EBIJAGUZO BY'OLUNAKU LW'ENSI YONNA OLW'ENNIMI ENNANSI OLW'OMWAKA 2016

Minisita Weggwanga ow'Ekikula ky'abantu nga y'atwala n'ebyobuwangwa Muky. Rukia Nakadama bwe yabadde ayogera ku lunaku lw'okukuza ennimi ennansi.

Uganda yakuzizza olunaku lw'ensi yonna olw'ennimi ennansi ng'emikolo gyabadde ku National Theatre nga 7 ne 8 omwezi Ogwokuna omwaka guno.  Omulamwa gw'olunaku gwabadde ku nnimi ennansi n'ekifo kyazo mu byenjigiriza ebiri ku mutindo.

Olunaku luno olukuzibwa mu nsi yonna lubaawo nga 21 Ogwokubiri naye Uganda yalukuzizza mu mwezi guno olw'ebiseera by'okulonda bye yalimu mu biseera olunaku luno we lwalina okukuzibwa.

Omugenyi omukulu ku mikolo gy'okukuza olunaku luno, Minisita Rukia Nakadama yeebazizza bannaddiini kubanga bafubye okussa ennimi ennansi ku mwanjo nga ne bwe baba babuulira mu Lungereza era wabaawo avvuunula. Yalabudde amasomero ku kubonereza abaana olw'okwogera ennimi zaabwe era n'abakuutira okussa mu nkola enkola eyassibwawo gavumenti okusomesa abaana mu nnimi zaabwe mu bibiina ebisookerwako.

Abakenkufu mu nnimi abavunanyizibwa ku kutumbula ennimi ennansi mu masomero okuva mu minisitule y'ebyenjigiriza n'ey'ekikula ky'abantu baalaze eggwanga we lituuse mu kukozesa ennimi ennansi mu byenjigiriza ebisookerwako. Dr. Mukasa Lusambu owa minisitule y'ebyenjigiriza yategeezezza nti enkola eno etuuse mu disitulikiti 87.  "Tutendese abasomesa 800 era twakawaayo ebitabo 730,000 mu nnimi 39. Enkola y'okusomesa mu nnimi ennansi mu bibiina okuva mu Kisooka okutuuka ku Kyokusatu erina okussibwa mu nkola mu buli ssomero", Dr. Tony Mukasa Lusambu  bwe yategeezezza.

 Dr. Robinah Kyeyune yakubirizza abazadde okugulira abaana ebitabo bayige okusoma mu kifo ky'okubagulira ebibundu n'ebirala eby'okuzannyisa byokka ate n'asaba okuzzaawo ebyoto wamu n'okubakubiriza okusoma nga bali awaka n'okwogera n'abazadde mu nnimi zaabwe enzaaliranwa. Abantu baasabye gavumenti okutandika okusomesa amasomo okutuuka mu yunivasite mu nnimi ennansi nga bwe kiri mu S. Africa, Korea, Japan, Bufalansa, Icelend n'amawanga amalala okusobozesa abaana okuyiga obulungi . Baasabye ne bannamawulire ku tivvi ne leediyo okukozeza olulimi olutuufu nga baweereza obutakyamya baana.

EBIJAGUZO BY'OLUNAKU LW'ENSI YONNA OLW'ENNIMI ENNANSI OLW'OMWAKA 2016

Omusomesa w'abaana abato abasomesa mu nnimi zaabwe nga bwe bazannya, Muky. Robinah Ssebugwawo, ng'annyonnyola Dr. Manuel Muranga kino bw'akikola.

OLUNAKU OLUSOOKA: OMWOLESO

Emikolo gy'okukuza olunaku lw'ennimi ennansi egyategekeddwa Minisitule y'Ekikula ky'abantu ng'eri wamu ne banywanyi baayo gyamaze ennaku bbiri nga gyasoose na mwolesa gwa bitabo.

Bwe yabadde aggulawo omwoleso guno, omuwandiisi ow'enkalakkalira mu minisitule y'Ekukula ky'abantu, emirimu n'enkulakulana y'abantu, Pius Bigirimaana eyakiikiriddwa omumuyuka wa Kaminsona mu minisitule eno, Muky. Eunice Tumwebaze, yalaze okusoomoosebwa okwolekedde okusomesa ennimi ennansi mu bibiina ebitandikirwako.

Yagambye nti ennimi ezitalina buwandiike nga n'ezimu tezirina mpandiika ntongole, okulagajjalira ennimi ennansi mu maka, abantu obutajjumbira kusoma bitabo n'essente entono ezissibwa mu kaweefube ono bye bimu ku bikonzibizza enkola y'okusomesa abaana mu nnimi zaabwe  eyali egendereddwa okuwa abaana abatandika omukisa okusomesebwa mu nnimi ze baazaalirwamu.
Ebibiina, ebitongole n'abantu ssekinnoomu abalina kye bakoze okutumbula ennimi ennansi baayolesezza bye bakola.

