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Local Languages of Instruction as a Right in Education for Sustainable Development in Africa

Sustainability · 2013 · 30 citations · 26 references

Open access

TL;DR

Africa’s current educational challenges stem from its colonial‑era education system. The study examines how language choices affect quality education, self‑determined development, and children’s rights. The authors analyze a Zanzibar curriculum shift from Kiswahili to English in upper primary Math and Science, combining a literature review on language, learning and rights with field research on the change’s causes, school readiness, and classroom impacts. The authors recommend that 21st‑century African policies prioritize rights‑based approaches that ensure not only access but also inclusion and quality education.

Abstract

Today’s educational challenges in Africa have their roots in the colonial education system. The article explores the consequences of linguistic choices for quality education, self-determined development and children’s rights in education. The analysis centers on a case study of a curriculum change in Zanzibar in which English has replaced Kiswahili as the language of instruction in the last years of primary school in Mathematics and Science subjects. The case study is grounded in an extensive review of theory and practices on the relationship between language of instruction, learning and rights in education. The field study researched the reasons behind the curriculum change, the extent to which schools were prepared for the change, and the consequences of the change for the learning environment. The article, therefore suggests that for the 21st century, Africa should place emphasis on rights policies that promotes not only access, but also inclusion and quality education.