Africa is home to over 2,000 languages, and for many children, the language spoken at home is vastly different from the one used in school. This linguistic gap can hinder learning, especially in early childhood. Using the mother tongue as the language of instruction is not just a pedagogical choice—it is a matter of equity, identity, and cognitive development.
Teachers should use the mother tongue as the language of instruction in African schools, especially in early education, because it enhances comprehension, preserves cultural identity, and lays a strong foundation for lifelong learning.
To ensure effective teaching and learning through mother tongue instruction, African schools must:
Train and Support Teachers
Professional development: Teachers must be fluent in the local language and trained in pedagogical methods that leverage it
Recruitment policies: Prioritize hiring educators who speak the dominant local language of the school’s catchment area
Ongoing mentorship: Provide coaching and peer support to help teachers adapt to mother tongue instruction.
Develop and Distribute Learning Materials
Textbooks and readers: Create culturally relevant materials in local languages for literacy, numeracy, and other subjects.
Digital resources: Use radio, mobile apps, and e-learning platforms to supplement classroom instruction.
Standardization: Collaborate with linguistic experts to ensure consistency in spelling, grammar, and terminology.
Engage Communities and Parents
Awareness campaigns: Educate families on the benefits of mother tongue instruction to build trust and support.
Parent involvement: Encourage storytelling, reading, and homework support in the home language.
Implement Bilingual Transition Models
Gradual integration: Introduce global languages (e.g., English, French) in later grades while maintaining mother tongue literacy.
Bridge programs: Use dual-language materials to ease the transition and prevent learning loss.
Reform Policy and Curriculum
Government mandates: Enforce policies like Ghana’s directive by Minister Haruna Iddrisu, which made mother tongue instruction compulsory in basic schools.
Curriculum alignment: Ensure national curricula reflect linguistic diversity and support multilingual education.
Monitor and Evaluate Outcomes
Assessment tools: Track student performance in both mother tongue and second language subjects.
Feedback loops: Use classroom observations and community input to refine approaches.
Introduction
Language is not just a medium of communication—it is a vessel of culture, identity, and cognition. In Africa, where linguistic diversity is immense, the debate over whether to use the mother tongue or a colonial language (such as English, French, or Portuguese) as the language of instruction remains contentious. This article argues that mother tongue instruction is pedagogically sound and culturally empowering, but its implementation must be strategic and well-supported.
Advantages of Mother Tongue Instruction
Improved Learning Outcomes: Children learn best in a language they understand. A study in Ghana’s Sefwi Akontombra District found that pupils taught mathematics in their mother tongue outperformed those taught in English.
Cognitive and Emotional Development: Learning in one’s first language fosters confidence, participation, and critical thinking. As Francis Angbabora Baaladong noted, “Using a child’s mother tongue in the classroom enhances comprehension, participation, and confidence”.
Cultural Preservation: Language is a repository of culture. Teaching in local languages helps preserve Indigenous knowledge and affirms students’ identities.
Reduced Dropout Rates: When learners understand lessons, they are more likely to stay in school. UNESCO has long advocated for mother tongue instruction as a way to improve retention and equity.
Disadvantages and Challenges
Lack of Teaching Materials: Many African languages lack standardized textbooks, dictionaries, and digital resources.
Teacher Preparedness: Teachers may not be fluent in the local language or trained to teach in it. This is especially problematic in multilingual urban areas.
Transition to Global Languages: Without a clear bridge to English or French, students may struggle in secondary and tertiary education, where global languages dominate.
Sociopolitical Resistance: Some parents and policymakers view English or French as the language of opportunity and resist mother tongue instruction.
Voices from Across Africa and Beyond
Ghana: Minister of Education Haruna Iddrisu mandated the use of L1 in basic schools, citing its benefits for foundational learning. At the launch of the Free Tertiary Education Programme for Persons with Disabilities at the University of Professional Studies, Accra, on October 24, 2025, Minister Iddrisu directed the Ghana Education Service (GES) to enforce the use of local languages as the medium of instruction in all basic schools. He emphasized that this policy is part of a broader educational reform agenda to “reset” the sector and strengthen early learning.
Kenya: Scholar Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o has long championed African languages, arguing that colonial languages alienate learners from their culture. In his seminal work Decolonising the Mind, he asserts: “Language carries culture, and culture carries… the entire body of values by which we come to perceive ourselves and our place in the world.” He argues that when African children are taught in colonial languages like English or French from the outset, they are alienated from their cultural roots and forced to learn in a medium that feels foreign and inaccessible. This, he says, creates a psychological disconnect and undermines their ability to think critically and creatively.
South Africa: Nelson Mandela once said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” This quote captures Mandela’s belief that language is not just a tool for instruction but a bridge to identity, dignity, and empowerment. While he did not issue a formal policy on mother tongue instruction during his presidency, his advocacy for inclusive, equitable education laid the groundwork for South Africa’s post-apartheid language-in-education policy, which promotes the use of learners’ home languages in early schooling.
Nigeria: Former President Olusegun Obasanjo supported Yoruba instruction in early grades, emphasizing cultural pride. Olusegun Obasanjo has repeatedly stressed the importance of Indigenous languages in education. In various public addresses and writings, he has argued that “A child learns best in the language he or she understands best.” He believes that foundational education should begin in the mother tongue to ensure that children grasp basic concepts before transitioning to English or other global languages.
Uganda: The National Curriculum Development Centre promotes local language instruction in early primary school.
Zimbabwe: The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has endorsed teaching in Shona and Ndebele in early grades.
UNESCO: Globally, UNESCO advocates for mother tongue-based multilingual education as a pillar of inclusive learning.
Case Studies: Successes and Failures
Good Examples
Ethiopia: Implements mother tongue instruction in over 20 languages through primary school, with gradual introduction of Amharic and English. Literacy rates have improved in several regions.
Ghana (Rural Schools): In areas like Sefwi Akontombra, mother tongue instruction has led to better academic performance and classroom engagement.
Poor Implementation
Urban Schools in Accra and Nairobi: In multilingual classrooms, enforcing a single local language has caused confusion and disengagement.
Under-resourced Schools in Uganda and Nigeria: Lack of trained teachers and materials in local languages has led to inconsistent instruction and poor outcomes.
Conclusion
Mother tongue instruction is not a panacea, but it is a powerful tool for inclusive, effective education. African governments must invest in teacher training, curriculum development, and community engagement to make it work. A phased bilingual approach—starting with the mother tongue and gradually introducing global languages—offers the best of both worlds.
According to Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Africa’s languages are not obstacles—they are assets.
Sources: Modern Ghana – Mother Tongue Instruction in Ghana | Multilingual Education – Mother Tongue and Education in Africa | Novelty Journals – Impact of Mother Tongue in Ghana | IOSR Journal – Mother Tongue in Nigerian Primary Schools | Mandela University – Recognising the Importance of Mother Tongue Education | Multilingual Education Journal
Source: newsghana.com.gh
