Debate about the ideal language of instruction in lower primary

Editor,I strongly support that Kinyarwanda be used as the language of instruction in lower primary school. This will give our children a firm educational foundation since it has been proved that people learn best when they are taught in a language they understand well.It has been proved that pupils can master foreign languages at any age and starting English as the medium language from P4 is good enough for pupils to get proficiency in the language provided that they have good materials, good curricula and good teachers.Peter, Kigali, Rwanda**************************This is an interesting debate! I honestly have no absolute answer but looking at my own life experience, I can say that the government has taken the right decision.During my early school days, I was taught in Kinyarwanda and then later on was introduced to classes in French. It wasn’t until my second year of secondary school that I went to a school where all the courses were in English. The result is that I now speak English, French and Kinyarwanda fluently. Therefore, I would say that it is not so much whether kids are taught foreign languages at an early age or not, but “how well”.That’s why I also think that making Kinyarwanda the first language that children learn is a good choice because chances are that their teachers will be able to teach them quite well in a language that they are perfectly accustomed to. Also, they will be able to get their parents to help them do their homework.Janet, Kicukiro,Rwanda*************************This isn’t an easy debate. But I’m glad we’re having it. While I agree that teaching a child in a language they understand has its benefits, I also have to stress the importance of equipping our youngsters with the skills they need for tomorrow.I was born in Rwanda but raised in Burundi and later moved to Canada; I never studied in Kinyarwanda but I speak it perfectly even though I still have some challenges when it comes to writing it. I studied in French most of my life and I speak the language fluently. When I came to Canada, the medium language was exclusively English, but I don’t necessarily agree with the premise that anyone can learn any language at any time. That is simply not true. Languages are better mastered at a young age and these kids do need to be introduced to English and French early on, in small steps of course as to not confuse them but they DO need to master English as a universal language as early as they can. Just my two cents. Shabaka, Toronto, CanadaReactions to the Education Times’ story, “What should be the language of instruction in lower primary?”, (The New Times, June 26)

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Debate about the ideal language of instruction in lower primary