The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a new National Language Policy which makes the mother tongue a compulsory medium of instruction from Primary one to six.
Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, disclosed this while briefing correspondents on the outcomes of the council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Wednesday, November 30.
While explaining that government is aware that implementation will be difficult, he revealed that the mother tongue will be used exclusively for the first six years of education while it will be combined with the English language from Junior Secondary School.
According to him, even though the policy has officially taken effect, it can only be fully implemented when government develops instructional materials and qualified teachers are available.
He said that the mother tongue to be used in each school will be the dominant language spoken by the community where it is located.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
