Education authorities in Chipata welcome new curriculum

The Ministry of Education in Chipata district has welcomed the introduction of the new school curriculum which adopts local languages as the medium of teaching from grades one to four.

Chipata District Education Standards Officer Leo Jere said the move by government to adopt local languages as the medium of teaching for grades ones to four will enable pupils learn how to read quicker than when they receive instructions in English.

Mr. Jere told ZANIS in an interview in Chipata that the use of local languages will make it easier for pupils to easily assimilate what is taught in their native language.

He said Chipata district has wholly welcomed the introduction of local languages because history indicates that pupils in the district performed better in Chinyanga than in English.

Mr. Jere said currently, the district was conducting workshops to train teachers on the new curriculum which he said are going on very well.

He said the distribution of learning materials for the new curriculum was underway because the district wants the implementation of the curriculum to begin immediately.

And a head teacher at Magwero Secondary School Henry Sakala also welcomed the new curriculum saying it will make learning for pupils easier.

Mr. Sakala said the pupils were more conversant with Chinyanja than English.

There has been concerns from some quarters of society after government introduced the new curriculum which compels teachers to use local languages as a command of teaching from grade one to grade four.