Nigeria Reverts to English in Primary Schools

The Nigerian government has announced a significant change in its education policy. Three years ago, they introduced a program that required teaching in indigenous languages during the early years of schooling. However, this policy has now been cancelled, and English will once again be the medium of instruction from pre-primary levels through to university.

Education Minister Tunji Alausa cited poor academic performance as the reason for this reversal. He pointed to data from various examination boards showing lower success rates in areas that had adopted mother-tongue teaching extensively. The minister stated that these regions experienced a 'mass failure rate' in important national exams.

This abrupt policy change has sparked debate among education experts and parents. Some support the decision, arguing that Nigeria lacks the necessary resources and trained teachers to effectively implement mother-tongue instruction across its many languages. Others believe the policy was abandoned too quickly, suggesting that such a significant change requires more time and investment to show results.