UNILORIN don calls for use of mother tongue in schools

A lecturer at the Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages, University of Ilorin, Dr Samiat Olubunmi Abubakre, has called on stakeholders in the education sector to consider the adoption of indigenous languages in teaching to ensure effective teaching and learning.      

Dr Abubakre, who is also a member of UNILORIN 89.3 FM Governing Board, made this call last Tuesday(January 23, 2024) while featuring on ‘‘Oro to n lo’’, a popular current affairs Programme of the UNILORIN 89.3 FM, the official radio station of the University of Ilorin. The programme was anchored by the Head of the station, Mr Idris Akintola Ibrahim (Alooma)

While speaking on the celebration of UNESCO’s International Day for Education, Dr Abubakre explained that education is the bedrock of any society as it also set people free from enslavement. She  stressed that whoever has knowledge and excelled, his or her interaction in the society would be different.

The don pointed out that in Japan, China and Malaysia, among others, indigenous languages are used to teach students, lamenting that in Nigeria, the reverse is the case because we are using tribalism to spoil  education.

Dr Abubakre also observed that our level of education in Nigeria is very low and has not taken us anywhere, saying that that is why the level of insecurity has increased rapidly.

She, however, emphasised the need to lay a solid foundation for children through education right from the primary school level as she also called for the encouragement of the teaching of history in schools.

Dr Abubakre urged scholars who are knowledgeable in the realm of science and technology to make effective use of the knowledge in a proper way that could be beneficial to all Nigerians and free from its negative implications.

She, therefore, advised parents to inculcate piety in their children for them to be conscious of the fact that “what goes round, comes around”.

While commenting on the low level of female enrollment in schools in Nigeria, Dr Abubakre appealed to the government at all levels to do everything possible to encourage them and also make female education free, particularly from primary to secondary school level.

She appealed to members of every religious group to practice their faith as revealed as he urged the clerics to continue to preach and exhibit positive behaviours among one another, saying that it would  foster development and peaceful co-existence among Nigerians