The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the adoption of a new national language policy for primary schools, making the various mother tongues a compulsory medium of instruction from Primary 1 to 6. This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu to State House correspondents immediately after the FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.
He said, “A memo on national policy was approved by the Council. So, Nigeria has a national language policy and the details will be given later by the ministry.
“One of the highlights is that the government has agreed now that henceforth, instruction in primary schools-the first 6 years of learning-will be in the mother tongue. Theoretically, this policy starts from today but the use of mother tongue is exclusive. We need time to develop the materials, get the teachers, and so on.
“Since the first 6 years of school should be in the mother tongue, the language of the community is what will be used because we have 625 languages at the last count and the objective of the policy is to promote and enhance the cultivation and use of all Nigerian languages”.
According to him, all Nigerian languages will be prioritized, adding that the policy was created because some local languages are becoming extinct and the government is determined to preserve cultures.