EDUCATION minister Dr.John Phiri has asked the teachers to defend the new curriculum of teaching local languages since they understand the benefits.
He said the new curriculum is there to remove the torture children have undergone by being taught in English in the past years hence the reason government has set outside 113 million for materials.
“Children are able to play Chipombwa on the streets, make wire cars, and play insolo without the instruction of mummy or daddy. This is an indicator that children first think in local language. But once they get to grade one they are tortured to think in English and this has not taken the country anywhere. It is easier to understand English once after been exposed to local language,” he said.
And Muchinga Provincial Education Officer Jobix Kalumba said teachers and parents have welcomed the new curriculum in the province and is been implemented.
He said the new curriculum has been misunderstood by many quarters in the country to lack of understanding.
‘It should be stressed that the teaching of local languages will be done in a familiar local language in that particular area. I grade two children will begin to learn English as a subject. The reason of doing this is that there is overwhelming evidence that children get the concepts faster in the mother tonge. They will be able to transfer these skills to attacking words in English’ he said.
He said the province has taken up the challenge of holding meetings with teachers and parents to sensitize them about the curriculum.
And a parent John Sikanyika of Isoka district said the introduction of the curriculum is not new as he went through it In the early 40s.
[pullquote]Children are able to play Chipombwa on the streets, make wire cars, and play insolo without the instruction of mummy or daddy. This is an indicator that children first think in local language. But once they get to grade one they are tortured to think in English and this has not taken the country anywhere.[/pullquote]
He said governments’ decisions to reintroduce it up to grade four will enable pupils to understand issues and translate it in the foreign language of English.
And Dr. Phiri has announced that government has signed a 21 million Kwacha memorandum of understanding with DMI Saint Eugene University for fast track distance learning program to upgrade teachers’ qualifications in Mathematics and Science.
He said 2000 teachers will be trained in the first phase of the program scheduled to start in March this year.
“Government has reserved 21 million kwacha to upgrade teachers in mathematics and Science through a fast track program. One thousand teachers will be upgraded from certificate to diploma while the other one thousand will upgrade from diploma to degree,” he said.
He said equipment is been setup in all the Resource Centers in 10 provinces and the selection of teachers to train is in process.
“This program will allow teachers to go for residential during school holidays and therefore pupils will not be affected. The other beauty about this program is that it will take not more than four years to complete the training. We want our teachers to move in tandem with the latest information so that they adequately pass it on to pupils,” he said.
And the minister encouraged teachers in Muchinga province to upgrade since now they have a variety of Institutions of learning to choose from.
“It is not like in my time where we had to fight for places at University Of Zambia or Copperbelt Unversity. They PF government has given you many options where to train. There is now Mukuba University, Chalimbana ,Kwame Nkuluma and many others hence there is no excuse to remain stagnant at certificate level. Improve your qualifications from primary school level to professorship. Times are changing,” he said.
This is what we have as quality when it comes to ministers in Zambia. Honestly is this the best we can do?
I sometimes wonder whether his doctorate is genuine or not. there can never be thoughts in a language this 1diot. we use a language to express our thoughts. if a child learns in kikaonde for example, can he/she be useful in Botswana or USA? we are in a global village now ba phiri. nonsense
Our children don’t even speak our local languages well. they dont think in these languages. It is common sense that using different languages in different provinces will fail and logically Sata will say let us use one chosen language (which we all know) everywhere. It is a divide and rule scheme and a scheme to make sure that only those kids who speak the “chosen language” will excel in school and later at work in order to continue ruling for ages to come. These are the schemes that were created by colonisers in Rwanda, Burundi for their preservation. Even in RSA, this same argument is there and the same colonisers have done studies and are arguing that each child be taught in mother language so that they can continue being unable to express themselves in business lingo as the continue…
In Botswana and Swaziland only one language is spoken and yet they still teach their kids in English.
I am not really against the Idea but the problem with Zambia is we have over 73 tribes. If such a scheme was to work it needed to be done a long time ago through conquests by a dominant and powerful leader like Shaka. Then all the people would have been forced to speak one language. As things stand right now I see this scheme causing more confusion than the use of one language English.
For this to work Zambia needs to be partitioned into different countries according to provinces.
In rural areas i agree but not urban.You have selected a few numbers of languages to be taught,that’s the problem.In urban areas people are always on transfer,what is going to happen to the little ones.Am not against the teaching in local languages but let be in rural areas.In urban areas its a mix cut of languages.Just swallow your pride Mr Minister.
In Lusaka, Godon school has almost all the children from 73 tribes. One class will now need 73 teachers or 15 teachers.
Denye kusokoneseka manje?
This Sata fella is not entirely wrong, in fact let us give him the benefit of the doubt in respect to the above issue. Sata and his architects are not arguing that the English language will not be taught at schools, but their point is valid because every child is predisposed to constructing his/her thoughts in his/her own mother-tongue. It then becomes easier for a child to transfer his/her thoughts from his/her head to a piece of paper or the key board. It follows that it also becomes easier to translate rich undiluted information from our mother tongues into imperialists languages such as English or French. This means that our African authors can also contribute to world knowledge production, as opposed to promoting remotely controlled imperialist knowledge headquartered in Europe.
Another PF waste of Zambian taxpayers money! Just like the stupid idea of renaming airports!
Will this bring development? Provide jobs? NO!
When I was young we used to get involved in international literature competitions. We would write stories that would be taken out of the country and compete with students our age in other first and second world countries. So now because some guys have had a brain wave (or hemorage) our children cannot get a feel of competing with the international community? They cannot be told they came second to some kid from Colorado Springs, but should compete with Mwansa or Mwelwa for the rest of their lives? Useless!
I’m tired of our eastern brothers to always be used by northerners in schemes that are outright dull. Mostly it is them to implement daft ideas that only serve one ethnic group or their political party. Look at the Manganis, headless because he has to appease another tribe. How can a PhD holder think so low like that? Can his grand daughter of say 8- 10 years think that low? I doubt. This whole program can never work. If it would work, clever Kenyans who have even a common language Kiswhili which does not belong to a particular tribe but spoken by all would have seen sense and implemented it. Ask clever Kenyans why they have not done so. It was in the 60s when our politicians adopted policies from the west without considering that they cant work here in Zambia because of their level of…
And he is Dr Phiri. He misunderstood education.
What an I.diot of a PhD holder…..
Folks, I haven’t seen the policy document on the use of local languages as the new medium of instruction. Do I get it right that this will be done only up to Grade 4? It might work in the rural areas where parents speak their mother tongue languages, but will be a total nightmare in urban areas. How many parents or teachers are able to speak or write their home languages correctly? And if it works, I can imagine a scenario where each province will have its own university and can only employ people that were educated in specific languages spoken there, and these people will not be employable elsewhere.
He is asking teachers to do his dirty work, something he has lamentably failed to do…how can the defend irrelevant policies.
