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{
    "id": 124469,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/124469/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 312,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Mwatela",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Education",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 103,
        "legal_name": "Andrew Calist Mwatela",
        "slug": "andrew-mwatela"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to reply. (a) The rationale behind the use of the local language in rural areas and peri-urban areas and English language in city and town schools in lower primary is based on the following: The language policy for Kenyan public schools stipulates that the language of the catchment area should be used as the language of instruction from standard one to standard three in rural areas where homogenous communities exist. In cosmopolitan areas like cities, town, urban administrative headquarters, commercial centres and new mixed settlements where multi-lingual first languages exist, the language of instruction is English and Kiswahili. The first language is crucial for the child’s psychological development. It enables the learners to benefit from a familiar media and in the process build critical thinking skills and cognition which is necessary in the learning process. As the learning gets increasingly complex in the upper primary classes; standard four to standard eight, children are able to transfer the cognitive skills easily as they use other media of instruction and are also able to comprehend more difficult subject matters taught in the second language, in this case, English. In lower classes; class one to three, a multiplicity of teaching and learning approach is used. During this period, English is taught as a subject. The use of the language of the catchment area enables a firm foundation in literary, numeracy and life skills development. The first language improves the quality of education by strengthening the traditional culture, values, ethics and identity towards enhancing patriotism, citizen participation in public and national affairs in the formative years. It is consistent with the Kenyan Constitution in the preservation and promotion of our diverse and rich cultural heritage and traditions. This policy has been tested and is in line with the research and studies conducted by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Ministry of Education. It also borrows from the experiences of other countries like Ethiopia, South Africa, Indonesia and China, where the use of the local language is emphasized and implemented at early stages of life for laying the foundation necessary for achieving quality education and homegrown national development. (b)The Ministry has no plans for developing two sets of examinations for children in urban and rural areas. In fact, pupils from rural schools have continuously performed better or at par with urban counterparts in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) national examinations."
}