OKWOGERA KWA PULEZIDENTI W'AKAKIIKO

Bammemba b'ekibiina ekisomi ky'ebitabo eky'essomero lya Nansana C/U Pulayimale nga bali ne bannakakiiko oluvannyuma lw'emikolo gy'okukuza olunaku lw'ennimi ennansi. Ekibiina kino kyassibwawo era ne kitongozebwa akakiiko mu mwaka 2014.

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT,  LUGANDA /LUSOGA/LUGWERE VEHICULAR, CROSS BORDER LANGUAGE COMMISSION AT THE INTERNATIONAL MOTHER TONGUE DAY CELEBRATIONS- PUBLIC DIALOGUE 8TH APRIL 2016

• The Guest of Honor;
• Ministry Officials;
• Development Partners;
• Civil Society Organisations;
• Friends from the Media;
• Invited guests;
• Ladies and Gentlemen

The Luganda/Lusoga/Lugwere vehicular cross-border Language Commission is honored to be one of the organizers of this year’s International Mother Tongue Day. The Commission is an initiative of the African Academy of Languages (ACALAN), which is one of the bodies of the African Union.

ACALAN is mandated with; empowering African languages in general and vehicular cross-border languages in particular, in partnership with the languages inherited from colonial times, promoting multilingualism at every level, especially in the education sector and ensuring the development and promotion of African languages as factors of integration, development, and respect for values, mutual understanding and peace.

Accordingly, the Academy has set up commissions throughout Africa so that they can promote the use of African languages in all domains of life. These commissions are presided over by Governments through the ministries responsible for promoting the mother-tongue. In Uganda, the Commission is presided over by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.

The Luganda/ Lusoga/ Lugwere Vehicular Cross Border Language Commission was constituted in 2014, following a conference that was held by ACALAN in Kigali, Rwanda. It has nine members, one from Tanzania and eight from Uganda. The Ugandans were vetted by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development and approved by ACALAN.

The members are; Margaret Nankinga is a journalist and teacher of language, Mr. Andrew Kaggwa Kafeero, Secretary of the Commission is also a Journalist, Mr. Fred Lukabwe is a versatile development worker, Mr Mutale Ttendo is a Luganda language expert, Ms Joyce Naluggya Tomusange is an author and radio personality while Ms. Florence Nabachwa and Ms. Peggy Namakula are professional teachers. Mr. John Bosco Mihigo, the member from Tanzania is a lead researcher and author. Since its inception, the Commission has been supported by a resource person, Ms. Pamela Batenga who is very experienced in the culture sector.

So far, the Commission with support from ACALAN and the Ministry has been able to open up readers clubs for children in Wakiso and Jinja. It is also developing a lexicon in Luganda English and Kiswahili, and a Primary One science book in Luganda.

As a specialised language agency mandated to promote the use of mother-tongues in all domains of life, the Commission considers the International Mother Tongue Day as an opportunity to advocate for the development and use of all our 65 languages.

I note that if any of our languages are endangered and therefore not factored into our country’s integration, peace and development, our social and economic values as a nation will be threatened as well.

So, as we participate in this dialogue, let us realise that we are discussing more than the contribution of the mother tongues to learning outcomes and the quality of education delivered. We should also focus on our values as a nation and on our development as a country.

We pray that this event marks the beginning of a continuous advocacy campaign which would expose the role our mother tongues can play in the development of a value based society and in the overall development of the country.

At this point, I wish to request Government in general and the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development in particular, to consider initiating a law that would promote the development and use of mother-tongues in public life. It would also be helpful to institutionalize a working group on the development and promotion of the mother-tongues of Uganda.

Before I end my remarks, I take this opportunity to the thank the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Development Partners, Civil Society Organisations and individuals with whom we have worked to ensure that the day is commemorated. In the same vein, I thank the participating public and all the organizations and individuals who have exhibited relevant materials and those who will share their knowledge in the dialogue. The day could not be commemorated meaningfully without your support.

Thank you for listening to me.

For God and my country

Okwogera kwa Dr. Robinah Kyeyune

 Key note speaker's presentation at the dialogue

 Mother-tongue as a Facilitator of Learning: What lessons should governments and their people learn?  

