FG makes mother tongues compulsory in primary schools

In the quest to ensure that Nigerians can speak their mother tongues fluently, the federal government through the ministry of education has approved a new National Language Policy which makes mother tongue a compulsory medium of instruction for public primary school pupils.

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, disclosed this today, Nov. 30, while briefing reporters on the outcome of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.

The minister revealed that the mother tongue will be used exclusively for the first six years of education, while it will be combined with English Language from Junior Secondary School.

He said even though the policy has officially taken effect, it can only be fully implemented when government develops instructional materials and qualified teachers are available.

Adamu explained that the mother tongue to be used in each

school will be the dominant language spoken by the community where it is located.