Cultural Day: PTA urges FG to include local languages in school curriculum
Curriculum
By Kudirat Musa
Abuja, Oct. 25, 2019 (NAN) Parents and Teachers Association (PTA), has called on education managers to include local languages in school curriculum to enable children know the importance of culture.
Mrs. Gladys Umuteme, Cultural Mistress of the school, who spoke for the body, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Friday, shortly after Model Junior Secondary School, Abuja celebrated its Cultural Day.
Umuteme said that the school commenced the celebration of cultural day this year to inculcate and preserve the nation’s cultural heritage, much of which she said had been lost to “Westernisation”.
She said that the move would foster peace and unity among diverse ethnic groups for national development because at the end of the programme, everybody would have fun and learn from one another.
“We believe that culture is unique to every environment and all culture is great and no culture is superior to the other.
“We will continue celebrating cultural day to make children appreciate their culture, be proud of it, and always celebrate it because every culture is unique to a state or community.
“Some parents do not teach or display their culture for the children to learn and the parents always deny them access to their cultural heritage.
“If children are not taught or exposed to their culture, it may be very difficult for them to cope when they grow older.
“When children are deprived of the right to learn how to speak their local language, eat local food, dance or dress in their cultural patters, they will not be balanced intellectually.
“Parents and schools should keep our cultural heritage alive because it gives the children a sense of belonging and helps them to identify with their roots,’’ she said.
Mr Ibrahim Maliki, the PTA chairman, said that celebrating cultural day in the school was good development because it would bring the children together.
Malik said “ All the teachers and children from different regions came together to display their cultural heritage which brings unity. We, the parents, are very happy and want it to continue’’.
He urged the parents not to leave their children behind, urging them to force them to get involved through speaking their dialect, listening to local music, eating local food and dressing along the right cultural patterns.
“Federal Government should make sure that local languages are taught in schools and should be the part of curriculum.
“The most exciting part of the event is where children translated the National Anthem into different languages. It was so wonderful.
“The Government should make sure that the National Anthem is recited in major occasion like this in our languages rather than using English,” he said.
Halima Bawa, the Principal, said that culture involved everything – food, dressing, dancing and any lifestyle.
She said that some of these children did not know more than the city life and never heard anything about their culture.
“But, with this cultural day activities, their minds will be broadened and they will be stimulated to ask questions where necessary.”
The principal urged the Federal Government to make it mandatory for children to learn and pass one subject in any of the major local languages.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the event featured Yoruba, Tiv, Kanuri, Igbo, Hausa, Gbagyi, Fulani, Niger Delta cultural dances.
NAN also reports that the National Anthem was sung in different languages, while cultural dances and foods were in display. (NAN)
ROK/ETS
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Edited by Ephraims Sheyin