It will be recalled that in 2022, the Federal Government approved a National Language Policy (NLP) which provides that from Early Child Care Education to Primary six, the language of instruction will be in the mother tongue or language of the immediate community.
The policy aims to promote indigenous languages, recognise their equal status, and improve early childhood learning outcomes, while English remains the official language used in later education and formal settings.
However, speaking on the issue of mother tongue, Alausa said the decision to cancel the policy followed extensive data analysis and evidence showing that the use of mother tongue as the main medium of instruction had negatively affected learning outcomes in several parts of the country.
He said: “We have seen a mass failure rate in WAEC, NECO and JAMB in certain geopolitical zones of the country and those are the ones that adopted this mother tongue in an over-subscribed manner.
“This is about evidence-based governance. English now stands as the medium of instruction from the pre primary, primary, junior secondary, senior secondary and to the tertiary education level.”
“Using mother tongue language in Nigeria for the past 15 years has literally destroyed education in certain regions. We have to talk about evidence, not emotions,” he said.
According to him, data gathered from schools across the country revealed that students taught primarily in indigenous languages recorded higher failure rates in national examinations and struggled with basic English comprehension.
“The national policy on language has been cancelled. English now stands as the medium of instruction across all levels of education,” he declared.
The minister urged stakeholders with differing views to present verifiable data to support their positions, adding that the government remained open to evidence-based dialogue that would strengthen the education sector.
