{"id":1798,"date":"2026-09-08T09:23:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T09:23:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acalanau.org\/?post_type=news&p=1798"},"modified":"2026-09-08T09:23:18","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T09:23:18","slug":"mother-tongue-education-africa","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/acalanau.org\/fr\/news\/mother-tongue-education-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"The Language of Learning: What Africa Loses When Children Cannot Learn in Their Own Languages"},"content":{"rendered":"

A child can be intelligent, curious, and eager to learn\u2014and still struggle in school because the language of instruction is unfamiliar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Across Africa, many children begin school speaking one language at home and encounter another in the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suddenly, learning mathematics, science, history or reading also means learning a new language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That creates an unnecessary burden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem is not that children should never learn international languages. English, French, Portuguese and Arabic can open doors to higher education, international communication and employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The question is whether children should have to choose between learning these languages and learning effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When language becomes another subject<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine a child who understands a concept when it is explained at home but struggles to understand it when the same idea is presented in a language they are still learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The child may appear to be falling behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But sometimes the problem is not the child’s ability. It is the language through which knowledge is being delivered.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When children can begin learning in languages they understand, they have a stronger foundation on which to build other languages and more complex knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

African languages can therefore play an important role in improving access to education\u2014not by replacing other languages, but by making learning more accessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What about science and technology?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One common argument is that African languages are not suitable for teaching modern subjects such as science, technology, engineering or mathematics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But languages grow when people use them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New words can be developed. Technical concepts can be explained. Textbooks can be produced. Teachers can create learning materials. Digital tools can support students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bigger question is whether we are investing enough in making this possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A language cannot become a language of science if scientific knowledge is never consistently produced in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people and resources matter<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where the challenge becomes bigger than language policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Africa needs teachers trained to teach in African languages. It needs curriculum developers, writers, translators, editors, and publishers who can create high-quality educational materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also needs digital learning platforms and educational technologies that support African languages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without these investments, policies supporting African-language education can remain on paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this is another area where Africa faces a shortage of skilled language professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building from the classroom<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal should not be to isolate African children from the rest of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It should be to give them a strong foundation from which they can engage with the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A child who learns confidently in their own language can then build additional languages without sacrificing understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Agenda 2063, education is central to building the skilled, knowledgeable, and innovative citizens Africa needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That future cannot be built by leaving the languages spoken by millions of Africans outside the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Africa’s languages should not only carry our stories from the past. They should also carry the knowledge that will shape our future.<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":1800,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[337,502,264,630],"tags":[800,799,796,798,797],"class_list":["post-1798","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-agenda-2063","category-development","category-governance","category-technology","tag-edpolicyafrica","tag-educationinafrica","tag-indigenouslanguages","tag-languageofinstruction","tag-mothertongueeducation"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Cost of Ignoring Mother Tongue Education in Africa<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Many African students struggle in school due to unfamiliar languages of instruction. 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