lower grades has impressed Government has most learners have responded
positively. Here, Education Deputy Minister David Mabumba monitoring
the use of icibemba at Ray of Joy Primary School in Nchelenge
Education Deputy Minister Patrick Ngoma says his ministry is in the process of printing the teaching and other educational materials for the new primary school curriculum.
Speaking in an interview Mr Ngoma called on the public and stakeholders not to be worried as the teaching materials are being printed and will be distributed once the printing is completed.
He said though concerns that there are no materials for the new curriculum are genuine the public should not be worried as government is doing everything possible for the materials to be delivered to schools as soon as possible.
“The materials people are complaining about are being printed, its just a matter of time and these materials will be available”. Mr Ngoma explained.
Meanwhile the deputy minister said the ministry has trained teachers who are training their fellow teachers on how to handle the new curriculum as government could not train everyone at once.
“What the ministry has done so far we have gone ahead and trained teachers from preschool up to grade 7 so that they know what to do and then those who have been trained are suppose to be teaching others because it was not possible for everyone to be trained at a goal”. Mr Ngoma said.
Stakeholders among them ZANUT have expressed concerns at the lack of teaching materials for the new primary school curriculum as well as the lack of teachers trained to handle it.
This is one of the most stupid thing I have ever heard from a government official. Introducing a curriculum without the essential materials and agents to deliver the program was foolish enough but to have left those kids in such limbo, losing a whole term because of ineptitude, unreasonableness, lack of foresight is criminal. Teaching some teachers to train other teachers simply exhibits the playboy planning capacity of those entrusted with critical institutions of this nation. By the way, Malawi reversed a similar curriculum recently for lack of tangible results! Zambian cabinet hopes to defy the obvious. What a circus!
Mind boggling. So, the PF Govt started using the local languages in Schools BEFORE printing necessary materials? This compounds the problem of teaching in local languages, doesn’t it? Looks like another case of implementing without a plan. And which credible individual(s) is translating e.g. IT and science from English into the many local languages? And are we to believe that Govt has already trained teachers in the use of local languages in the areas they are located? And these teachers are so well trained they have the capacity to train other teachers efficiently? And if our young generation is to truly compete in this global village earth, how does a teacher teach basic IT and science in local language in the first place? What is an ‘icon’ in Tumbuka, Tonga, Bemba…etc?
I agree with you in some places and in some i dont. I agree that the training and material distribution is flawed, i dont agree with your thinking that IT and Science can and should only be taught in English. what is an icon in Cantonese or Japanese or German or Russian? Yet we are told these are one of the biggest economies in the world. And am sure by 2050, china will be leading them all. What again i ask is an icon in cantonese?
*these are some of the biggest economies* sorry.
@Kolwe
“I don’t agree with your thinking that IT and Science can and should only be taught in English.”……….. First of all I never said that. Could you could clarify where you got that from? I don’t think you are referring to an ’icon’ I mentioned as I am sure you are aware that it comes from a Greek word (eikon) which means ‘likeness, portrait, resemble’ ..etc.
Now, by their sheer numbers alone, the quantifiable population demographics of languages / places you have mentioned attract business and make it worthwhile to investment. Japan (120 million), German (82 million), Russia (140 million) China’s Cantonese (70 million) etc.. So Cantonese can afford to have their own equivalent of a computer ‘icon’ whereas for Tumbuka Bemba, Tonga etc.. in Zambia it is not viable. Period. Its…
Cont’d….Its not about pride, its about business and its about numbers. That’s why it is not wise for Zambia to lose the competitive advantage it already has of being among the 1.4 Billion people on earth who speak one common language i.e. English.
@kolwe, not to say our languages are very limited and so is our pockets. The fact that German and Japan succeeds in using their local languages does not mean we will also sail easily or even manage. Implementing a curriculum in local languages needs vast resources and funds.
ATeachers must be trained extensively and a lot, a whole lot of materials must be provided. In Livingstone, you have teachers who are bember speaking and can hardly utter a word in Chitonga but expected to teach in Tonga.
I work closely with this schools as an independent contrator and I see the issues. A lot of the people here are moving their kids to Private schools (hope they wont be instructed to adopt Tonga as well) many of whom are from other provinces and ther kids cannot utter even a greeting in Tonga
Zambians are becoming too clever to handle for the PF and so the only way to try and tame them and continue ruling is to make them like Tanzanians where they can’t even express themselves clearly as they protest against govt abuse. Then Mulenga Sata can easily rule without much resistance in 2021.
You are a slave my brother!!! Expression of self for you is the use of the english language, adoptation of western culture and religion.
In this classroom there no desks! What is really happening pa zed? You print materials to be used on pupil’s knees?
@chatcha
As PF, we solve problems according to a priority list! We need money for bye elecions and brand new land cruisers. We also have to invest massively for our own children in case a vindictive citizenly fails to usher us back into Govt (we think we will bounce back though)
Resources are limited so we are prioritising bye-elections. If given another chance, we will then attend to the citizen’s needs.
Zambia 50 yrs after independence….pupils sitting on the floor yet sata and his ministers have had their salaries increased 3 times since they came into power
Retards!
Kolwe believe what lundu said, languages in africa are dialects, so they are particular to specific area and they are very limited, new words and technical languages are added every-time to the English language, and China is busy teaching it’s people English at this moment, we don’t have specific names for simple things like exclamation mark.
Hmmm, african languages are dialects? am confused, languages and yet dialects. ok if not languages but dialects, then dialects of which language(s)? You seem, the mere fact that our thought process is evident from the language we use, should tell you that innovation into spheres yet unknown and unheard of are waiting from the african man and woman if only he/she is given chance to exploit that thought pattern through his native tongue. believe it of not, the language you think in either builds or destroys you,but staying true to your natural self only builds you!!!
Again i ask, what is exclamation mark in german or cantonese? did it stop them from developing?
You have nailed it bro!
If you go to UK, everyone spaeks English even though you have variations but here, some people do not even speak their mother tongue. Now many people may condemn such people but the problem is that our villages are dead (at least most of them) so we don’t have links with our rural roots. You a Ngoni man in Lusaka and you marry a Lozi woman, both of you cannot speak the other’s language you end up using English and so will the kids.
Most of our languages are so limited to our old ways of life. They are hugely undocumented. Try to google Japanese or Chinese and see how many web pages springs up. You can actually learn those languages from ooks or online resources. Try googling a ZED language and see what you get. We need to do alot if we are to teach in…