The use of English as a language of instruction and its implications on social justice in primary schools in Chivi District, Zimbabwe : a critical investigation

Abstract

This study investigated English as the language of instruction (LOI) and its implications for social justice at Grade Three level in Chivi District, Zimbabwe. There is a dearth of linguistic diversity in Chivi District schools despite their multilingual nature, where indigenous languages, Shona, Ndebele and Shangani, are spoken. The Zimbabwean language in education policies do not promote heritage languages although Zimbabwe’s participation in international declarations on African languages which aim to recognise heritage languages as LOIs were not fruitful. The demise of indigenous languages, culture and identity are social justice malpractices due to the dominance of English as LOI in the education system. The study adopted a qualitative research design and a phenomenological research strategy which are embedded in the constructivist paradigm. focus group interviews, semi-structured, open-ended interviews, document analysis and observation were used to generate data. A total of twenty-two (22) purposively sampled research participants participated in the study. The findings indicated that the LOI is the language recommended by government for teaching and learning in schools. The study also indicated that social justice can be achieved when learners and teachers have equal access to use the language of their choice in teaching and learning. The findings indicated that English as the LOI at Grade Three level largely communicates social justice malpractices because participants revealed lack of language diversity, manifestation of xenocentrism, low self-esteem, subtractive bilingualism, transitional submersion, poor performance and lack of teacher-learner proficiency in English as weaknesses in the education arena. Furthermore, findings revealed that indigenous languages occupy peripheral roles although they are spoken by the majority in Chivi District schools. Notwithstanding, the study revealed that English has benefits for the learners since it is instrumental in securing employment opportunities, further education and global communication and it is responsible for sifting, selecting and allocating occupational roles in society. The study recommends that for social justice to prevail in the education system in Chivi District, the Ministry responsible should formulate and enact language in education policies that focus on linguistic diversity. The Ministry should also be pragmatic in enforcing language policies.

Lolu cwaningo lwaphenya ukusetshenziswa kolimi lwesiNgisi njengolimi lokufundisa (language of instruction [LOI]) kanye nomthelela walokhu ekuqinisekisweni kobulungiswa namathuba alinganayo kubafundi beBanga Lesithathu esiFundeni sase-Chivi, kwelaseZimbabwe. Ukubhekelelwa nokuhlinzekelwa kokwahlukahluka ngokwezilimi kuyinto eyindlala kakhulu ezikoleni zesiFunda saseChivi nakuba zona kuyizikole ezinabo ubuliminingi, lapho kukhulunywa khona izilimi zendabuko, okuyisiShona, isiNdebele kanye nesiShangane. Izinqubomgomo zolimi kwezemfundo kwelaseZimbabwe azizigqugquzeli izilimi zamagugu endabuko futhi akuzange neze kube nezithelo ezinhle ukubamba iqhaza kwezwe laseZimbabwe ezivumelwaneni zamazwe ngamazwe maqondana nezilimi zase-Afrika okuyizivumelwano okuhloswe