Osun Commissioner Canvasses Usage of Yoruba Language in Schools
The Osun State Commissioner for Education, Mr Kola Omotunde-Young has called for the use of Yoruba Mother Tongue, Yoruba language, for teaching in schools across the state.
Omotunde-Young urged the teachers to use the Yoruba language to teach and use locally available examples and concepts for illustration in order to achieve effective understanding of the subjects by the pupils and students.
He stated this at the weekend while inspecting some schools in some parts of the state, maintaining that Yoruba should be used as the first language and English as second language in teaching.
The commissioner called on teachers and parents in the state to support the functional education drive of Governor Rauf Aregbesola by showing commitment to teaching and giving the children adequate parental care.
According to Omotunde-Young, for the efforts of Aregbesola’s administration at improving education in the state to yield positive results, parents and teachers need to see themselves as major stakeholders in the drive.
Omotunde-Young urged the parents, guardians and society to pay more attention to the educational development of the children.
The commissioner maintained that the parents must specifically ensure that every child enjoys good parenting as a right and not as a privilege and given the children moral education to compliment what they are being taught in school.
He urged the teachers to ensure effective teaching and mentoring, appealing to them to make classrooms friendly and learner -centered so that the standard of education in the state can improve.
The commissioner urged teachers and school authorities to always maintain clean environment, noting that it will reflect in the overall behaviour of the students.
He said: “We should support our neighbours to be better parents so our children can be productive and have safe environment to live now and in future.”
Omotunde-Young appealed to parents and guardians to provide for the academic needs of their children, lamenting that many parents sent their children to schools to resume the new term in tattered dresses.
“It is the right of the child to be properly clothed and educated and parents must be made to realise that having children come with responsibilities that cannot be ignored.
“Parents who failed to cater for their children must be reported rather than allowed to deny the child education.
"The Ministry of Education in collaboration with other child centred agencies of government shall soon publish Telephone numbers, e-mail and contact details to report mothers and fathers who refuse to live up to their responsibilities to their children.
“It is in all our best interests to support, mentor and assist the uninformed and uncaring mothers, fathers or guardians to improve in their responsibilities to the child and report such to authorities if they refuse to be good parents." the commissioner said.