@Wanzelu 1.3, although you are correct about the English, you have factual inaccuracies in assuming only one language is spoken in Botswana (and Swaziland for that matter). Don’t forget that you have the Kalangas, Sans, Hereros and other minor languages spoken in Botswana besides Setswana, just as you have the ChiKunda, Ngoni, Venda/Ndebele and others in Swaziland. The bottom line here is that English has been emphasized and upheld through these dominating languages of Setswana and Siswati (or Swazi).
@Kalok
Thanks for pointing out my mistake. I should have said 97% of citizens of Botswana and Swaziland can speak Tswana and Siswati. Therefore in such cases it is easy to adopt a common local language as a medium of instruction in schools.
This is grave mistake … you are going to create confusion of the highest order because these kids will eventually fail to communicate once parents move to a different region on promotion or just to take a different job.
Let’s say I am a manager for Finance Bank in Muchinga and my son just started Grade 1 and I get promoted to take a position in Southern province, my son would have to start learning a new language all together before he grasps the subject matter under review.
This is not only useless but also pathetic … the concept would have worked if we only had one local language. Parents need to rise up and refuse this scam … it will not only breed confusion but also more tribalism.
I am sad, not the best things to do at the moment!!!!
Ba Mumba is this not the selfsame gov’t you’re always praising. ..if they can cock it up on this scale what of other issues and what’s even more scary is the educated ministers seem to be most dumbest.
@B R Mumba
Welcome aboard. Such is typical of PF.
@ Ba Jay Jay & Ba Wanzelu
I am not a partisan hack, I am Zambian first, then UNIP … all I am interested in is the good of the smart people of the Zambian Enterprise. When I see something great from any corner I give credit and when something nonsensical arises, I condemn it.
This policy is extremely myopic in my view, we now operate in a global economy and to develop skilled manpower, communication is very crucial. China is sending 10,000 of their brightest students to English speaking universities a year for a reason.
The world’s fastest commercial bullet train runs between Guangzhou and Wuhan in 3 hours and at the center of it are 170 English speaking schools. Guangzhou is known for having sent millions of Chinese emigrants abroad and it is home to most industries in China.
Advancing Backwards …… We need one local language to implement if this venture is to make any sense . ??? What a joke
Guys, is kuteya nsolo, playing chimpombwa or making wire cars “a local language” sure? Guys when I am playing nsolo, am I thinking in Lozi? What kind of are brain material are these PF cabinet ministers’ made of? With this level of thought processing you worry to hand your child to a ministry run by such a head……….
Our colleagues in Rwanda and Kenya are working with NGOs and other western gov’ts to encourage usage of ICT through innovative programmes such as “laptop for every pupil”…these countries are already positioning themselves for the future. Where as these empty vessels in gov’t are doing exactly the opposite….dreaming up retrogressive policies from the last century.
Before you implement is experiment of yours, take a tour of Tanzania and see how dull and frustrating people there are! I have interacted with them even at universities abroad, the guys are slow in thinking and reasoning!!!
Totally agree with you my friend. Some people have to under go some English courses before they can be enrolled for some programmes abroad. They usually go early before their colleagues from the English speaking countries. We are simply going backwards with this Government.
Dr. Phiri, have ever heard of English As Second Language Courses? How about IELTS? These are meant for students whose English is not first language. My point is that you should have introduced these in school before embarking on your useless project.
I struggled to explain a job description to a tanzanian friend recently. During the process my friend looked so confused and unable to articulate the requiremments of the job. The interview will include a numeracy and literacy test so she asked me what is that….????
I feel for her but I wonder why she cannot take advantage of the free hand the government is giving her by doing an english course.
Besa,
That is the problem! thinking that speaking English makes you sharp! In University where they teach you not to make such assertions unless they have been supported by research, you pop up with one outlandish naked eye observation and conclude: The dullness of the Tanzanians is based on their use of Swahili. Are you serious? Can you say the same about the Russians, the Japanese, the Swedes, etc?
Now that calls into question your own level of education and all those who think you are making sense.
If I were a white guy, I would sit back and laugh my butt off! You guys have been had!
What kind of nonsense is this??? You are better off legalizing weed than having ministers who think like rats. Wire cars? Isolo? How does that justify teaching in local languages. Please I hope that 113million will cater for my tongue as well. This is detrimental to development. Instead of uniting people they are busy propagating sh*t that is expensive and doesn’t make sense. Be realistic for crying out loud!!!
can someone please find out at which schools does this man’s children go to.they want to mess their friends children whilst insulating theirs from the same mediocrity
julius luipa, I was actually about to comment on of his children. one of his son’s Mulila is attending school in Turkey. Experiment on your own children first. Local languages should be an option just like these other subjects like metalwork, woodwork, Agric etc. let parents have control over their own kids for they know whats best for them. Non one would want any person to enter their house an tell them what they can or can’t do. For a person with a doctorate, you’re pretty shallow minded!!!
You mean grandchildren or Mai nini’s kids? I think he is too old to have school going kids so he doesn’t give a s.h.i.t what happens to the guinea pigs he is practicing his postdoctoral thesis on…
He is trying to test his post doctorate hypothesis on the Zambia children. Lets not allow this kind of egocentric from these leaders.
I have a friend researching in teaching science in local language and I can tell you it is a serious work in progress. You can understand why the English had to stick to Latin for Medicine, Arabic for Mathematics, and so on. This guy must not cheat that it is torture for kids to learn English. Kids’ mental states are plastic and they feel no stress that his hardened cells feel over simple things.
Tell the minister to retire if he has a problem with English. That is why we can not compete globally because of people like him.
Education is suppose to be progressive but we are taking the country backwards and then the same people complain about tribalism when they are the ones encouraging it.
Future of next generations is at stake due to half-baked idiocy.
#sufferingfromseriousPFfatiguesyndrome. Symptoms include serious allergic reaction to flawed policy decisions by supposed Zambian intellectuals. Remedy: Change for 2016.
If you the chance to run away from Zambia, do so now and don’t subject your children to this local language nonsense. Why would I ever think of coming back to Zambia and subject my Canadian born son to such?
What is sad is that you think being born in Canada confers superiority over those born in Zambia.
By the way, no one asked you to leave in the first place.
How do you force teachers to defend a system for which they were not consulted or prepared as key stakeholders?
I think I understand now what PF means by the words “listening government” – all the teachers (and the rest of us!) are meant to listen to government.
….they just didn’t get the language right to say it correct the first time.
Clearly these empty tins we call ministers DO NOT understand their job description.
Not even the citizens have been consulted.
A VERY foolish old man!
Surely how are my kids gonna learn such scientific terms like Superconducting Quantum Interference Device,extensor carpi ulnaris or legal terms like amicus curiae in chi Tumbuka?
My kids will be disadvantaged by the Kenyan or Zim kids with proper educational systems.
What is a superconductor in Portuguese, French, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, etc.