Robinah Kyeyune

Guiding definition - language

“the words, their pronunciation, and the methods of combining them used and understood by a community”

“a systematic means of communicating ideas or feelings by the use of conventionalized signs, sounds, gestures, or marks having understood meaning” (Webster’s New International Dictionary of the English Language)  

Basic theories and principles - language

•Language is cognition and behavior.

•Language is a  psychological facility so fundamental to human development and social interaction.

•Language is often understood as a facility used by a group of people.

•A group of people share an identity, and they communicate with each other about their world and their experiences.

•Language is expression, and is used to moderate ideas and feelings.

Children (What about adults?) learn better in a familiar language (Cummins 2000; Kosonen 2005; Kioko, 2015).

The home language, a mother-tongue, first language or area local language is a natural medium of expression of their personal thoughts, their cultural heritage, and their wants. 

National language policies based on these universal facts are easily ignored, easily reversed and poorly implemented

(Gove & Cvelich, 2010; Muthwii, 2007; Trudell & Piper 2013).

Observations in learning contexts

•Why does a child fail to compute 2x3, 2+5?

    What do “times”, “repeated addition” or “plus”       mean?

•Why do UWEZO, NAPE and EGRA results tell us that children are not reading age and grade level appropriate texts?

•What does an author mean by this?

    “Sets with exactly the same but with different    numbers of elements or sets with different  type but same number of elements are called  UNEQUAL sets.” (textbook definition)

•What does a child mean by this?

 “For me unequal sets are sets where     everything is not the same.” (P6 pupil’s definition)

•How are university graduates coping?

“Learner’s reading culture can be determined by one social background, students when come from poor social economic background are not in facilitation of reading materials; therefore affects attitude of reading.  For example students tend to have a poor reading culture incompetence to reading skills.  I will use the behaviourist theory of learners must be rewarded with positive or negative rewards to teach my students Kiswahili.”

Simple lessons about our classrooms 

•Learners (and no doubt teachers and authors) are struggling with the language of instruction, among other things.

•This is simply as would be, given the reality that only 7% of the world’s population speaks English as their first language.

•Learning is at stake because learners are forced, very early, to communicate in an unfamiliar language, which introduces confusion in the development process.

Where did we start going wrong?

•Teaching practices are devoid of basic principles of learning.

1.Premature introduction of a second (foreign) language, especially in metropolitan contexts

Few understand that learning a new language is a hazardous experience – a new way of thinking, feeling and acting; it is a completely new means of physical, emotional and intellectual response (Douglas Brown, 1987).

2. Irrational learning loads

The learner has to cope with learning new concepts in a new language.  

Opinion leaders who think that their languages are a shame, uninformed policy leaders, parents and politicians do not understand what learning is about.  

There is no care for the materially and consequently intellectually disadvantaged majority who fail to learn.   

3. Leaders ignore the principles of learning.

The means to learning - acquisition of knowledge: study, experience or instruction are all intentional and can not be taken for granted.

Learning is retention and later appropriate use of knowledge in response to dynamic situations.  

Learning is cognition or organization of knowledge.

Learning is permanent behavior change.

4. Leaders deny the child the right to an education in a familiar language.

A child acquires vocabulary and structures in their language early in life and builds confidence in its oral use due to the rewards they realize.  Children entering school for the first time look to this foundation for a scaffold to learning.

Condemnation of mother-tongue based early grade curricula, usually in pursuit of economic indicators of globalization (Muthwii & Kioko, 2003),  is ignorance of the fundamental development path and of a basic right.

5. Leaders do not listen to the universal facts of transferability of foundational competences.

Education in a familiar language is a natural bridge to second language learning.

Children who are systematically supported to master the vocabulary of their language, to be fluent in it, to talk about concepts in a language they understand will find it easier to work in an additional language (Balystock, 2001). 

6. Our systems often lack good learning models.

Children face a demand to learn from print.  Since they join school with an oral foundation in their language, we should provide early exposure to reading - at the right time, in the right measure, in the right manner. 

Every child can and should learn to read, but they must be taught.  

How do we make it happen?  

1. Reading taught in a familiar tongue

•A familiar language is used to facilitate childrens’ ability to learn to read as well as their ability to learn another language and other subjects.

•L1 reading mastery cements the cognitive development that is needed to learn L2 as many key reading skills are transferrable from one language to another.  

•Children use their knowledge of vocabulary, linguistic construction of language and ability to pronounce sounds to decode and ultimately comprehend text.

2. Appropriate text provided to support learning

•LL and English primers are provided for every learner to ensure “eyes on text” every day.

•Texts for learners are age and grade level appropriate. 

•Texts provide the opportunity for learners to apply what they have learned, gradually increasing their ability to read more letters, words  and extended text.   

3. More time devoted to reading instruction

•Reading instruction starts early and happens everyday. 

