A recent incident in Homa Bay County, where school administration suspended two KCSE candidates for speaking vernacular against the school’s language policy, sheds light on a controversial topic that has been under debate for years.
Disciplinary issues are pivotal to the smooth functioning of educational institutions, but the practice of penalizing the use of vernacular languages in favor of foreign languages is not only outdated but also reflects a neocolonial mindset.
This practice further harkens back to a time when mastery of the English language was seen as the ultimate ticket to white-collar jobs and even scholarships overseas.
During our secondary school days, vernacular speakers and noise makers were the common culprits.
While noise makers faced corporal punishment, vernacular speakers were tasked with uprooting large tree stumps, a punishment that often carried an embarrassing reminder – carrying a wooden bar in one’s pocket to deliver as evidence of speaking in vernacular.
Additionally, it is understandable that English serves as the medium of instruction in nearly all our educational institutions, from primary to tertiary levels.
However, the notion that speaking vernacular could hinder learners’ proficiency in English is misleading at best.
Language plays multiple roles: it is a tool of communication, a medium of instruction, and a vehicle of culture.
We should not belittle students who converse in vernacular while applauding others for their mastery of foreign languages such as French, German, and English.
Superior proficiency in a foreign language does not necessarily provide insight into the culture it represents.
This scenario echoes the colonial powers’ brainwashing of Africans, who were made to believe that their cultures, religious practices, and beliefs were pagan and backward, while the colonial culture was deemed superior.
In contrast, countries like Germany, China, and neighboring Tanzania teach and examine their students in their native languages, which have not diminished the quality of their education.
In light of these factors, it may be time to demystify the dominance of the English language in our educational institutions, moving towards decolonizing our curricula.
Acknowledging the importance of native languages in education can foster a more inclusive and culturally rich learning environment.
By Pascal Mwandamo
The writer, a staff reporter with Education News and Sacco Review
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