The Zimbabwean
By Paul Ndlovu
9 January 2013
The government has voiced its concern that schools across the country are not teaching minority languages and has said the issue needs to be prioritised.
“This problem is more prone in areas where there was a variety of mixed languages and cultures such as Tonga, Venda and other,†said the minister of education David Coltart.
He pointed out all schools were obliged to teach minority or marginalised languages as part of the country’s educational curriculum.
“There can be no exceptions, the ministry prescribed the curriculum to the schools, which they in turn have to follow.â€
However, Coltart conceded that as much as schools had to pursue the curriculum, he understood the gravity of the problem affecting some areas.
He illustrated how it was a combination of factors starting from shortage of suitable teachers speaking the minority languages, to the curriculum itself and finances.
“These are related problems. The selection and training of teachers is a mandate of the higher and tertiary ministry. We don’t control that aspect, it is an anomaly which the ministry of education can’t solve on its own. If only the ministry of higher and tertiary could redraw some assistance from the education ministry like what used to happen in the 1990s that could be helpful. In my view there are also deficiencies in the syllabus,†he said. Coltart said the problem was deep rooted.
“There are few students from diverse cultures who can speak these languages and pass with the necessary qualifications and proceed to do higher education and become teachers. This has to do with the shortage of schools where they come from. It is a vicious cycle,†he said.
Even though the ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education announced that it would introduce a minority languages department at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic in Gwanda, Coltart said the course would not make the problem disappear.