Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. Teachers are now required to learn at least three local languages other than their own so that they will not be limited by language to discharge their duties, reported CITE.
This was said by the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology, Amon Murwira, while responding to a question by Gwanda South MP Omphile Marupi (ZANU PF).
Marupi had asked why the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education continued to deploy teachers who cannot speak local languages. He said:
My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education regarding the state of affairs concerning teachers.
We find that teachers who cannot communicate in local languages are deployed to teach in communities, particularly at elementary level Grade 1.
In response, Murwira said his ministry is implementing a policy to ensure that all teachers who graduate from teachers’ colleges a multilingual. He said:
I wish to thank the Hon. Member for this very important question. You would know that since 2019, the policy for training teachers is now requiring all enrolled teachers at a Teachers’ College to learn three more languages other than their own.
What this means is that a person or a teacher who graduates from the Teachers’ College is able to operate in areas where they are competent in terms of language, but what we are also doing is increasing the pool of Zimbabweans who are multilingual.
It therefore means that this question, as we go into the future, will not become a question.
Minister of Legal, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi said that Government policy is that junior grades in primary school should be taught in their mother language. Said Ziyambi:
Indeed, the Ministry now has a policy of ensuring that, that should not happen. You cannot send a teacher to teach Grade 1 or ECD classes when they do not understand the particular language,” he said.
The thrust is now that even the learners in ECD must be taught in their mother language and as they progress, you introduce the other languages.
If something like that is still happening, I think it needs to be brought to the attention of the relevant authorities for corrective action to be taken.
In 2022, the Government said it would withdraw teachers who are not conversant with local community languages in a move meant to ensure that learners in early childhood development (ECD) are taught in their mother language.
The announcement was made after some communities, mainly where minority languages are spoken, raised concerns over the deployment of teachers who do not speak local languages, particularly in primary schools.
The country recognises 16 official languages, but most schools were mainly teaching Ndebele and Shona.
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