt the most important factor in the learning process for the transfer of knowledge or skills ... is mediated through the spoken or written word. The paradox is that educational plans and programs are often designed to pay more attention to the structure of the educational system and curricula than to language policy.
In calling for a Pan-African seminar examining the The Problems and Prospects of the Use of African Languages in Education, African Ministers of Education chose to devote particular attention to the issue of languages of instruction. The seminar was organized by the Observatory of the Ségou Perspectives (OPS) and Ghana’s Ministry of Education, under the aegis of the OAU, as part of the year of education in Africa.
At the sixth session of the Steering Committee, members approved the African Ministers’ proposal to change the name of the association. The new name is now Association for the Development of Education in Africa (formerly Association for the Development of African Education). The association’s acronym, now ADEA, has been changed accordingly. The logo of the association will be changed shortly.
The seminar was held August 26-30, 1996 in Accra, Ghana. It was attended by 106 participants, including ministers and deputy ministers from 19 African countries, a large number of specialists and academics, and representatives from several development agencies.
The seminar provided a forum where ministers of education worked and interacted with their counterparts in academia and in the development cooperation community.
During the opening session, Michael A. Gizo, Minister for the Greater Accra Region, described the situation of the African continent, often torn by war and conflict and now confronting serious issues of illiteracy and poverty. He stressed the importance of local languages as a tool for communication and socio-economic progress, as well as their fundamental relevance to the learning process. He also urged the participants to work toward developing lingua francas adapted to the continent.
Adama Samassékou, President of the Observatory of the Ségou Perspectives (OPS) and Minister of Basic Education of Mali, linked the theme of the seminar with the issues of sustainable development, and the renewal and transformation of Africa’s current education systems.
Harry Sawyerr, Minister of Education of Ghana, officially opened the deliberations. He mentioned the recommendations made by OPS to the Organization for African Unity (OAU), which led to the declaration of 1996 as the year of education in Africa. The goal of this declaration is to foster new dynamism for education at the national and international levels. Mr. Sawyerr highlighted the many and particularly the psychological advantages of using national languages in educating children and adults. He also pointed out the efforts that Ghana has made to develop its various vernacular languages, about fifteen of which have already been transcribed.
The seminar was organized to achieve four goals:
- Map out the sociolinguistic situation of African States and the linguistic policies developed.
- Assess situations where national languages have been used in teaching and draw lessons from them in order to develop new operational strategies for African countries.
- Measure the results of international cooperation to promote African languages; assess the impact on African integration; and sketch out prospects for future cooperation.
- Draw up a plan of action promoting the use of African languages in education and enhanced African integration.
Background, language policies, and stumbling blocks
Several presentations were made by Professors Ayo Bamgbose (Nigeria), Gérard Dumestre (France), Inekiso Khati (Lesotho) and Okoth Okombo (Kenya).
The question of multilingualism was raised frequently. The multilingual profile common to the majority of African countries masks complex situations that vary from one country to another. Hence, despite its 120 languages, Tanzania enjoys the advantage of Swahili, a dominant language that is spoken and understood by the overwhelming majority of its population. In Nigeria, at least three or four languages are on an equal footing. In Cameroon, no one language plays a dominant role.
Other factors, such as the density and number of speakers, geographic coverage, or attitudes towards languages, give rise to a variety of typologies.
Obstacles hampering the use of African languages in education were discussed. The following were cited: African languages’ limited capacity to express technical concepts; the lack of reference books and reading and educational materials; negative attitudes towards African languages, which continue to be widespread because the languages of the former colonial countries have remained the languages of power; economic arguments that hang heavily in the balance and are often advanced in order to postpone policy decisions; and the ideological issue raised by the existence of different geopolitical and ethno-linguistic entities.
The participants recognized that no language policy can be dissociated from economic, social and cultural realities, and that education must allow for a broadening of life’s opportunities. Yet, in most cases, African languages do not constitute an effective tool.
Political will lies at the heart of any reform effort. The seminar’s workshops provided an opportunity to examine steps toward overcoming obstacles and developing language policies that are respectful of ethno-cultural characteristics and also supportive of national unity and regional and subregional integration. The cases of Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Togo and Uganda were briefly reviewed. The examples of Denmark, Finland, Québec, and Switzerland were also mentioned.
