Namibia Teachers: Advocate Mother Tongue Policy for Early Academic Success

• Grade 1 teachers in Namibia are advocating for parents to enroll young children in mother-tongue schools to enhance early academic development.
• Namibia's education policy mandates mother-tongue instruction from pre-primary to Grade 3, despite English being the official language of instruction since independence.
• Educators observe that children in non-mother tongue settings often struggle with foundational skills, delaying their academic progress.
• Teachers highlight that excessive screen time negatively impacts children's attention spans and motor skills, contrasting with the developmental benefits of play and creative activities.
• The teachers emphasize that choosing a school where the child understands the language spoken in the classroom is crucial for academic success.

Ultimately, selecting an educational environment where the language spoken in the classroom is readily understood by the child is presented as a critical factor for their early academic success.

Grade 1 teachers across Namibia are strongly encouraging parents to prioritize enrollment in schools that utilize a child's mother tongue for instruction. This advocacy stems from a belief that such an approach, coupled with a reduction in screen time in favor of active play, significantly boosts early academic development. Loretta Dreyer, a Grade 1 teacher at Keetmanshoop Primary School, underscores the importance of this educational strategy, asserting that it provides children with the optimal opportunity for academic success from the very beginning of their schooling.

Dreyer characterizes the current situation as a "nationwide crisis," observing that many parents opt for English-medium schools even when only their mother tongue is spoken at home. She questions the societal pressure that might lead parents to feel apprehensive about enrolling their children in schools where languages like Khoekhoegowab, Oshiwambo, or Otjiherero are primarily used. According to Dreyer, this practice inadvertently hinders children's developmental progress and prevents them from achieving their full academic potential. Ultimately, selecting an educational environment where the language spoken in the classroom is readily understood by the child is presented as a critical factor for their early academic success.

Namibia's official education policy explicitly stipulates that students from pre-primary level through Grade 3 should receive instruction in their mother tongue or the predominant local community language. This foundational policy exists despite the fact that English was established as the official language of instruction in schools following the nation's independence. The introduction of English was intended to foster national unity and facilitate communication across Namibia's diverse linguistic landscape.

However, the practical implementation often diverges from this policy intent, as highlighted by educators. Pupils attending schools where the language of instruction is not their mother tongue frequently spend their initial term primarily attempting to comprehend the language itself. In contrast, their peers in mother-tongue schools are able to advance more rapidly, mastering fundamental skills such as recognizing and writing their own names, and counting up to at least 20. This disparity in early learning trajectories underscores the challenges faced by children in non-mother tongue educational settings.

The foundational skills that children should ideally acquire at the pre-primary level are crucial for subsequent academic progress. These include not only recognizing and writing their names and counting to 20, but also identifying colors and shapes. Assessments, however, frequently reveal that a significant number of children commence Grade 1 without having received adequate pre-primary preparation. This lack of readiness means that Grade 1 teachers, instead of building upon existing knowledge by teaching sounds, sight words, sentence formation, and basic arithmetic, must first address these missing prerequisites.

Loretta Dreyer illustrates the profound disadvantage this creates: a child who is still learning basic classroom commands like "good morning" or "please sit down" will inevitably fall behind their classmates who have already progressed significantly. This gap widens as the curriculum advances, potentially impacting a child's overall academic trajectory and confidence.

Beyond linguistic and academic foundations, teachers are also addressing the impact of modern technology on child development. While increased screen time on devices like laptops, tablets, and phones may have inadvertently improved children's spoken English, it is also identified as a significant deterrent to their attention spans and the development of essential motor skills. Dreyer points out that many popular online videos on platforms like YouTube and TikTok are typically only 20 to 30 seconds in duration, a stark contrast to a Grade 1 lesson, which lasts at least 10 to 20 minutes. This discrepancy, she suggests, contributes to children's diminished ability to maintain concentration in classroom settings.

Cecilly Allen, a Grade 1 teacher at Minna Sachs Primary School, advocates for a return to more traditional forms of play. She encourages parents to allow children more time for activities such as drawing, crafts, singing, and dancing. Allen emphasizes that children who engage in more physical play develop superior motor skills through movement, leading to better handwriting due to enhanced finer finger muscle development. Furthermore, she notes that play fosters critical thinking, improves communication abilities, strengthens a sense of direction, and boosts both confidence and competitiveness. Allen also highlights the role of art in stimulating the left brain and imagination, providing a space for children to express their true inner selves without fear of error, thereby allowing them to "become alive."

Source: Original reporting via Namibian