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This article discusses the prospects and challenges of using mother tongue as a subject or medium of instruction in the Ethiopian education system. It explores the constitutional provisions, policy frameworks, and implementation modalities, and suggests recommendations for future actions.
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CIES Atlanta, March 9, 2017 DessalegnGarsamo Gabbiso
1. Ethiopia- Contextual Background 1.1 Introduction of MT Instruction • Ethiopia a multiethnic, multilingual country in the horn of Africa- over 80 ethnic groups and languages. • Adopted positions and conventions in the international forums into its constitution and education policy. • Providing education in about fifty MT languages since 1991 through developing curriculum materials and capacity building
1.1 Ethiopia: Contextual Background • The approach: • Educational experts from the MTs recommend whether the mother tongue should be used as a subject or medium of instruction at the first cycle or complete primary levels. • Regional/Zonal/District councils approve implementation modality and allocation of resources.
1.2 Objectives • Discuss the prospects existing in Ethiopian education system • Provisions in its constitution • Education and Training Policy and frameworks • Implementation modalities • Identify core challenges in the process of MT curriculum development and implementation • Suggest possible recommendations for future actions in line with relevant perspectives
2. Data Source • Secondary data source, namely, document review at Federal MOE, RSEBs, and previous works; • Primary data, viz., interview with Federal MOE and Regional education officers particularly from Afar, Amhara, SNNPR, and Tigray
3. Perspectives and Policy Provisions • Mother tongue as an integral part of prior knowledge necessary for students to move forward with their education. • Mother Tongue based bilingual programs use the learner’s first language to teach beginning reading and writing skills
3. Perspectives and Policy Provisions… • The second or foreign language should be taught systematically so that learners can gradually transfer skills from the familiar language to the unfamiliar one.
3. Perspectives and Policy Provisions… • In the Ethiopian Constitution of 1995, each regional state has the constitutional right to choose, develop and use the MTLs and promote the cultures of its citizens. • This, in other words, enables regional, zonal or district (woreda) councils to decide on the status of their languages to use as a subject or medium of instruction based on their context.
3. Perspectives and Policy Provisions…. • Article 39, 2 • Every Nation, Nationality and People in Ethiopia has the right to speak, to write and to develop its own language; to express, to develop and to promote its culture; and to preserve its history. • Ethiopian Constitution (August 21, 1995), • Article 5, 1-3 • All Ethiopian languages shall enjoy equal state of recognition.
3. Perspectives and Policy Provisions… • Ethiopian Education and Training Policy (April 1994) Promises • 3.5 Languages and Education, 3.5.1-3.5.3 • Cognizant of the pedagogical advantage of the child in learning in mother tongue and the rights of nationalities to promote the use of their languages, primary education will be given in nationality languages. • Making the necessary preparation, nations and nationalities can either learn in their own language or can choose from among those selected on the basis of national and countrywide distribution.
3. Perspectives and Policy Provisions… • Amharic shall be the working language of the Federal Government . • Members of the Federation may determine their respective languages. • The language of teacher training for kindergarten and primary education will be the nationality language used in the area.
4. What is happening Now? • From over 80 Mother Tongues (MTs) Ethiopia provides instruction in about 50 MTs as medium of instruction at primary level, and as a subject from primary to tertiary levels depending on their context. • The SNNP (Southern Nations, Nationalities and People) is using 10 MTLs as medium of instruction in G1-4, and about 20 MTs as a subject at different stages .
4. Current Experience…. • At national level, the remaining more than 30 languages have not yet developed orthography, and children who are speakers of these languages mostly use Amharic or a regional dominant language as media of instruction.
4. What is happening…. 4.1 MT Curriculum Development Status
4. Current Experience… • 3 MTs are being piloted at grade 1 level • 11 MTs are being used for instruction at G1-4 level • 17 MTs for G1-8; 2 MTs G1-10; 2 MTs for G1-12 • The remaining over 30 MTs are not used for instruction but use dominant languages instead.
4. What is happening… 4.2 Teacher Development • 12 MTs have pre-service (CTE) opportunity. • Two MTs for G1-8+CTE; • 10 MTs for G1-University; • Massive short term and summer in-service teacher training takes place
5. Challenges • Difficulty in implementing all MTs: • Resource: • Finance: developing curriculum and building capacity in all languages appears difficult • Human: skilled curriculum experts and teachers in the minority languages
6. Recommendation • Strengthen the current effort through informed planning and mobilize resources • More integration of partner efforts in strengthening comprehensive strategy/framework: • MT based bilingual and/or multilingual approach • Informed decision on second language instruction for minority languages
Thank You! dgabbiso@read.rti.org/ degarsamo2012@gmail.com
References • Benson, Carole. (2005). The Importance of Mother Tongue-based schooling for educational quality, p: 2. • Brown,Katie. (2016). Best Practices in Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education, for UNESCO • ____ (1995). The Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia • MOE. (1994). Education and Training Policy of the FDRE • Malone, S. (2010). Planning Mother Tongue-Based Education Programs in Minority Language Communities • Seidel, K & Moritz, J. (2009). Changes in Ethiopia’s Language and Education Policy- Pioneering Reforms?