•Teachers maximize the amount of time spent on reading.

•Specific time is dedicated for reading instruction. 

•Children have ample time to have their ‘eyes on text’, for practice. 

•Time for reading extends beyond the classroom and a culture of reading is fostered in homes and communities. 

4. Effective teaching methodologies instituted

•Teachers are supported to learn the components of reading and effective practices for teaching each component. 

•They learn simple yet effective teaching practices and instructional routines that motivate children, and formative feedback and scaffolding.   

•They are supported with  explicit lesson plans, regular mentoring, coaching and support supervision. 

5. Regular testing conducted to assess learning progress

•Teachers should assess children ‘s learning by appropriate methods. 

•Continuous assessment results must be ploughed back into instruction to respond to learners’ needs.

•Targeted assessments such as EGRA help identify which skills need reinforcement and can directly inform teaching and learning.   

Is anything left for anyone to pick up?

Yes, a lot.  Central governments have a responsibility to shift from tokenism to business in:

i. framing and articulating mother-tongue education policies based on sound theory;

ii. budgets to support development and production of LL medium and transitional English instructional materials;

iii. investing in teacher and supervisor training and professional development programs;

iv. follow-up classroom support for teachers, and

v. increasing the currency of LLs by widening the domains of use.  

Yes, a lot.  Communities and CSOs should demand for teaching and learning effectiveness through:

i. leveraging schools’ efforts to implement LL based instruction policies;

ii. lobbying governments for bilingual programs;

iii. lobbying for review of high stake examinations that glorify memorization at the expense of assessment that could enfranchise the marginalized learner, and

iv. sensitizing society about the glory of white collar jobs.   

References

•Balystock, E. (2001) Bilingualism in Development: Language, literacy and    cognition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

•Cummins, J. (2000) Language, Power and Pedagogy, Clevedon, UK: Multilingual  Matters. 

•Douglas Brown, H. (1987) Principals of Language Learning and Teaching, 2nd  Edition, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.

•Gove, A., & Cvelich, P. (2010) Early reading: Igniting education for all.  A report by  the early grade learning community of practice. Research Triangle Park,  NC: Research Triangle Institute. 

•Kioko, A.N. (2015) Why schools should teach young learners in home language,  Opens.

•Kosonen, K. (2005) Education in local language: Policy and practice in Southeast  Asia, UNESCO. 

•Muthwii, M., & Kioko, A. N. (2003) A fresh quest for new language bearings in  Africa, Language, Culture and Curriculum 16:3.

•Trudell, B., & Piper, B. (2013) Whatever the law says: language policy  implementation and early-grade literacy achievement in Kenya, Current  Issues in Language Planning.  

• 

21 

Concept for the day

CONCEPT FOR THE COMMEMORATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL MOTHER TONGUE DAY 2016

Venue: National Theatre Auditorium and Gardens

Date: 8th April, 2016

Theme: Quality Education: the contribution of mother-tongues to learning out comes in Uganda

1.0     INTRODUCTION

International Mother Tongue Day was proclaimed by UNESCO in 1999. The Day has been observed every year since February 2000. The objective of the Day is to promote linguistic and cultural diversity as well as multilingualism. The date of commemoration coincides with the day in 1952 when students demonstrating for recognition of their language, Bangla, as one of the two national languages of the then Pakistan, were shot and killed by police in Dhaka, the capital of what is now Bangladesh.

In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly called upon Member States to promote the preservation and protection of all languages of the world. By the same resolution, the General Assembly proclaimed 2008 as the International Year of Languages, to promote unity in diversity and international understanding, through multilingualism and multiculturalism.

Like was the case in 2015, the The Luganda/ Lusoga/ Lugwere Vehicular Cross-Border Language Commission with support from the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development will coordinate the commemoration of the Day. The Commission is an initiative of the African Academy of Languages (ACALAN) of the African Union and is presided over by the Ministry.

Internationally, the Day is commemorated on 21st February. Meanwhile, this year the commemoration in Uganda has been postponed to 8th April 2016 so as to allow the public to return from the National Elections.