When you think you you are on to something…that’s when uonekela. Kikiki
Guys, already our education system was heading downwards and now this…come on come on!!! I wonder if this Dr. Phiri fellow is really educated to warrant that title!!! You may be messed up but please do not mess the future generation!!!
This is foolishness, with the 73 languages?? What will the children follow? We are proud of our local languages but does not mean we should change our curriculum. These Old men are taking our country backward. Zambians worldwide are known to speak Good English, which gives us a competitive advantage, be it in Diaspora or on International cycles. I am disappointed for a man like Phiri with his PHD to tolerate this rubbish. Use that money wisely. We have other priorities than this Nonsense.
Prince,
“Zambians worldwide are known to speak Good English, which gives us a competitive advantage, be it in Diaspora or on International cycles.”
This is hilarious!
Your notoriety for good English speaking, my friend has earned you nothing!
Let me tell you what matters:
1. For a long time, the whites taught you English so they can loot your resources. They succeeded.
2. Then came the Indians, they used broken English to run your Economy. Almost 40 years they made themselves wealthy while you wallowed in abject poverty with your “good english.”
3. Here comes the dinky-eyed man with his almost inaudible diction – broken all over – controlling your Economy.
Like some stup1d Bembas, you want to appear like you are wearing a suit but its just the collar and tie. True to…
This is foolishness, with the 73 languages?? What will the children follow? We are proud of our local languages but does not mean we should change our curriculum. These Old men are taking our country backward. Zambians worldwide are known to speak Good English, which gives us a competitive advantage, be it in Diaspora or on International cycles. I am disappointed for a man like Phiri with his PHD to tolerate this rubbish. Use that money wisely. We have other priorities you Old men. Would make sense if you also encouraged french??
Agreed, that would be progressive, as that is where the world is going – learning more international languages than English; not this reverse gear ya-a-phiri!
He should have made his stupid speech in Nyanja if he really believes in what he’s preaching. Will all the books be translated into all 73 languages? If there are 2000 books in a local library, will there be 73copies per book = 146,000 books on the shelf? Those socialist ideas borrowed from Nyerere’s Tanzania pose a serious threat to our country. Even China has more English learners than England & USA put together.
Apparently Tanzania is doing better economically than Zambia.
One thing these idiots dont want to mention is what language will that be coz we have some many and i dont think this government will train teachers in all the 72 language to implement this strategy
Meaning each and every teacher should go to his/her province to teach effectively. How much has the government have to repatriate teachers to their various provinces?
Has thinking to do with any language? This is the first time I am hearing of such a think. As far as I am concerned, there is no attachment of any language to thinking because even animals are able to think and judge.
This introduction of local language is good but it has to go in stages and I hope a wider research had been conducted in other countries before embarking on ours. Otherwise, we shall go back to square 1 were grade twelves would even be failing to greet in English.
Yes, my dear. There is such a thing as thinking in a language. You see, language is a a set of symbols that take on a meaning in specific contexts. Thinking is simply stringing or rather sequencing these symbols. Verbalizing such sequences or acting in a manner which implies those sequences is called language. The symbols are not universal, but some meanings are similar. The differences in sequences and context in which sequences are uses result in misunderstandings – the height of it would be conflict.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with us promoting our languages in our own country.
He said the new curriculum is there to remove the torture children have undergone by being taught in English in the past years hence the reason government has set outside 113 million for materials. First and foremost which torture is he talking about? He should have also looked at the Teacher. suppose a Lozi teacher who teaches grade 2 is transferred to Muchinga Province where they teach senga. what will happen to that teacher he/she will be came irrelevant to the system and be called a ghost worker.Or a bemba child goes to western province, that is now torture. Mr phiri should also have realized that we have some investors in the country who speak English. a poor grade 12 who doesn’t fully know English want a job, applies in Nyanja to the investor eshi!!
Why do we have transfers, anyway? Why don’t we let people work where they want to? When a position opens up in Muchinga, and Lozi person wants to go work there, there should not be a problem; they know what to expect. Comes with the territory. Same with the Lamba who wants to work in Chadiza.
You are giving lame excuses, ladies and gentlemen!
”And Dr. Phiri has announced that government has signed a 21 million Kwacha memorandum of understanding with DMI Saint Eugene University for fast track distance learning program to upgrade teachers’ qualifications in Mathematics and Science.”
Was the tender for the distance learning floated in the public media.Why did we settle for this Indian origin university which is only in Tanzania,Sierra Leone,Malawi and Zambia.
So how much was your cut from the 21 million kwacha MOU?
I think you have found the answer!
Whenever you have PF IDI0TS implementing things that go against common sense and logic, dig deeper.
I smell a RAT! In fact lots of them. More money in someones pocket?????
Instead of channelling money to government institutions to train teachers ( UNZA,CBU, COSETCO). This University is not a serious one I fact one even wonders the qualifications of the members of staff. They may have settled for it due to its Catholic links
Aah, now you want to be Zambian, huh? The color of money!
See you can’t have it both ways!
What a stupid comment,how do the kids communicate when grownup with the outside world?Bemba, or any other local language?Be serious.
There’s a Huge problem with this idea of compulsory local languages being taught in schools. Firstly one has to read the blogs on this on-line paper, & see the Poor standard of English by the editors of these papers, to realise the standards of both written & spoken English have deteriorated to a level where our parents spoke better English than the young today.
All I’m suggesting is the world is now a smaller village, & this policy will disadvantage our citizens on the job market if they travel away from home & cannot string or write a rational sentence in English. Make local languages optional.
You just shot yourself in the foot! Zambians have had a chance to learn and speak good English for almost a century and a half. Just read the postings on this blog to appreciate the level of success.
Few people, most of them hauling from foreign lands, can write a complete and logical sentence in English. When will it happen, Zambia, when?
Almost a 150 years of English speaking and this is what we have to show for? Give me a break!
Its sad to know our governments past and present have no back bone, whenever donors come into the country with their own views as how the education system should be, they go for it without thinking of the future of our children. I wish some things like education wouldn’t be messed with, they can politicize and experiment with everything but education.
I think someone is oiling someone’s fingers.Because this doesn’t make sense.
This is nonsense. Zambia will be a laughingstock?? Have you seen people who come from countries where they use local languages?? Kenya, Tanzania etc. We should not go that route.
To me, and I think I matter more than the Scandinavian, Zambia is a laughing stock for despising its own languages, sacrificing them for the language of former colonial masters.
In 1985 I met a guy in Kafue who spoke great French. A Zambian. The guy was so proud of himself that he spoke a language that other people around him could not understand. I broke out in Tonga and he went cold.
If that is not foolish pride, I don’t know what is.
