Times Of Swaziland: PM: SISWATI POLICY  COMES FROM UNESCO

PM: SISWATI POLICY  COMES FROM UNESCO
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 BY NONDUMISO MTSETFWA on 24/02/2017 03:27:00


MANZINI – The country’s Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini says the
policy to have pupils taught in their home language in the first four grades is
a policy by UNESCO for all countries and Swaziland is no exception.
The premier, however, did point out that the policies that were mentioned
yesterday would not all be implemented overnight. He said their implementation
would be the work of the siSwati Board that was going to be appointed by the
Ministry of Education and this Board would be appointed soon rather than later.
“UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation) has
said that all countries must conduct lessons in vernacular in the first four
years of school as this will help the children develop linguistic skills.
“It also helps the child to acquire the basic skills of reading, writing and
numeracy and lays an emphasis on understanding and creativity. It is normal that
most parents think that a child is only smart if they can speak English.”
Dlamini explained.
He added that the organisation highlighted the importance of one’s mother
tongue as a channel for safeguarding and sharing indigenous cultures and
knowledge.
“Cabinet says if the World Union says so, who are we to argue?” Dlamini
said.
Dlamini emphasised his point that the policies would be worked out in a manner
that was both practical and recognised at all times that the education of the
child remained the greatest priority.
“The SiSwati Board will be made of experts in the language, who will find
practical ways on how best these policies can be implemented and turned into
circulars, some of them are taking place as we speak and some might need a few
years to be developed, however, at the end of the day, the most important thing
is the child’s education,” he further explained.