News that our hunk’s decided to take a big hop backward isn't amusing. I freaked out –and of course –shocked when it’s reported that Bongo’s decided to use Swahili as a media of instruction at all levels of education. After reading a lead story, I wanted to give the editor a tinkle to confirm. Then I discovered my phone didn't have a credit. Again, I can’t help but saying something about this quandary and menace.
I just asked as if I was asking Dr School Kawadog who felled education in the hunk. I just said, “Swahilizing academia at this time of globalization and Eastafricanization, do you expect any serendipity in it really!” Then many questions started bugging me. What went wrong in the upper echelons of power that conceived and executed such a nugatory idea? Who consulted whom? Were brains used well hither? This purblindness proves that our dude’s completely bushed at this eleventh hour, thus, has put the hunk on autopilot till October? Questions are many more than answers.
If those espousing Swahili as a media of instruction at all levels think they’re doing paupers that can’t send their vitegemezi abroad good, must enact a law preventing all kids from going abroad for studies or join English Media Schools (EMS). Does it mean that such myopic creatures want to open their EMS and print dosh as they keep paupers’ and boozers’ kids in the cold? Who cheated them big time? Is it because many universities abroad are teaching Swahili, thus it is an in-thing? If this is the reason that chuted these creatures to make such decision, they’re dead wrong. They must rescind this perfidious, suicidal and counterproductive take on academia and rejig the system before its comeuppance surfaces. Universities abroad teach Swahili not just because it is a big deal. It is a supplementary to international languages.
In a globalized realm, Englilsh has become its lingua franca whether you like it or not. In an Eastafricanized region, English is its lingua franca as well. Look at our neighbours in Rwanda. They abandoned French and embraced English however there are other reasons such as most of those forming the current regime to be born and brought up in Uganda. Whether we like it or not, English’s unstoppable and unavoidable. Those trying to avoid English are doing it for their peril however they might take pride in their language.
Arabs and Chinese are renowned for being conservatives and protective to their culture of which language’s a great asset. Currently, Middle East and China send a lot of their youths to western countries to learn this powerful and international language. While others are striving to have a hand on English, we’re self-cheating that we can do without it! What a suicidal attempt! Rescind this self-important decision forthwith; otherwise, those who want to swahilize our academia should tell us if Swahili’s become a world’s lingua franca in their dreams and obliviousness.
One question is bugging me. Whoa, who actually started this? I need to know the architect of this sabotage so that I can face off with him to prove how wrong he or she or they are. I pay no hoot when it comes to his intentions. I want him or her or them show me the rationale of swahilizing education in the first place. Where’ll the hunk get Swahili Profs to teach all university courses in Swahili? Where’ll the books come from?
However, people lost motivation in education after literati became glitterati, law abiders, criminals and whatnot, we need to think twice. Under Mchonga education was bolstered and was a key not now when such things as drug dealings, corruption, thuggery, forgery and all sorts of crimes are. Nobody would lie doggo without being doggoned as it is currently. Accountability –at all levels –was the order of the day. Ghafla bin vuu tycoons were not seen then. Schools had books. Teachers had houses to live in and their lives were exemplary. Come Mwinyi in 1985, things nosedived. For, education lost its potentiality. Teachers were forgotten so as to start extra activities to top up their meager income. Teachers started to sell burn, juice and ice creams under his ruksa imprimatur that opened flood gates for corruption we’re now facing. Slowly our education hit the logjam. The value of our teacher plummeted suddenly. They ceased to be role models.
In sum, we’re creating a bigger mess even more by swahilizing academia. There are allegations that English is hard to understand for students whose first language isn't English? Hogwash how did Kenya, Malawi, Uganda and Zambia –to mention but a few – managed to use it both academically and politically? Find another pretext. If you think that Swahili is a mother tongue for everybody you’re dead wide of the mark. Teach them in Kisambaa, Kimakonde, Kinyanja, Kisukuma and razzmatazz and see. Again, swahilizing academia will soon backfire and the tit-for-tat consequences will be huge on the coming generations. Stop it now. Don’t act like divvys divvying ignorant boozers.
Source: Guardian March 15, 2015.
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