Language Experts Push For Mandatory Kiswahili Instruction in Schools
Kiswahili professionals in the country are now advocating for educational reforms that would make the language compulsory.
They think that schools from nursery to university should prioritize and teach the language.
On April 6, a roundtable discussion of Kiswahili specialists at Ufungamano House in Nairobi revealed this.
Supporters of Kiswahili argue that national affairs have not given the language enough attention.
According to Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan, experts and the state should abandon the notion of Kiswahili as an optional subject and make it mandatory in schools.
“We want the government, through the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), to put emphasis on having Kiswahili as a compulsory language in the country,” Hassan stated.
Experts believe that making Kiswahili obligatory will enable future generations to speak a quality and respectful language.
“We cannot have Kiswahili as a national language and then make it optional, yet countries such as Japan, China, and the United States of America (USA) use and continue to use their languages in their education systems,” Hassan went on to say.
Language specialists say that since UNESCO designated July 7 as World Kiswahili Day, the government has not developed a strategy to elevate its prominence like other countries.
Prof. Kimani Njogu stated that East Africa has a mission to conserve and promote Kiswahili.
He also requested that the government subject foreign nationals seeking work permits in the country to a Kiswahili examination, as is the standard in European nations.
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At the same time, the experts urged county governments to start planning and organizing competitions and prizes for the best Kiswahili writers and poets.
They encouraged President William Ruto to deliver his national remarks in Kiswahili.
Language Experts Push For Mandatory Kiswahili Instruction in Schools
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