South-West
geopolitical zone of Nigeria may soon approve the use of Yoruba
language, their mother tongue, as the language of instruction at Primary
schools in the region.
It
has been revealed after the meeting on Development Agenda for Western
Nigeria (DAWN) held by South-West Governors in Ibadan, Oyo State capital
on the evening of August 29, 2013, Thursday.
Dr.
Kayode Fayemi, the Governor of Ekiti State, has spoken on behalf of his
colleagues, said a region-wide education summit would soon be hosted by
Osun state, to look at a mechanism that would allow the region come up
with a common curriculum for basic education.
According
to Dr. Fayemi, the curriculum would place emphasis on the use of Yoruba
as a language of instruction in basic schools across the region.
It
could be recalled that the National Policy on Education (1976) had
recommended that the mother tongue of pupils should be the language of
instruction at the elementary education level.
A
few weeks ago at a forum in held in Akure Dr. Fayemi stated that pupils
can learn faster when taught in their first language, according to
researchers.
Speaking
further on the outcome of the meeting, the Governor of Ekiti State said
the region was planning an alternative economic framework that will
make the knowledge economy which the region is known for, serve as
bulwark against the emerging reduction in the resource-based economy
that the country currently has.
“What
happens to us? We are being futuristic here. What happens to us as
western Nigeria and we are concerned about Nigeria as a country? What
happens to us when oil no longer flows or when oil sells for one dollar?
Where would the resources come from? How do we harness the energy of
our people, their creativity and innovation as scholars?” Dr. Fayemi
said.
Other
issues discussed at the meeting were the exploration of sports as a
unifying vehicle for development in the region and homeland security
framework to forestall any security challenges.
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