I don’t believe this S**t, Zambia is going backwards! Nothing wrong with knowing a local language but in school it should English for all, how are we to do business abroad if we don’t understand the universal language. I don’t believe some of these PF members actually have these qualifications they claim to have coz non of the crap he’s said make sense. PF are all frauds
how can nyanja be a local language in rufunsa when the people speak soli
how can bemba be a local langauge in mpongwe when children speak lamba
how can nyanja be a local language in chiyuni when the children speak lenje
do you think the nkoyas will allow their children to speak lozi???
kaya
Do you think the Nkoya’s will allow their children to speak Lozi? Yes my dear we already do. Silozi is the lingua franca in Western Province. Even the Luyi Litunga Lubosi Imwiko II and his Children use Silozi instead of their Siluyana mother tongue! Silozi is the common language for the over 30 tribes in Western Province!
Precisely my point – The aim from the Government, atleast from my point of understanding, is to use local languages to enable quick learning of skills and understanding in class …bla..bla..bla
But if you are in lamba land and you are taught in bemba does that help matters. The poor typical lamba child must learn fluent bemba first to understand what the teacher is communicating.
Has’nt the government just flipped the coin. The new curricullum and the old are just two sides of the same token.
The teacher will be confused with bemba first, assuming he is not well vested in bemba before teaching to typical lamba pupils.
what happens if the teacher is transfer to another province?. Is the government going spend more tax payers money to retrain?
Governing by confussion for…
Are we really buying into this nonsense that learning English is TORTURE?
Really?
I’m almost certain that there is a donor somewhere who has paid a lot of money in order to confuse us Zambians and keep us dull and poor by pretending to champion this local language thing.
It is the parents’ duty to teach their children their native tongue. Leave the schools out of it!
#OneZambia
kekekekekee
Zambia is my country as well.Why do I not have a say in this? Who employed that moron as education minister? This whole thing is backward and retarded. Inga ifwe twasambiliile shani? Makandi yabo ba fyatiile.
Teachers, whatever you choose to defend, let it be based on your own judgment of your experience in the field, not because someone wants you to loyally defend their agenda, which, if you ask me, is a very backward idea..
Well said. If some moron tells you to jump into a fire, use your good judgement and tell the IDI0T he is a F00L and ignore his stupidity.
PF really do not know what they are doing!
Some zambians are so brainwashed. What pride does it give you to embrace an acquired language and reject your own? Some of you can’t even speak or write proper English like an English man eg the writer of this article and many of the bloggers here. What an inferiority complex. Learn to listen to the experts for once.
Please why don’t you write in your own language for us to properly understand your thoughts? Aren’t you proud of your mother tongue?
Go back to zed you are a disgracing yourself.
Mwenda and Liberty, you are true examples of who Joan is referencing. You guys cannot construct good short sentences in English. It is sad! Very sad.
Spot on Joan and Sattish! The level of ignorance on this forum is simply astounding! From what I can tell, Zambians need to decolonize their minds. I would suggest to contributors to refrain from making such emotional and ignorant comments when they clearly understand nothing about linguistics.
I have said it before and I will say it again that it’s parents’ and families’ responsibility to teach their children their native language, not schools. Let schools teach our children in English and we the parents should play our role. The only problem is most Zambians suffer from a complex, largely inferiority, where they think speaking your native language is being backward. Muchinje. Otherwise John Phiri will have no choice but teach your children the native languages for you.
I think PF just misunderstood this policy and are now wrongly applying it. I think rather than making a blanket application of this so called local languages Policy, Government should have just kept the old system in place and instead introduced HELP or SUPPORT for those learners having issues with English. I trully belive this was the advise given to PF but as usual they misunderstood the advise and are now doing their own think. And the traggedy is that all the thinking people in the system are scared to challenge this failed experiment because it is backed by One Wynter Kabimba. This is really sad
I dont think they misunderstood anything. If they misunderstood, then surely can they manage a nation? It is a deliberate move to disadvantage a bigger part of the population seeing that people are becoming too clever for them to rule in any fashion they want. They are upto creating a nation of semiliterates which are easier to handle.
They think ahead, 10, 20 years from now, will Mulenga Sata be safe to rule and protect our current loot through RDA?
It is just a way to steal money. they will use k10,000 to print those materials and distribute and pocket the k103,000. then later they will say the idea failed, anyway the govt tried. They are raising money for 2016 elections to bribe the whole country as they know that they need a lot of money to win the election which no donor can give given their bad reputation as govt.
What’s the essence of all this? When the world has become a Global market, nations are encouraging their citizens to atleast learn Five of the Globally used languages, we decide to do the opposite, really?
This will not only be supper expensive but a sheer waste of time plus energy. Just take my advice of introducing two languages officially, English and Zambianse, which will have all the other 73 infused in it kwapwa!
This project you want to embark on will be cut short in the middle by either the next Government or just PF itself, mark my words!
I understand every minister wants to seem doing something gigantic so as to be percieved brainy or later to be known as someone who introduced that project, but as the saying goes, Mpaska tapabula chipubwa! Hope his HEMCS will discard this…
Last Sentence, Cindy, re-read your last sentence. All wrong! It underscores the ministers argument.
@ Sattish,
I must say am very intrigued by the way you have carried out your argument! Though I agree with you about how wrong my last sentence is, I beg to differ that it underscores the Ministers arguement! I havent spoken or written Bemba for many years which is the reason why it is all wrong for they say practice makes perfect! As for this issue at hand, the man must have a good heart for the Zambian languages but wrongly placed. I hope to engage you fully on this issue sometime later as I believe we havent heard the last of it. For now let me leave it here, just thought I should clarify why my last sentence was such a mess, sometimes it can be due to typing error, but then again doesnt that tell you something about how unnecessary all this “gedoe” is?
Cindy,
It should not matter how long it has been since you had a meaningful conversation with your beautiful and dignified grandmother (if you know what I mean). If you have love and respect for yourself, you would not forget your Bemba. Listen to Guy Scott speak his English. I bet you he has not forgotten how to write it either.
I have a friend who has been away from Lundazi for over a decade. Last month I caught up with him on Skype, speaking to his old uncle in deep, I mean deep Tumbuka. I was floored. I could resist the temptation to ask him how he managed to maintain his language skill this this long and protracted dry spell. He giggled, ‘I am Tumbuka, mdala.’ In your Bemba, Cindy, they say, “Aka owele,…” Let’s see you finish it up. Kikiki
@ Sattish,
Though I agree with most of what you have said, I still dont believe in the new system Government wants to introduce for many obvious reasons. Well well well, You got me gasping for a sec over my Granny 🙂 or you know something I dont?
I bet Scotty speaks English almost every day so that would make it easy for him. Believe you me My tongue and mind fight each other every time I try to make a two minute correct sentence in Bemba, I guess am a lost sheep, I was just laughing out loud because I cant seem to make out what that word is in Bemba, believe it or not I first thought it was tumbuka, try finishing it for me maybe I will get the meaning. Otherwise, this project is as good as a dream which never was brought to its realisation!