ngazo ukwamukela ngokusemthethweni izilimi zamagugu endabuko njengezilimi zokufundisa. Ukufadalala lwezilimi zendabuko, usikompilo kanye nokwehluka kwabantu ngokwemvelaphi nobunjalo babo njengabantu kuyinto ephambene nenkambiso elungileyo engumphumela wokukhonya kakhulu kolimi lwesiNgisi njengolimi lokufundisa ohlelweni lwezemfundo kulesi sifunda esishiwo ngenhla. Ucwaningo lwasebenzisa indlela-kucwaninga yokuxoxisana ngokujulile nabambambiqhaza bocwaningo (qualitative research design) kanye neqhingasu lokucwaninga izimo abahlangabezana nazo futhi abadlule kuzona ababambiqhaza ezimpilweni zabo (phenomenological research strategy) okuyiqhingasu eligxile ekuzakheleni kwababambiqhaza ulwazi ngokwabo kanye nokuqonda (constructivist paradigm). Ngenhloso yokuthola nokukhiqiza idatha (imininingo) kwasetshenziswa indlela-kuxoxisana egxile kwiqenjana elincane elinezici-bunjalo ezifanayo (focus group interviews), nendlela-kuxoxisana ubuso nobuso engagcini nje kuphela ohlwini lwemibuzo ehlelekile, kepha elandelisa nangeminye imibuzo evulekile (semi-structured face-to-face interviews), nokuhlaziywa kwemibhalo kanye nokubukela lokho okwenziwa ngababambiqhaza bocwaningo. Bangamashumi amabili nambili (22) ababambiqhaza ababamba iqhaza kulolu cwaningo ababekhethwe ngenhloso. Imiphumela eyatholakala ocwaningweni yabonisa ukuthi i-LOI wulimi olunconywe nguhulumeni ukuba luzetshenziswe njengolimi lokufundisa nokufunda ezikoleni. Ucwaningo lwabonisa futhi ukuthi bungafezekiswa ubulungiswa bomphakathi nokulingana uma abafundi nothisha benikezwa ithuba elilinganayo lokusebenzisa ulimi oluqokwe yibona ngokwabo maqondana nokufundisa nokufunda. Imiphumela eyatholakala ocwaningweni yabonisa ukuthi ukusetshenziswa kwesiNgisi njengolimi lokufundisa eBangeni Lesithathu kubonisa ikakhulukazi inkambiso ephambene nobulungiswa bomphakathi nokulingana ngoba phela ababambiqhaza babonisa ukuntuleka kokubhekelelwa nokwahlukahluka ngokwezilimi, ubukhona bothando losikompilo nolimi lwabezizwe esikhundleni sokuthanda olwabo, ukuzenyeza, ukufunda ulimi lwesibili okugcina sekukhonya lona esikhundleni solimi lwebele, ukuthatha kolimi olusha indawo yolimi lwendabuko (transitional submersion), ukungasebenzi/ukungaqhubi neze kahle kanye nokuntuleka kobunyoninco nekhono lokukhuluma nokusebenzisa kahle ulimi lwesiNgisi kothisha nabafundi, okuyizinto ezibonisa ubuthakathaka emkhakheni wezemfundo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, imiphumela yocwaningo yabonisa ukuthi izilimi zendabuko azidlali indima engumongo futhi zibekwe eceleni nakuba kuyizona ezikhulunywa ngabafundi ezikoleni eziningi esiFundeni sase-Chivi. Kepha-ke nakuba kunjalo ucwaningo lwabonisa ukuthi ulimi lwesiNgisi lunayo imihlomulo kanye nosizo kubafundi njengoba lubaluleke kakhulu ekutholeni amathuba omsebenzi, nemfundo ephakeme kanye nokuxhumana nabantu bamazwe ngamazwe futhi isiNgisi yisona esidlala indima esemqoka ekuhlungeni, ekukhetheni kanye nasekwabeni imisebenzi emphakathini. Ucwaningo luncoma ukuthi ukuze kube nobulungiswa bomphakathi nokulingana ohlelweni lwezemfundo esiFundeni sase-Chivi, iHhovisi likaNgqongqoshe elibhekelele lokhu kumele lakhe futhi liphasise izinqubomgomo kwezemfundo ezigxile ekubhekeleleni ukwahlukahluka ngokwezilimi. IHhovisi likaNgqongqoshe kumele futhi lithathe izinyathelo eziphathekayo nezizosebenziseka ngempumelelo ekuqinisekiseni ukuqaliswa kwezinqubomgomo zolimi.

