The Impact of Neglecting Indigenous Languages on Early Education

This study examined the language of instruction in nursery and primary schools Enugu Metropolis. The marginalization of indigenous languages in nursery and primary schools has profound implications for, academic achievement, cultural identity and social cohesion among indigenous communities. It examines the consequences of prioritizing dominant languages over indigenous languages in educational settings, focusing on the cognitive, emotional and socio-cultural impacts on young indigenous languages learners. A descriptive survey research method was adopted to find out whether indigenous languages are taught in schools. The instrument was a structured questionnaire developed and administered on head teachers and teachers in each of the twenty schools. Also, oral interview was conducted with the head teachers and teachers as well as observation of pupils in and outside of the classroom. The data collected were analysed using simple percentage method. The position of this paper was that the mother-tongue education should be a guide at least at the nursery and primary school levels because it is to the advantage of the child to learn through the medium of his own language. Every child has a right to the language, traditions and insights of his ancestors and he is culturally deprived if he is cut off from them by receiving his whole education and orientation to the modern world through a foreign language. Result of this study showed that English is used as medium of instruction in pre-primary and primary schools in twenty schools while mixture of indigenous languages and English are used in some schools. It also showed that parents are failing to bring up their children to speak indigenous languages. The consequence is that it is steadily leading to the death of indigenous languages. The study recommended that government and stakeholders should provide adequate qualified indigenous language teachers to be able to teach all subjects in mother-tongue from pre-primary and primary levels; should develop curricula that include the indigenous language as a subject and integrate it across subjects and also strategically advocate for policies at regional, local and national levels that support the revitalization and integration of indigenous languages in early educational system.