@ Sattish,
Are you who I think you are? Well well well….. it’s indeed a small computer world! Otherwise, am in shock! You know I have come to realise that maybe my Bemba was not just good enough, I speak town Bemba but that pure one is just too hard to master especially when there are all sorts of Bemba languages out there, even the Town Bemba is confusing, one does not know which one is real. I have been laughing because I cant finish that mapinda, at some point I thought it was Nyanja.
Otherwise, this project is as good as dead!
This is so stupid. Even now we are not considered native English speakers. Our English has a very strong intonation that’s why we can’t teach English in Asia or other developed countries but south Africans can, why because they have a better education system. We have to focus on excellence not our underdeveloped languages. English is a global language now we can’t compare it with Swahili. I’m studying in south Korea my parents have never sent me money here since I can tutor English and earn enough for my living expenses and pay my tuition fee.
My friends from Tanzania have to work in dirty dangerous factories to make not even half of what I make hourly. Please let’s protest this stupidity.
Your “underdeveloped languages.” A proud global person making that statement, oh my! Study the social character of Japan and what makes it a formidable economic power house. It is not speaking ill of itself.
One young girl told me ‘America is great, and I believe it is, because we are told from childhood that we are the greatest nation on earth.’ Indeed, that PMA takes them farther. You, on the other hand, will always be tracking the heels of those you hold in high esteem. The British and the Americans especially. And as long as you do that, you will never be like them, but a pitiful shadow.
HH this is your chance to shine. Get Phiri out of that job. You will have the support of all Zambians. Send that dinosaur back to extinction
As a true Zambian I allow my kids to speak any local language they can. That way they are not limited in their interactions and navigation of this beautiful country. I for one speak three local languages and understand well two which I am also learning to speak. I am not ending here until I can speak well all the seven principle local languages pa Zed. That’s me; a true and proud Zambian.
I salute you. Indeed you are a true Zambian!
Kudos to you! keep going!
Good morning
Not that I’m against the use of our local languages but I too find this policy to be rather difficult to pursue.
Wouldn’t it be better to introduce it in a few schools first, 1 school in every province for instance and then conduct a study based on the performance of pupils from these schools in terms of results before implementing it in every school?
We are talking about education here. Let’s not start one thing now and abandon it later when a new government takes office. The new constitution should also bring clarity on this matter.
Why is development only in one province? please help!
Lack of tribalism?
Very foolish man taking the children backwards instead of forward. This is another Steven Masumba please have his doctorate authenticated. An educated man cannot really believe that learning English is torture. Forcing kids to learn native is torture. Everyone should have a choice and not forced. What happens when they get to university level? Oh boy I can see it already, the universities will also be forced to teach on native. They are making their chances slimmer for these kids to be able to work abroad in future. Teach them French, German or Spanish. These morons and their backward ideas. Good thing is that in 2016 this curriculum will be scrapped just like the party that has installed this ridiculous idea. Create jobs not languages!!!
How do you say, “differential reproduction of genotypes” in Spanish?
See how illogical your argument is?
What is wrong with the current system? No one has complained and pupils have been doing exceptionally well. So what thinking in local language is he talking about. We have lived with the current system for years without any problems. I can smell a rat here.
This is how people bring problems in the country. Lusaka is Soli land, what language will be taught?
Copperbelt is lamba land. What language are they going to use?
Every language should be recognised by its existence in a certain area. That is the language which must be taught.
Kambwili
What was wrong with our current curriculum? Did the Minister widely consult ? What are teachers’ views? Teachers interact with pupils on a daily basis and are better placed to know the areas that need to be changed in the school curriculum.
The problem in Zambia -very few people advise people in power based on their true understanding or inner feelings.
Which professional educator would really accept that this the best use of money or resources by the Ministry of Education. whose project is it in any case?. Is this not abuse of office.
Was there a complaint by the teaching profession that they were having a problem in communicating with pupils for the government to introduce a new curriculum.
Now there will be a real problem in cummunicating with the pupil because in urban areas very few will understand the langauge of communication in class.
Take Lusaka Province for example urban pupils will not fully understand ‘deep’ nyanja while in the rural area they speak lenje, soli, etc it will be real torture!
Nice that somebody else is concerned.
Here are some translation:
Money= Umuzulu; house = bondi or akabumba
Elder borther= Ze biggie
Sister= sistele; lady of the night= solola
Girl=akasabula; sexually transmitted infection = ukupunkisha
Car=jally; smoking=ukubaila; drinking alcohol=ukukaba
Nkhani yonse ili chabe bwino naime a koswe. nonga nishi vonse nikususha? Molumbbako viyake. Boma ikufunilani mafuna abwino kuti nzeru zanu zipambane. A Bambo Phiri alongosola bwino kwambili. Tiyno tonse tipeleke mitundu yasu pasogolo.
”We need to learn in order to do something; Zambia is for us – no one is going to come out from somewhere to develop this country, forget it, only ourselves. So if we cannot stand up and promote that which is our own, then we are doomed,” said Phiri-de la Court. The Post, 1/28/2014
MMMMMMMM….ILIKO BAD
@BOOM & WHATEVER
You have rightly said thing in mother tongue, now listen to this my mother tongue is Mambwe, I therefore thing in mambwe, but I am in Mongu, my child will be taught in Lozi, while he is thing in Mambwe. Since I am a civil servant, imagine I am transferred to Zambezi, my child who thinks in mambwe and started his learning in Lozi, now has to start learning in Luvale, now if I move again like the way Emmanuel Mwamba was moved around and say I am moved to Chipata, my child will have to start learning in Ngoni, stretching further, I am moved to choma, my child will have to adjust again. Imagine the confusion in the child’s mind, his grades will not improve because he is starting all over every time we move. That is the part Dr. Phiri is not looking at.
Your initial complaint should be against being moved around like a foot soldier. How many irrational behaviors have we come to accept as normal in Zambia? Reshuffles for instance, is an example of an appointing authority who did not do a good job of matching people and positions based on their qualifications.
Moving civil servants around falls under the same category. And it must stop!
I meant think not thing
One step forward, 3 steps backwards, only in Zambia!
There goes the future of our nation. The Ethiopians did the same and they are now regretting. The country has some of the best long distance runners in the world but who can’t give an interview in English after a race let alone appearing on adverts internationally, like their compatriots from other countries. I am afraid Zambia is now being turned into George Orwell’s ‘animal farm,’ except in our case, the pig at the top says, “from now on, no animal shall perform well in school, because one day, they may learn to hold press conferences and therefore outdo me”! In an animal farm, if the chief pig is a standard 4, no one should dare rise to standard 6 because it is treason and that animal has to have his or her passport confiscated. Not in my house!!
It would have made sense if the EDU minister had introduced magnet schools (not sure if it’s allowed in place) and then come up with charter schools,this makes alot of sense .magnet schools at secondary level and charter schools as a pilot project in primary school,in each province ,later on at least on in each town.
Sorry meant already not allowed.
