On the suitability of Swahili for early schooling in remote rural Tanzania: do policy and practice align?

Abstract: This article explores the use of Swahili for education in Tanzania, focusing on rural areas where Swahili is not the main language of the community. Current language policy mandates Swahili as the exclusive Medium of Instruction at primary level throughout the country. However, findings reported here show that in parts of rural Tanzania, children learn Swahili only after a substantial period of being at school, meaning that Swahili does not support early childhood education nor equality of outcomes. Children experience difficulties with progression in learning and teacher-dominated classes can be observed. The study also finds unequal performance in national examinations based on the language of the community, and a prevalence of grade repetition in some settings. It calls for a policy which appreciates the role of community languages and an approach which sees multilingualism as a resource to be harnessed both inside and outside the classroom.

Ikisiri: Makala hii inachunguza kuhusu ufaafu wa Kiswahili kama lugha ya elimu nchini Tanzania, ikiangazia zaidi vivijini hasa ambako Kiswahili si lugha kuu ya mawasiliano. Sera ya lugha ya elimu iliyop sasa inaipa lugha ya Kiswahili mamlaka ya kipekee ya kuwa lugha kuu ya elimu ya msingi kwa nchi nzima. Matokeo ya utafiti huu yanaonesha kwamba katika maeneo mengi ya vijijini watoto hufahamu Kiswahili baada ya kipindi kirefu cha kuwepo shuleni, na kwamba, Kiswahili si lugha wezeshi kwa elimu ya watoto wanaoanza shule. Hivyo, watoto hupata ugumu katika maendeleo yao ya kielimu madarasani, na walimu hutawala maongezi. Pia, kuna utofauti wa ufaulu katika mitihani ya kitaifa baina ya maeneo, na ukariri wa madarasa hasa kwenye maeneo kadhaa. Tunapendekeza uwepo wa sera inayotambua na kuthamini lugha za jamii, na yenye mtazamo chanya kuhusu wingilugha, na kuwa lugha hizo ni rasilimali inayopaswa kutumiwa kimanufaa darasani na nje.

Keywords: education, multilingualism, Tanzania, translanguaging, policy, equality.

Article posted to Journal of the British Academy, volume 10, supplementary issue 4 (Rethinking Multilingualism: Education, Policy and Practice in Africa).