Cultural Preservation: Educational Expert Calls For Compulsory Teaching Of Indigenous Languages In Schools In Benue State
By Erich Adah-Makurdi
Education is the bedrock of every ideal society that wants to get it right in terms of skills, morals, cultural beliefs and values, in every society it is very difficult to separate cultural values and norms from learning, and language of communication.
If we must preserve our cultural heritage for the unborn generations, then our indigenous languages must be taught in our schools as compulsory subjects both in public and private schools.
Nelson Adole (Ph.d) of the Languages and Linguistics Department at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, says it is so pathetic that majority of the University graduates cannot read and write in their mother tongues, something that he described as worrisome and calls for urgent attention by the government to save and preserve these indigenous languages.
Dr., Adole also says: “the situation is very bad in urban areas where parents don’t teach their little children to speak their mother tongues; talk less about teaching them how to read and write. Everyone comes from an ethnic tribe that have their language, cultural beliefs and norms that must be preserved for the unborn generations. “AThe University don further argue that it is something that parents must do to help these young generations that will also pass to the next generations after them.
Also speaking Miss Mimidoo Torna, an undergraduate with the Benue State University, says she cannot read nor write in Tiv language because she was not taught in school, something that she feels ashamed whenever she is asked to read or write in her language. She describes the situation as a slap on her face whenever she is faced with such challenges. She also lend her voice in supporting the compulsory teaching of indigenous languages in all schools; both public and private. Beginning from the primary to secondary schools and also a compulsory GST course in the University, stating that “it is not too late for the mistake to be undone for the younger ones to save our languages from going into extinction.”
Also speaking, Pastor Joshua Chiagi of the
of NKST Church says the church has tried so much in the aspect of teaching Tiv language to its members in the areas of speaking, reading and writing, using the Tiv Bible version to propagate the gospel of Jesus christ. He further says, it is mandatory for anyone that wants to be a communicant in the NKST to undergo Catechism classes in Tiv, where they are taught the Tiv language. The clergy says that has helped so many Tiv sons and daughters to read and write in Tiv language effectively. He adds that other religious bodies can adopt this pattern. He equally appeals to the government as a matter of urgency to enact laws through the state house of assembly to introduce the teaching of indigenous languages in schools.
Speaking with Mr. Nyon a lecturer of Tiv Language at the College of Education, Katsina Ala, expresses the importance of teaching Tiv language in all schools in the state as a compulsory subject. He says the advantages cannot be overemphased. Mr. Nyon says there are few students who are studying the language as a course not by choice but by the decision of the College when they were denied admission in other disciplines.
Mr. Nyon adds that there are few persons that have earned certificates in Tiv Language and the demand is high in the society for those who may want to do a research in Tiv language but dont know how to read and write. To him, some schools are gradually doing the right thing like Queen of the Rosary Secondary School Gboko, Saint Winifred Ihugh, NKST Secondary School Adikpo, just to mention but a few.
He believes that “if these indigenous languages are taught in schools, it will help these young children to know much about their cultural heritage and it will also help them to understand english language better.”