Too late ba Phiri! I have already taught my children English first so that they can use it at school, then I will teach them my mother tongue (which they picking nicely), then they can pick-up chinyanja and chibemba from their friends if they like. Now you want to impose your local language on them!!! Now i can’t even look for another job in some other part of the country or abroad because my children will have to start all over again! Where are my rights as a parent? And indeed their rights as children?
The issue in Zambezi of schools on the eastern bank wanting to be taught Luvale in Lunda areas is completly out. let the Luvales go across the zambezi to use Luvale. its not possible to impose lunda on luvale schools in the western bank plz we ask our fathers not to allow this nosence to prevail on our honrable land Viva lunda on Eastern bank
This is my fear this useless policy will just promote blood tribalism. I’m scared.
…this is the most ridiculous senseless ideology one can ever think of mandatory applying on its citizenry in modern Zed. Instead of just yapping and posting comments online, we need to physically react to this RETROGRESIVE manoeuvre. All those parents who are not in favour of this cruel tactic on our defenceless children should hold back their children from attending classes for atleast two weeks (exact period to be agreed) as a way of protest. the kids wont miss anything but the message shall have been sent to the manipulators…..
Whose dull Children have complained of English torture?
Instead of this useless policy, government should find a way of using all the 73+ local languages of Zambia on the national broadcaster Radio 1 and allow them to be taught as a subject in schools within the areas where each local language is predominant. For example have soli as a subject in Chongwe; Ila in Namwala; Nkoya in Nkeyema; Nyengo in Sikongo, Mambwe in Mbala, Lamba in Mpongwe, Lenje in Chisamba, Luvale in Chavuma, Kaonde in Kasempa, Nsenga in Katete, etc This will promote culture better than this confusion they want to introduce!
You are absolutely correct. If teaching Zambia children in English is TORTURE, if follows therefore that teaching Tumbuka speaking children in Lundazi in Chinyaja is TORTURE and teaching Lamba speaking children in Shimukunami in Chibemba is TORTURE. So, what is the Minister’s point if not all local languages will be used.
Well said!
But don’t teach Nsenga in Katete baba, teach Chewa there.
Stop using a great thinker’s name to spit bile on a good idea Socrates would have given a rational argument not lacklustre and doggy allegories designed only to scorn never to take an argument forward
So Mr Minister you are saying we used to make English wire cars, and our children should do otherwise. But in grade 5 they will make English wire cars right?
And so on the basis of making vernacular wire cars shall Zambia be developed… because all this underdevelopment we see today is a result of us older people having had made wire cars in English.
I see your point sir. Very Brilliant.
Ah, I see the point too. Vernacular wire cars will be a means of employment, once these kids won’t be able to go further with their education. You know, because, English is some form of torture. Smart guy this Dr is *shaking head in absolute disbelief*
What the Minister said could only hold water if teaching will be in all the 73 local languages because other children’s mother tongues are not among the 7 official local languages. If it will only in the 7 local languages, teaching Tumbuka speaking children in Lundazi District in Chinyanja will be equally a TORTURE. Who told the Miister that mother tongues of Zambian children are restricted to the 7 so called official local languages. There 66 other local languages which need to be used as media of instruction.
Where is going to get the money to pay teachers to teach all the 73 languages we have in Zambia . He can’t even afford to pay the nurses. Basata ubupuba. Let the educated people have a say on this issue, not chikaponya like Sata .
Don’t lie in a ministerial position.
English was never a torture to learn, even though my own parents never really spoke English as they were unschooled.
Let us begin with you Mr minister giving press conferences in Nsenga, Chewa or Tumbuka.
Wenye niuipa ngako ukakuweleleni mweo baba.
To a major extent this project will make the poor peaple poorer because they will stand little chance with children of parents from the middle class or higher.
Parents of richer kids will do their best to either hire teachers to teach their children english early in life before grade 4 or take them to schools that offer the service from preschool. In short the rich kids will have both the local & english language understanding before Grade 5 and instantly be at an advantage to the poor kids from the start.
If the aim is to enable appreciation of the local languages then make the local language a must pass subject at Grade 7. Then the rich will do every thing to make their children pass who infact are the ones lacking in this area.
This project is upside down. One does not need a…
Which ever way you look at it, it works for the ruling class. This will definitely render much of the population sem-literates as kids will struggle to pass grade 7. Sata thrives on mediocrity and now he is already preparing an easier generation of semi-literates for his son Mulenga Sata to rule at ease if he becomes peresident.
It takes a lot of development of a language if it is to stand the test and be applied for example to teach science. None of the Zambian languages have been developed to this extent and that is probably the biggest disadvantage, no teacher would dare use such a language to use as a medium of teaching, it would be hard!
You may have wondered why? The responses on this blog have been the reason for many years. Most of you are too young to remember Prof. Mubanga Kashoki. He was a great scholar who advocated this. Tukali kucita masobela.
This. issue.of.teaching in local language in schools is an attempt to bring into existence some tribes dominating the others. The current system had worked the mess is in the provision of teachers, the provision of classroom spaces to sit forty learners each class lacking,above all of poor governance by the colonialist informer poor leadership of dividing the Zambian people.
am trying to understand this switch that is being talked about that after grade 4 they start learning in english this is arrant nonsense because i mean how do you compete with kids from international school at grade 7 because obviously the exams will be in english.i want to see how this works
Don’t even try to understand the gods will destroy you together with him……its total madnes, just look at the example to wire cars, nsolo etc! Do you think that’s normal?
what most of you haven’t understood is that the making of wire cars is a cognitive venture that illustrates how we learn. for most of us brainwashed Africans education is associated only with the classrooms the colonisers Brought. Education is something we africans did even before the arrival of the whites. clever societies dont throw away everything they depended on for new ideas. They adapt. Ask the Chinese Japs and Russians
Nalifundwa Ndafunda,
That is what I am talking about!
imagine, ati Kamozi na Kamozi tupanga tubili which is 1+1 = 2 then after four years of learning that in Nyanja, a child has to start that whole process of learning the damn thing in English that Kamozi ndiye one muchizungu elo tubili ndiye two. So kamozi na kamozi tupanga tubili muchizungu ni one plus one equals two, thats in grade four. By the time such a child reaches grade seven and has to learn about improper fractions, I can guarantee you that such a child is destined for under-education and a life biased towards perpetual poverty.
Educated but Dull! any I understand you 1. Those who the gods wants to destroy starts by making them made. 2. You go and do a research in New Zealand and you come and apply the findings from there here in Zambia, bottoms-up kind of approach. The your senseless policy can not work in Zambia where we have 73 tribes, it can only work in your bedroom may be, but even there I know you tell your wife I love in English. How is it any good for my child who is Lozi to learn in Chewa? That should have been your definition of TORTURE. How I’m i going to help my children with there home work when i can’t even greet in Chewa or Bemba for example? So if you will use the 7 main languages, what will happen to the other 66 tribes? Mr. Phiri spare us this nonsensical policy..those who call Dr. need…
Bloggers forgive dr. Phiri, he was tortured by being taught in English, imagine the torture he went through to have finally got his doctorate. I have interacted with Teachers who seem to be confused with this new system. Imagine Nkhazi Primary teaching in Chinyanja or is it Soli. The Government should have left it up to the schools in rural areas to teaching in local languages. Here in town we actually put our children through nursery so that their English in grade one is good. Mother Zambia is going backwards and it will take a new government to undo this mess.
