Mujeebur rehman zehri. Research paper.

Inclusion of the mother tongue in the syllabus of

primary level
Introduction
It is no secret that primary education in Pakistan is not
delivering the results that government policies, the donor community,
and non-profit organizations envision. Teaching in a language with
which learners are not familiar leads to the discrimination of already
marginalised groups and high drop-out rates (Bamgbose 2011, Brock-
Utne 2017, Manocha and Panda 2017) and including local and
minority languages in education can provide students with a greater
sense of cultural identity and can increase wellbeing (Hallet, Chandler
and Lalonde 2007, De Houwer 2017, Morcom 2017). Grin (2003) and
Zuckermann (2013) suggest that this is an important, non-market
value which should be considered when developing language policy.
Lack of inclusive language-in-education policies affects a large
proportion of children in multilingual contexts. One third of the global
population lacks access to education in the medium of their primary
language (Walter 2004, p133). Millions of children in the country are
not in school. And yet, millions more who attend school suffer the
effects of a flawed education system. There is increasing evidence of the
benefits of mother tongue and multilingual education (Cummins 2000, Ball
2011) For years, researchers have pointed to the myriad of challenges
that the country’s education system faces – defective examination
systems, poor physical facilities, lack of teacher quality, low
enrollment, large-scale dropouts, corruption, poor management and
supervision, lack of research, and policy implementation failures, to
name a few. The majority of countries which have not yet achieved free
universal primary education are those which do not offer education in a
language familiar to the majority of learners (Dutcher 2004). Mother Tongue as
a medium of instruction plays a pivotal role in gaining more knowledge and
information about any piece of art. This is the language which a learner first
learns from the mother before joining the school. Mother tongues, and local
languages, are often viewed as having value as languages of cultural identity
whereas international languages such as English are perceived as being valuable
for social and economic mobility (Crystal 2003) It is the language which is
mostly used by the community in a specific area. Mother tongue instruction
generally refers to the use of the learners’ mother tongue as the medium of
instruction. Unfortunately, Pakistan is lagging behind this opportunity. Mostly
balochistan. Sindh the second populated province of Pakistan is giving
education to its citizens in mother tongue in the syllabus of primary level. there
have been recent efforts to promote quality education worldwide, recognising
that mother tongue education is one crucial aspect in achieving this (UN 2015,
UNESCO 2015a, UNESCO 2015b) Not only this process helps the children to
understand the literature of other cultures, science and technology but also of
their own. It helps the learners. If a child learns any topic in mother tongue he or
she will understand it better than learning it in second language or foreign
language. This medium of instruction helps students to understand and learn
about their own language. This medium helps students to translate any language
in their mother tongue. Translation needs to be good in both languages which
the translator is going to translate between. Additionally, it can refer to the
mother tongue as a subject of instruction. It is considered to be an important
component of quality education, particularly in the early years (UNESCO,
2003: 13).To ensure that children acquire strong foundation skills in literacy and
numeracy, schools need to teach the curriculum in a language children
understand. Mother tongue-based bilingual (or multilingual) education
approaches, in which a child’s mother tongue is taught alongside the
introduction of a second language, can improve performance in the second
language as well as in other subjects (UNESCO, 2016: 3).When the learners get
education in their mother tongue than they feel easy and understandable about
the same topic which they are being taught in second or foreign languages.

Experts suggest that at least at the foundation phase, the learning must be in
mother language. In many countries, the language in education policy
encourages the use of mother-tongue instruction in the first three years of
primary school, followed by a switch to English in Grade Four but allows
schools to make the final decisions.

In Sindh province, in government-run schools, up to VIII standard, all subjects

except English are taught in the mother tongue and the students switch to
English for higher secondary education. In university, all subjects are taught in
English and students are quite comfortable

Language plays an important role in the life of human beings. Without

language there would be no difference between human beings and other
creatures. Although there is an overwhelming evidence that children learn best in
and through their mother tongues, millions of children around the world receive
education in a different language. As all human beings have a mother tongue and
all the languages share same principles. The importance of mother tongue is
studied because when children develop their mother tongue, they are
simultaneously fostering a whole host of other essential skills, such as
critical thinking and literacy skills. Research also suggests that, as MTB MLE
can enable learners to more effectively engage with education, it is a more cost-
effective approach than using a monolingual, foreign language MOI (World
Bank 2005, Djité 2008, Pflepson 2011, ACDP 2014).