Irhubhululo leli beliphenya isiNgisi njengelimi lokufundisa (LOI) kanye neminqopho yalo kezobulungiswa babantu/bomphakathi esiGabeni seGreyidi yesiThathu esifundeni se-Chivi District, eZimbabwe. Kunokunyamalala kwehlelo lokukhulunywa kwamalimi ahlukahlukeneko eenkolweni eziku-Chivi District naphezu kokuthi kuneenkolo zamalimi amanengi, kuleziinkolo kukhulunywa amalimi wendabuko anjengesiShona, isiNdebele kanye nesiShangani. Ilimi leZimbabwe malungana nemigomo yezefundo, imigomo le ayithuthukisi amalimi okumagugu kanti godu inarha yeZimbabwe ayizibandakanyi ehlelweni lephasi lokumenyezelwa kwamalimi we-Afrika, okulihlelo elihlose ukuhlonipha amalimi amagugu njengamalimi wokufundisa (LOI) kube yipumelelo. Ukufa kwamalimi wendabuko, kwesikopilo kanye nobunjalo bethu kuyindlela yokubhalelwa kuletha ubulungiswa babantu, ngenca yokubuswa siNgisi njengeLimi lokuFundisa kusistimu yefundo. Irhubhululo lilandele idizayini yerhubhululo lekhwalithi (qualitative research design) kanye namano werhubhululo lefenomenoloji (phenomenological research strategy), okumamano atholakala ku-constructivist paradigm). Amahlelo wehlolombono wesiQhema esiNqotjhiweko (Focus group interviews), amahlolombono enzeka ubuso-nobuso ahlelwe kabili (semi-structured face-to-face interviews), ukutsengwa kwemitlolo kanye nokubuthelela ilwazi ngokuqala ngamehlo, koke lokhu kusetjenziswe ukubuthelela idatha. Inani loke labadlalindima abamasumi amabili (22) kwirhubhululo lesampuli eneminqopho. Ilwazi elitholakeleko likhombise bona iLimi lokuFundisa kulilimi elinconywa ngurhulumende ehlelweni lokufunda nokufundisa eenkolweni. Irhubhululo likhombise ukuthi ubulungiswa bomphakathi bungafikelelwa lokha abafundi nabotitjhere nabanamandla alinganako wokusebenzisa ilimi abalithandako ekufundeni nekufundiseni. Ilwazi elitholakeleko likhombise ukuthi isiNgisi njengeLimi lokuFundisa esiGabeni seGreyidi yesiThathu kanengi siveza ukungakhambi kuhle ehlelweni lezobulungiswa bomphakathi, ngombana abadlalindima bakhombise ukutlhayela kwehlelo lamalimi ahlukahlukeneko, ukuvela kwehlelo lokuninana, ukuzithathela phasi, ukubulala elinye ilimi ngelinye ilimi, ukufunda ilimi lesibili ngelinye ilimi elingabonakaliko, izinga lokungasebenzi kuhle esikolweni kanye nokutlhayela kwabotitjhere nabafundi abakghona ukukhuluma ilimi lesiNgisi njengobuthakathaka emkhakheni wezefundo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ilwazi elitholakeleko liveze ukuthi amalimi wendabuko athethe indima ekhambisanako, nanyana akhulunywa bunengi beenkolo ze-Chivi District. Ngaphandle kokuphikisana okunengi, irhubhululo liveze ukuthi isiNgisi sineenzuzo kubafundi njengombana sisebenza khulu malungana nokuvula amathuba wemisebenzi, ukuragela phambili ngefundo kanye nokuthintana nephasi loke kanti ilimi leli lilungele ukusefa, ukukhetha kanye nokuhlukaniselana iindima emphakathini. Irhubhululo lincome kobana ukuze ubulungiswa bomphakathi bubonakale ehlelweni lezefundo ku-Chivi District, uMnyango othintekako kufanele wakhe bewusebenzise, kumithethomgomo yezefundo eqalene nokuvumela amalimi ahlukahlukeneko. UMnyango godu kufanele usebenze ngendlela yamambala ukuqinisa umthetho ekulandelweni kwemithethomgomo yezamalimi.