Not long ago the ministry had introduced to what is known in education circle as NBTL. What was wrong with that system ? The ministry should stop experimenting with things in order to please powers that be. For starters the ministry has got no materials to implement this curriculum however good it may sound. This approach is bound to fail , teachers aren’t trained in this new curriculum & no text books for the pupils . The ministry should have first done the capacity building than rushing this curriculum through.
I think what the government must advocate for is that children must learn a vernacular language over and above English and other subjects. Those that are not natives may benefit from this and communicate outside of school. I remember years back learners used to be taught in one language predominant in that province and get examined in grade 7. I wrote Nyanja in grade 7. In Southern province Tonga was taught; Lusaka and Eastern, Njanja was taught, in Kabwe and Copperbelt Bemba was taught. Learners can also opt to take a vernacular language after grade 7, and even do it in form five and at University level. I remember at Canisius my friends wrote Tonga literature in form 5. The only difference is I never saw any of them at UNZA.
My child has started absconding classes for fear of using local language. The teacher is asking them to greet her in Njanja ati mulibwanji apuzinsi”. Its not easy for kids to adjust.
Teach your children to be comfortable in their “skin.”
we need to carry out an evaluation of this move. does it have any benefits? where does it benefit more? in rural or urban areas. does it pose a potential danger to society in areas like copperbelt where the lambas feel they are being forced to learn bemba in their own land or luvale and lunda in zambezi district. i feel this move required much discussion especially in danger prone areas
Lambas learn lamba in Masaiti Mpongwe Chiwala Mushili Dont confusr the CB urban area kitwe mufulira luanshya chingola etc which are infiltrated by Bemba with lamba home villages
I even pity my grandchild, At the Nursery school they taught them in English, which she speaks fluently. Now for her to cop up when she just came from Ndola, awe bulanda bushala. this also happened to my girl now doing grade 7 instead of 8, she was good ku nursery school, but got confused with tonga in grade 1 as she is not tonga she narated oneday when I asked her why she was not doing well at school. Let this just be a subject and not all subjects in local languages
“Cop up?” Is that English?
“Children are able to play Chipombwa on the streets, make wire cars, and play insolo without the instruction of mummy or daddy. This is an indicator that children first think in local language. But once they get to grade one they are tortured to think in English and this has not taken the country anywhere.”
As an educator I don’t agree with this statement because for a child to learn a game like nsolo they need to be given instructions on how the game is played. Besides, children have no problems with picking up a new language. What we need to do is to teach English correctly. We need to invest in audio and visual aids. Yes, the local languages should also be taught in the same way.
Anyone out there with a mobile phone, which includes the Lunda language? I need one for my under 12 son.
Did he feel tortured in his time to be taught in English?
Creative destruction, only difference is there is nothing to destroy!
This message should be meant for parents not teachers.
Just scrap the idea. it’s too much trouble for what it is worth. There is more tribalism now than when local languages were taught at school and the reason is freedom of speech and sour grapes.
One word comes to mind in describing this minister: I.D.I.O.T.
This is a very retrogressive policy. According the minister statement on 2013 grade 7 results, he did indicate that private schools did very well! The question is, why change a policy that has worked well instead of modeling the rest of the system to one the private schools are using? Private school have early childhood education-baby class, middle class, reception and then grade one. These initial stages are used to ground the children in English so that they don’t struggle when they get to grade one. Govt schools on the other hand have the first contact with the children in grade one where they have to teach both English and important concepts, it’s difficult!
But the answer is using the early childhood education to teach children English and graduate them to grade one.
Rethink sir!
failed state everything is trial and error even at half a century
W T F?!!!!!
According to Dr. Phiri, does it mean that Obama’s children should have learnt in Kiswahili up to grade 4 for them to understand English? The issue is that most parents in urban areas communicate to their children in English (which is their mother tongue) and thus the issue of local languages will not work.
Firstly, if you are a native Zambian, it is highly unlikely that English would be your mother tongue even if you spoke to your children in it. Please find out what the definition of mother tongue is. Secondly, Obama’s children’s mother tongue is English, so why would they have to learn in Kiswahili???
This is a very primitive way of bridging the gap between bakaponya and the learned. English is only tortuous to the kaponyas not my children
A childs brain is capable of learning any language its exposed to. Just improve the teachers conditions. Don’t fix it if it’s not broken !
The problem is most Zambians think they speak good English thus their devouring of Dr Phiri s brilliant idea. But just look at the grammar from the bloggers here. Most of them could have performed better at school in their mother tongue. Speaking English is not equal to being educated
You sir/madam are a dreamer. Most Zambians do well with their so called broken English as most of them can’t compose a sentence in their mother tongue. So let us be….
Salisbury,
Unfortunately the world does not work like that.
You’ve hit the nail on the head! Thank you!
Ladies and gentlemen, its simples – if this is to be implemented in the first few years of primary school, this is how it will work;
– 5 main subjects will be covered and most teachers in primary school are ‘all rounders’ (teach all subjects)
– the 5 subjects will be translated into 73 languages (dialects)
– then each teacher, because of transfer possibilities, will train to teach the 5 subjects in 73 languages
– that will equal to proficiency to teach in 5 x 73 languages (365 altogether)
– and Dr Phiri says this will all be attained in not more than 4 years
Simples! So I don’t know what most of you are complaining about
Stop using a great thinker’s name to spit bile on a good idea Socrates would have given a rational argument not lacklustre and doggy allegories designed only to scorn
This is what we get for not moving with the times when electing our leaders! These tired know-it-all old men we keep electing in no way appreciate current advances in education but wallow in colonial education that taught kept them away from early learning of English! The truth of PF leadership is unfolding for we are being compartmentalized in tribal groupings!
“that taught obedience”
If our pupils will only start learning English in Grade V as the PF policy suggests, then our pupils will lose their global competitive edge. Tanzania where a similar policy to the PF is applied is a good example for you.
In what area was Zambia better than Tanzania?
Wrong question. The right question is in what area are Tanzanians better than Zambians for using their local language as medium of instruction? None.
do all nonse now but dont zambians for remember how many pipo hav bin in those positions. all malabishi will be reversed we hav votes and shall hold u account for creating this anarch. you call english toture what a doctor. following blindly
It is utter madness for the minister to state that the use of English is a torture to children. Ask this same minister what language his children use; obviously it is English. No one is against the use of local languages. What we are against is the use of local languages as a mode of instruction rather than them being taught as a subject as it has always been. This useless idea introduced by these mad people called the PF will just disadvantage our children because globally English is spoken as a language of communication. Just check how inferior the Tanzanians feel when you speak in English and they are unable to respond. Is this what you want to subject our children to? Please be realistic and stop practicing politics of appeasement. This PF government is taking us backwards.
