SISWATI ENCOURAGED, NOT IMPOSED ON LOWER GRADES

MANZINI – United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) says children, especially younger ones, best understand when something is explained to them in vernacular.

This is why the organisation encourages the use of both the mother language and other basic languages in schools, especially in the lower grades.
This was said by Culture Programmes Officer in the National Commission for UNESCO, Phumzile Hlophe, who further explained that UNESCO did not necessarily impose policies, instead, member States come together and agree on decisions that will best improve those countries.

Hlophe shared that the stance to promote mother languages in countries came from a time in Bangladesh in 1954 when children from a particular tribe fought to have their language recognised in that country, thus the commemoration of the International Mother Language.
 “UNESCO says every language in a country must be used and no language must be taken for granted. So, as long as a country is a member State, you commemorate the International Mother Language and promote its use,” Hlophe said. 

She said in the case of Swaziland, the commemoration was to ensure that people did not forget or lose siSwati as it was their mother language. She said teachers should make certain that they use the language in class to help children understand better.
“UNESCO is not saying other languages should not be used but promote the use of every language instead,” she said.  She said every two years, member States come together to discuss any new strategies that they could take and introduce to their countries.
“The country on its own will later agree on strategies that will also work along with those that were introduced by UNESCO, like here in Swaziland, a siSwati Board will be created,” Hlophe added.

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