Use of mother tongue as a medium of instruction makes teaching and

learning effective. As Walter said “Learning is effective when the learner and
teacher speak well the language of instruction.(2010). Unfortunately, it does not
happen in developing countries like Pakistan. It has continued the medium of
instruction from the beginning of its birth. Moreover, most of the students do
not understand the lecture of the teacher during class than they could not
perform well in their education. MTB MLE can both increase appreciation and
engagement with one’s own culture and foster respect and understanding
towards other cultures (UNESCO 2009, 2018) and language policies which
recognise individual/community language rights can contribute to social
cohesion (Marques and Bannon 2003, Ball 2011, Coleman 2015, Chandrahasan
2015, de Varennes 2015, Pinnock 2009, 2015, Perera 2015). Research also
suggests that, as MTB MLE can enable learners to more effectively engage with
education, it is a more cost-effective approach than using a monolingual,
foreign language MOI (World Bank 2005, Djité 2008, Pflepson 2011, ACDP
2014). Within the African context, Heugh (2006) highlights that there are few
studies of costs/benefits of different education programmes in Africa and no
empirical evidence that using African languages is more costly than using
former colonial languages. Heugh draws on simulated analysis of Mother
Tongue (MT) education (Grin 2005) which argues that due to reduced drop-out
rate, MT education is a better long-term investment. Similar estimates have
been found in Guatemala (Carvajal & Morris 1989/1990). A large number of
studies into the benefits of mother tongue education involve comparison of
experimental mother tongue instruction pilot programmes with control groups.
These then compare results from standardised tests (either administered by
research team or using national examinations). Studies which show benefits of
mother tongue through these methods have been conducted in: Philippines
(Orata cited in UNESCO 1953), Burkina Faso (Alidou et al 2008, DEP/MEBA
2009, Nikiema 2011), Guatemala (Morren 1988, Patrinos and Velez 1996,
Lopez and Kuper 2000), Mali (Bühmann and Trudell 2008, Balima 2009,
Nikiema 2011), Papua New Guinea (Wroge 2002, Klaus 2003), Peru (reported
in Lopez and Kuper 2000), Paraguay (reported in Lopez and Kuper 2000),
Bolivia, (reported in Lopez and Kuper 2000), Niger (Garba and Hanafiou 2009,
Nikiema 2011), South Africa (Malherbe 1943, Heugh 2002, 2003, DoE 2005
reported in Heugh et al 2007), Nigeria (Bamgbose 1984, 2000, 2004, Fafunwa
1990, Elugbe 1996), Cameroon (Walter and Chuo 2012), Malawi (Williams
1996, Shin et al 2015).

The aim of the selecting of this research is to provide and collect

information about the teaching method in mother tongue. It is the need of hours
for Pakistani policy makers to include the mother tongue teaching as the
medium of instruction in the syllabus of primary level. There is the need of
reform in the single national curriculum to provide education in the mother
tongue of the learners.This will improve the translation quality of the students.
First and foremost importance of this medium is that learners will learn the
second language or foreign language in the early years of the education by
learning other languages through translation in their mother tongue. “If you talk
to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him
in his language that goes to his hea” -Nelson Mandela
Research indicates that having a strong mother-tongue foundation leads
to a much better understanding of the curriculum as well as a more positive attitude
towards school. Thus, it’s vital that children maintain their first language when they
begin schooling in a different language. Children are the best when it comes to
learning and speaking diversified languages. However, educating them, particularly
Science Subject, reduces their capacity and capability to learn.

1.1 REASONS OF IMPORTANT TO MOTHER TONGUE

Intellectual Development

Studies have shown that cognitive development as well as intellectual

improvement is relatively faster in those who are fluent in their mother tongue.
It has also been noted that if a student is educated in his/her mother tongue, the
proportion of his or her educational achievement is greater than someone who is
taught in a different medium other than their mother tongue. Because
vocabulary and grammar rules in teaching and learning activities matter in
understanding any piece of art. Thus gaining of a quality education depends on
the medium of instruction.

The dominance of non-moter tongue education.

In many developing countries, a significant proportion of children enter school

not speaking the language of the classroom. Many education systems favour
using national or ‘global’ languages instead of mother-tongue teaching.
Education is often carried out in the old colonial language, or an international
language, such as English. This is based on the belief that certain internationally
‘important’ languages give children a competitive advantage in later life. In
other countries, education is taught in the dominant2 language of a main
linguistic group, sometimes at the expense of more marginalised ethnic or
linguistic groups. In far too many countries, the educational basics – textbooks,
learning materials and the teacher’s language of instruction - are primarily or
entirely available only in non-mother-tongue languages. Sometimes, in
multilingual countries with many local languages, teachers themselves do not
speak the local language which children learn at home, and speak the dominant
language. In other cases, the teachers themselves may not be fully proficient in
the language of instruction. Children in remote rural areas, who speak one
language at home and have no contact with the school language outside of the
classroom, often have the biggest problems in gaining any understanding of the
language taught at school. This is a significant factor contributing to poor
quality education and continuing low literacy.3 Without the use of mother-
tongue, children’s potential is often wasted resulting in educational failure and a
lack of development. As one World Bank study pointed out: “Fifty percent of
the world’s out of school children live in communities where the language of
the schooling is rarely, if ever, used at home. This underscores the
biggest challenge to achieving Education for All (EFA): a legacy of non-
productive practices that lead to low levels of learning.