Review of policies formulated and implemented in Africa
Discussions on this issue were particularly valuable because they relied on real-life experience. Several essays presented by Professors Neville Alexander (South Africa), S. A. K. Mlacha (Tanzania), Maurice Tadadjeu (Cameroon), Casimir Rubagumya (Tanzania) provided an opportunity to draw on the experiences of Cameroon, Guinea, Madagascar South Africa, and Tanzania.
Cameroon is making every effort to establish a balanced trilingualism based on the dual premise of involvement at the community and national levels on the one hand, and regional and African integration on the other. In Tanzania, the use of Swahili as a language of instruction is limited to primary education. This has hindered the development of technical concepts. Nonetheless, Tanzania’s language policy which has resulted in widespread and sustained literacy campaigns has been, on the whole, positive. One objective of South Africa’s language policy is to redress the inequalities inherited from apartheid and to strengthen participation in democratic institutions. The national plan for language development will soon be reviewed by Parliament.
Picture of Delegates
The language issue must not only be adressed in education, but also as an integral part of the development process. Countries were urged to be supportive of cultural and political contexts that will foster and sustain the enrichment of African languages and the development of industries related to language.
Practical initiatives in the education sector were recommended: the development of research and coordination programs geared towards the standardization of languages with a view to using these languages in every sector; the design of instructional materials that draw on programs that share experiences and professional resources; the revision of laws and trade regulations governing books and inputs that discriminate against national and regional producers.
Cooperation
This session addressed the topics of national integration, African integration and international cooperation. The importance of governments’ expressing their determination to promote African languages as part of a larger strategy for the social, economic and political development of their countries was emphasized.
Plan of Action
One of the highlights of the seminar was the writing of a draft charter which sets down the objectives and the broad outlines of an overall policy for the promotion and the use of African national languages in education.
The Accra Declaration
At the end of the seminar, the ministers and deputy ministers representing 19 countries ( Burundi, Burkina-Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Uganda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo) adopted the Accra Declaration. The declaration sets forth the Ministers’ commitment to promote African national languages and their use in Africa’s education systems.
A complete report of the meeting may be obtained from the Secretariat of ADEA
The following reference documents were presented at the Pan-African seminar on the Problems and Prospects of the Use of African Languages in Education.
The African Language Situation and its Implications for Language Planning and Education by Ayo Bamgbose
The Cameroonian Experience of Teaching National Languages in Schools: Prospects for International Cooperation and African Integration by Maurice Tadadjeu
Tanzania’s Experience in Language Planning Development and Language Use in and for Education by S. A. K. Mlacha
For further information, readers may contact:
UNESCO Regional Office for Education in Africa
Documentation Center
12 avenue Roume
Dakar, Senegal
A Synopsis of Research Findings on Languages of Instruction and their Policy Implications for Education in Africa by Okoth Okombo and Casimir M. Rubgumya
For further information, readers may contact:
Association for the Development of Education in Africa
International Institute for Educational Planning
7-9 rue Eugène-Delacroix
75116 Paris, France
International Cooperation and National Languages in Education: IDRC Experiences and Vision by Sibry Tapsoba
For further information, readers may contact:
International Development Research Center (IDRC)
Annexe Cheikh Anta Diop
BP 11007 CD Annexe
Dakar, Senegal
The Socio-Linguistic Situation and Implications for Language Planning Policies - Empowerment through Languages: The Case of Lesotho by Inekiso Khati
Languages of Learning and Teaching in South Africa: Recent Debates and Developments by Neville Alexander
The Political, Socio-Economic and Cultural Dimensions of the Use of African Languages in Education and Development in Africa: Problems and Prospects by Kwesi Kwaa Prah
Footnotes
(1) Excerpted from Language Policy Options in Basic Education: Implications for Policy Formulation by Ayo Bamgbose in Language Policy, Literacy and Culture, Round Table, International Conference on Education, Geneva, 18 September 1992, UNESCO. Ayo Bamgbose is professor at the University of Ibadan, Department of Linguistics, Ibadan (Nigeria).
(2) Burundi, Burkina-Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Uganda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo. The Declaration also endorses and recommends for approval the Draft Charter. The draft charter will be revised and presented to the OAU by Harry Sawyerr in his capacity as President of OPS, for adoption by all member states.
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