South Sudan to introduce national languages in school curriculum
Friday, 15 June 2012 10:00 Muna Tesfai Reports . As South Sudan joins the rest of the continent to mark the International Day of the African Child on June 16, education officials have indicated plans to not only enhance infrastructure, but also introduce national languages in the curriculum of schools. Education was at the centre of the 1976 Soweto massacre, which has since 1991 been commemorated as the International Day of the African Child. On 16 June 1976, about ten thousand children in schools racially designated for blacks in South Africa staged a peaceful demonstration in protest over poor quality education and demanding to be taught in their own language. The then apartheid government in South Africa clamped down on the demonstration, shooting dead hundreds of children and triggering a nation-wide uprising that led to even more deaths. In 1991, the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union) declared June 16 to honor the memory of those who died, and the courage of all those who marched. Homage apart, the day also raises awareness of the continuing need for improvement of the quality of education provided to African children. And this year's commemoration is taking place against the backdrop of efforts by the South Sudan Government to construct more schools across the country at the cost of 85 million South Sudanese Pounds. "Our President has pledged to fund construction of thirty-four new schools. The thirty-four, we hope, will expand the school infrastructure and give more access to children in need of education," Deng Deng Hoc Yai, Undersecretary in the Ministry of General Education hinted about the initiative, estimated to cost 85 million South Sudan Pounds. No less articulated in the Soweto Uprising was the language of instruction in black South African schools. Along the same parallel, the Ministry of Education in South Sudan now wants national languages introduced in the curriculum of schools across the country. "National languages are going to occupy the center stage of our education rather than remain on the periphery or being excluded from the curriculum," Hoc Yai affirmed. "In the past we did not have the opportunity to promote our national languages and, through them, our culture. But now we have a real opportunity to promote our national languages and promote and celebrate our culture." The Soweto Uprising of 16 June 1976 contributed greatly to the linguistic policy of South Africa which led to the nationalization of all languages in South Africa when the Country gained its independence in 1994 with Nelson Mandela as its first head of state. By Radio Miraya Jouranlist Emmanuel Levai -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