Mother-tongue learning as a means to quality and access

It is estimated that 221 million primary-aged children from

minority language and ethnic communities do not have access to education in a
language they know.5 The unsurprising result is that literacy rates among ethnic
and linguistic minorities are particularly low.6 Low quality and achievement in
many African schools can be partially related to language. As UNESCO notes:
“Africa is the only continent where the majority of children start school using a
foreign language”.7 Education is almost universally offered in the old colonial
For instance, in Zambia, where English was the educational language (among
non-English speakers), it was found that at the end of primary schooling
children were unable to read fluently or write clearly. Many failed examinations
because they could not read and understand the instructions. Reading skills were
poor, even among secondary school children. Literacy skills in tertiary
education were unsatisfactory: students failed to read and grasp information due
to lack of reading skills and poor writing skillslanguages – French, English or
Portuguese – which most young people do not speak at home.

A number of studies show a zero level of understanding by children

being taught in nonmother-tongue languages. Those who manage to survive
such schooling have stated that they understood very little until third, fourth or
even eighth grade, depending on the amount of exposure to the language in and
out of the school.

Lack of mother-tongue learning underscores pre-existing inequalities

 There is a strong equity dimension in the failure to provide mother-
tongue education. The language children are taught in often reflects broader
societal inequalities or asymmetries in power. For instance, marginalised tribal
groups struggle to have their identity and languages fully recognised, respected
or understood within wider society. The failure to provide mother-tongue
teaching is a form of discrimination that perpetuates these inequalities. Children
from poorer rural areas or from ethnic and linguistic minorities are less likely to
receive a quality education, and more likely to become non‐ literate adults.

Many children in minority language communities, especially those

living in remote areas, face significant challenges in accessing a good quality
education. When pre-existing pockets of marginalisation, poverty, or poor
teaching quality intersect with schooling in an unknown language, children may
never make it to school, or if they do, will find little meaning in the classroom
to keep them there. Minority groups continue to make up a large proportion of
those left out of classrooms. Ensuring more inclusive education policies which
guarantee all children’s right to education, will involve providing education to
minority groups in their own language. Many children in minority language
communities, especially those living in remote areas, face significant challenges
in accessing a good quality education. When pre-existing pockets of
marginalisation, poverty, or poor teaching quality intersect with schooling in an
unknown language, children may never make it to school, or if they do, will find
little meaning in the classroom to keep them there. Minority groups continue to
make up a large proportion of those left out of classrooms. Ensuring more
inclusive education policies which guarantee all children’s right to education, will
involve providing education to minority groups in their own language.

3. Research Methodology
Survey Research Design was used to carry out the study. According to
Creswell (2002), “Survey Research designs are procedures in quantitative
research in which investigators administer a survey to a sample or to entire
population of people to describe the attitudes, opinions, behaviors, or
characteristics of the population,” (p. 376). Gay & Mills (2011) define survey
research as “A survey is an instrument to collect data that describes one or more
characteristics of a specific population,” (p. 175)

3.1 Data Collection Instrument

Conclusion

For children who grow up in multilingual communities around the world, diversity
has become a handicap rather than a source of strength. In Pakistan, the response to linguistic
diversity has been a blunt insistence on the national and foreign languages, Urdu and English.
This has made quality education impossible for the majority of Pakistani children who grow
up without exposure to these languages.Unlike a lot of research that precedes this study, TCF
does not just insist on mother tongue based approach to education. Instead, it provides
pragmatic recommendations for how Pakistan, and countries like it, can provide mother
tongue based education in contexts where there are many and then build bridges to help
students acquire the foreign languages that they need to succeed. academic ideal of mother-
tongue primary schooling has therefore been difficult to achieve in practice, given challenges
such as 1) the availability of suitably qualified teachers and instruction materials (Muthwii
2004, Iyamu and Ogiegbaen 2007, Kamwendo 2008, Gacheche 2010, Obiero 2010, Jones
and Barkhuizen 2011, Nyaga and Anthonissen 2012, Mackenzie and Walker 2013, Begi
2014), 2) a lack of financial resources (Breton 2013, Simpson, 2017) and 3) the (perceived)
need to maintain a political equilibrium between different language groups (Coleman 2010,
Mchombo 2017, Simpson 2017).

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