Use of Kiswahili in public schools hurting students' performance - don.

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INNOCENT-THE BLOGGER-BOY

Prof Kitila Mkumbo.

The use of Kiswahili as the medium o
f instruction in public schools has been cited as a contributing factor for college graduates failure to access for local or international labour markets and therefore lack skills and strength in English language.

 

“Tanzanians  cannot express themselves well and cannot even write one complete sentence in  English ,“ says university don.

 

This was revealed in Dar es Salaam yesterday by Prof Kitila Mkumbo from the University of Dar es Salaam at the Seventh Julius Nyerere Intellectual Festival which brought together participants from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

 

The festival which ran from Monday through Wednesday was under the   theme “Privatisation and Social Justice for Grassroots Communities.’’ 

 

Mkumbo said most of the public schools use Kiswahili as the  of instruction and hence making the  graduate to find it difficult to express themselves  better in the English after graduation.

 

He pointed out that the situation is quiet different when it comes to private schools that normally use English which make their graduates confident and fluent as far as English is concerned.

 

“Generally, even if one knows whatever field   but cannot express  himself or herself, it becomes difficult for the society or anyone to believe that such person is an expert in that field.

 

 “Majority fail to introduce themselves when they are called for interviews in English because English was not the medium of instruction at the school or college. ,” he said.

 

Mkumbo said that in order to make the graduates from the public schools to be at par with those in private schools, the government should consider using English as the medium of instruction in all the schools.

 

For their part, the University of Dar es Salaam student Yona Alfred said that majority of people were teachers by default.

 

 He said people pursue education for various reasons including chances to get employed and access to loans while in the university.

 

Another student, Eliah Manyama, said it was obvious that most students look for faculties where they can easily access loans and easily getting employed.