Education is a concept
perceived differently by people. As a result of colonial influence in Nigeria,
for people to know one is educated he/she must speak English. However, English
is just a language just like any other language. The purpose of this article is
to challenge a widely held assumption that “to be educated is to know how to
read, write and speak English.”
For a long time now, the
credibility of one being civilized is that, he/she must speak English, “you’re
enlightened, you are civilized” because English is the language of the
civilized people that makes Hausa, Yoruba or Igbo vernacular. What is the
meaning of vernacular? It means “the language of the primitive people (low
class) a language which has no structure”.
However, let’s go back to the
meaning of education. Education can be defined as “the gradual process of
acquiring knowledge and wisdom”. Nonetheless, people tend to see reading and
writing as the only signs of a learned or educated person. Although, reading
and writing are secondary things. What if, I can read and write in Hausa,
Yoruba or Igbo? Wouldn’t you refer to me as educated? Rather people would refer
to me as an illiterate.
My point is, to be educated in
Nigeria is to be able to read and write in English. So I pose the question, how
about the Chinese who can’t speak English? The German,Japanese? Since
education has to do with knowledge, knowledge is the information and skills
acquired through experience or education/ the theoretical or practical understanding
of a subject.” Example, I know a lot of mechanics that haven’t been to school,
but can do what a graduate in mechanical engineering can’t. To be unable to
know how to read and write in English, does not necessarily mean one has no
knowledge at all.
There have been a lot of researches
that shows more than half of Nigerians are illiterates, which are all
concentrated in the north. So I pose the questions, illiterates in what
language? The answer would be “in English”. My research shows, many of the
people in the north can read and write in either Arabic or in Hausa. What about
those who have a B.A in Hausa, in our Nigerian universities? Does that mean
they are still not educated or are illiterates? I would leave that to you.
In conclusion, education must not
necessarily mean, know-how to speak a particular language. Nonetheless,
language is important, one can be educated in whatever language he/she may
understand. It is better for one to be educated in his native language than to
be taught in a foreign tongue. That’s why we have issues understanding what
we’re being taught in school.
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