The Federal Government has approved a policy making the various mother tongues compulsory medium of instruction from primary one to six.
Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, announced that the policy, approved at Wednesday’s meeting of the Federal Executive (FEC), is with immediate effect.
According to him, the government is aware that the implementation of the new policy would be difficult but it is necessary to promote the cultivation and use of all Nigerian languages.
He adds that of all the country’s languages, 29 languages had become extinct, leaving the country with 625 languages.
For this reason, he disclosed that the mother tongue will be used exclusively for the first six years of education, and then combined with the English language from Junior Secondary School.
Adamu said even though the policy has officially taken effect, it can only be fully implemented when government develops instructional materials and qualified teachers are available.
He further explained that the mother tongue to be used in each school will be the dominant language spoken by the community where it is located.