Where did you get the ridiculous idea that Tanzanians do not speak English?
In 1976 some stupid racist boers decide to force children in places like Soweto to take boer as a language of instruction; the result was the world famous picture of young Hector Petersen carried, dead, in the hands of a mournful young-man.
The deadly experiments this disaster of a minister is trying to do has already seen tribal tensions that simmer ever close to the surface, come to the fore in NWP, and the Story will ever get worse. In WP for instance teaching Nkoya in Kaoma or teaching Lozi, will be a conflict that has all the indications of taking a bloody turn.
Over 60 % of the people never voted for the MMD in 2011; but on the shocking decisions of this misguided and questionable doctor it would be generous if a 100% voted against the MMD.
Your example is misplaced: Afrikaans was the oppressor’s language, which was being forced on South Africans, so of course there was resistance!
Why does PF like controversy in everything they do. I am failing to understand these guys. It’s like they are from another planet.
Now I understand why zambians are mediocre in general. people yap just for the sake of. Did you know Tanzanian education system beats Zambian education system? They even have PHD holders heading colleges. People talking ill of Tz education system simply dont know what they are talking about. The fact that they learn in swahili doee not make them dull. of course they might struggle with English but that does not make anyone dull. What a country! Ask anyone at Curriculum Development centre when this language issue was first started. CDC has had workshops and workshops about this for more than 10 years!!! give PF a break!
your post alone suggests that you the zambian in particular has a lot of unfinished business with the ministry of education.
E Silwamba, I couldn’t agree with you more! Zambians are unashamedly ignorant and I’m shocked at people’s level of thinking on this issue!
What makes the Tanzanian education system better than the Zambian system? Is it because they use Swahili? Please make progressive comments about the subject at hand. I have been educated using the very system of education you frown upon now and truth be told I do not fall in your mediocre category! And so do many Zambians for that matter. The ‘system’ or maybe your circumstances may have made you mediocre and you may have as some has said ‘unfinished business with the ministry of education’. Deal with it and speak for yourself, but do not insult Zambians!
There is no such a thing as thinking in a Language; it’s the same as saying I was dreaming in Bemba, Lamba, Tonga, Lozi or English.
These chaps can do better. These children will have their progress decelerated especially in the family has to move around. Can they at least make it possible to have English as an option as well?
Ever heard of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis?
On implementation of policies, PF government demonstrates that, they have no clue whatsoever. One would wonder whether they got power through democratic means, coup, or from foreign rule. Why are they so haphazard in changing systems or policies? Do they think that the former leaders MMD were not Zambians. Even if PF hates the constituent of MMD or MMD itself, the rules/methodology to change systems remain the same – systematic! To me this issue of local language gives us opportunity to choose, whether we promote street values or homely values.
I support the PF government in their continued efforts to decolonise us. Keep it up
It must be tough to be presiding over a nation with a team of ministers supporting,advising and implimenting wrong policies.One comes up with mining in the park,the other initiation into “formal education” using local languages and what next?I feel for our president and now understand the many reshuffles and firings.I pray god gives you the patience and enduarance ,wisdom and probably we need the reintroduction of the national prayer.Nothing wrong with encouraging the use of our dying local languages through teaching them as optional subjects.but to make it policy is a mistake which can be corrected and corrected now.Young minds are like sponges,delicate and whatever foundation you build for them should be solid .Meaning,they need as well as global ,self identity.
@jocyline
I dont understand the relationship between decolonising and use of local language..!
Was PF campaigning to decolonise Zambians?
Was MMD a foreign party ruling Zambia?
To me, this is a choice on whether Zambia should be an integral part of the world or not?
What has the world done to Zambia sothat we must move away from it?
Moreover, has Zambia got the capacity to sustain itself in isolation?
As a matter of fact English is a symbol of slavery and oppression..Countries that are powerful today speak their native languages..Even American English and British English are not the same though its one Language..The reason behind it is identity and sovereignity.I started school(1999 )in my local language from grade one and only started english in G 2. Sometimes it pains when i hear our kids speaking english ,someone will go like “i will menya you”..Some of you here are just scared that when America and England hear they will give us sanctions. READ THE BOOK OF DAMBISA MOYO “DEAD AID” ..
Spot on! This is the point that everybody seems to be missing. You can’t have your identity in a foreign language. Who are you without your mother tongue?
The Russian Mafia – you are right, We tend to be an imitation country. One can talk about American English, Received English, Nigerian English, Ghanaian English and Zimbabwean English, but not Zambian English. For the simple reason that we want to sound English English in a language that in its own locale, it would be a an anthill climb to find people who speak the same dialect within a mile.
bo phiri bo ki bunohi. pukucwe munyelela siliba. mina mwa ziba sikuwa mubata banabaluna kuli basike baziba sikuwa. lifasi la chicha … musikuteli fateni ku bulelela baluti kuli baeze butoto bwamina bo. mu yepe kasima ni ku kwela mati mwa teni haesicwalo mu ka natwa, lindulwa,lupaula,ni kumibeya mwa ka mbandula!!!!
Ba Minister, leave our children alone and keep your PF madness with PF twapapata
Mr Sata please get rid of this man before he brings even more confusion.
“no country which uses a foreing language as a medium of instruction is developed”
Quote from Professor Ali Masrui (PhD Oxford) professor of cultural studies New York State university
Fellow Zambians, let us concentrate on real issues that concern national development, not just rising GDP on paper to please IMF and World Bank, but on tangible economic development felt and experienced by all (ruralites and urbanites alike).
Dr. Phiri was taught in English and I am sure he took Chichewa as a local language, which by the way I also did. Apart from learning it and really improving the appearance of my G12 certificate, I didn’t need in it university to study Building Science which by the way is all in English. I did not need a local language to study at international universities, in fact they demanded that I speak the ‘Queen’s’ language fluently. Zambia has far too many languages. Which ones will be superior over others? Zambians watch out for the likes of Dr. John…
As in the debate of the mid 1970s when similar proposals; proposals that were ahead of the age of sustainable development and education for sustainability; which proposals should have transformed our country into a huge learning and working community, it is only the voices of the elite with their self preserving instincts to maintain the status quo, and keep privileges and knowledge in the hands of the few, that are being head. The feelings of the majority of our people, who are mostly rural based, are not put into consideration. Instruction in local languages is not peculiar to Zambia. It is a world phenomenon, and a requirement for sustainable development. If Zambia does not implement the policy, we risk being left behind.
this is totally insane. Its not making sense
This is a very interesting topic. Quite good for my research paper. Thanks every body for your contributions.
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