1.1       OBJECTIVES OF COMMEMORATING INTERNATIONAL MOTHER TONGUE DAY 2016

The overall objective advanced by the Commission for commemorating this day is; to advocate for the recognition of mother-tongues in delivering quality education;

The specific objectives are;

(a)    To create awareness on the status of mother-tongues in Uganda;

(b)   To explain how the mother-tongue can improve learning outcomes;

(c)    To exhibit progress made in the development of instruction materials in the mother-tongue;

(d)   To create space for sharing evidence from learning assessments on the mother-tongues in Uganda; and,

(e)    To solicit public feedback on the promotion of the mother-tongues in the education system;

1.2 STATUS OF THE USE OF THE MOTHER TONGUE USE IN UGANDA

(a)    Uganda has 65 indigenous communities and as many mother-tongues. The use of mother-tongues is wide spread but more often than not, outside public life. Currently there is no law  to entrench the use of the mother-tongue in public life;

(b)   There are several efforts by Government, Development Partners, Civil Society Organisations and Individuals to widen the space and increase the influence of mother-tongues for instance the Ministry of Education and Sports introduced instruction in the mother-tongue in the lower classes in Primary Schools. This has led to the development of materials for early graders and the training of more teachers in this area while at the same time exposing children to their mother-tongues. Additionally, CSOs such as SIL have expanded the space for the review and development of orthographies which is crucial for the development and promotion of the mother-tongue. The Uganda School Health and Reading Programme- RTI International in Uganda has also supported the development of early grade reading materials in several mother-tongues while at the same time supporting the establishment and  strengthening the Language boards

Then, there are efforts by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development and the Cross Cultural Foundation of Uganda to document oral history which is a step in the right direction in the promotion of the use of the mother-tongue. Also, over time, the network for the promotion of the use of the mother-tongue continues to grow.

(c)    Despite the achievements, there are several challenges ranging from the absence of an enabling law, the absence of orthographies, limited appreciation of the value of the mother-tongue in the development of the country, inadequate or no financial support to develop and promote the mother tongues leading to the lack of and or limited persons with the know-how to pass on the mother-tongues.

1.3BRIEF STATUS OF EDUCATION IN UGANDA

Education policies in Uganda

a)       In 1997, the Universal Primary Education (UPE) policy was launched. It aimed to provide universal primary education for all children. However, due to lack of funds and human resources, its quality is poor.

b)       In 2007, Uganda became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to introduce universal secondary education with the Universal Secondary Education policy.

c)       The current government strategy for education, the Education Sector Strategic Plan 2010-2015, still has universal access to primary education as its highest priority.

d)       Children are expected to receive instruction in English and the mother-tongue from P1- P4.

Challenges to the education system

a)       Uganda’s population is growing fast (3.2.% annually) putting more pressure on the already struggling public sector;

b)       In 2006, 22% of 16-17 year olds were dropouts, 40% were still in primary school and only 38% completed primary school (UNESCO, 2010);

c)       Learning levels are low. In 2011 ASER found nine out of 10 grade 3 students were unable to read a Grade 2 story in English (grade 2 represents basic skills), and one in five were unable to recognise letters of the English alphabet;

d)       There are similar findings in reading and mathematics in the 2007 assessment conducted by The Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality. The study found only 10% of grade 6 students could read at the expected level (SACMEQ, 2010);

e)        The UWEZO Uganda report of 2012 indicates that only one out of every ten children assessed in Primary 3 was able to read a Primary 2 level story while most children in lower primary lacked the required competencies in basic literacy. Also, where local language literacy tests were given, only one out of every ten children in Primary 3 was able to read and understand Primary 2 level local language. Children lacked the required competencies in basic local language literacy despite the existing policy on teaching and learning in local language in lower primary;

f)        The reading culture is poor. Indicators include;  the disinterest of students to read beyond the need to pass examinations, the inability of most of the educated to read for pleasure before and after graduation, the few libraries in Uganda which in addition report low levels of visitation and use. Also, the majority who visit libraries check out easy to read materials like newspapers and dictionaries. Furthermore, the book to student ratio at all levels of education is very low, currently, at 1:13 (Professor Abdu Kasozi, the former Executive Director, National Council for Higher Education- 2015).

1.3       PROPOSALS FOR IMPROVEMENT IN USE OF THE MOTHER-TONGUE

(a)    Advocate for a law on the promotion of the use of the mother-tongue;

(b)   Sustain advocacy for the promotion and development of mother-tongues;

(c)    Encourage families to speak their mother tongues;

(d)   Create public awareness about  government policy on mother tongues;

(e)    Develop synergies with other programmes and institutions to promote the mother-tongue such as adult literacy programs;

(f)     Make mother tongues compulsory in schools at least up to Primary six or seven and make it examinable at PLE;

(g)     Have a specific strategy to target urban schools that have no common language;

(h)   Facilitate the development  and or standardization of orthographies where they do not exist;

(i)     Stream line the structure of the Language Boards for effective operations;

(j)     Increase access to reading materials which are in mother tongues;

(k)   Develop and strengthen long partnerships between CSOs and government to promote mother tongues

(l)     Make use of the existing policy as we await an Act to be put in place