By Doh James Sonkey
The importance of Mother Tongue in the educational upbringing of the Cameroonian child has been emphasised as Cameroon joined the rest of countries worldwide to commemorate the International Mother Tongue Day under the theme “silver jubilee celebration of the International Mother Tongue Day”, at the National Museum in Yaounde in the nation’s capital. Placed under the auspices of Secondary Education Minister, Prof Nalova Lyonga, students from public and private schools demonstrated mastery of some mother tongues through several activities in an event chaired by the Centre Regional Delegate of Secondary Education, Dr Ndemba Sidonie who was flanked by other officials.
Students writing dictation in mother tongue
Cameroon’s national anthem was sung in Ewondo language by students of Catholic College St Benoit of Mvolye.
Other activities practiced included the sudano-sahelien royal parade, presentation of Miss/Master 2025, poem presentation in the Bassa language, quiz, sketch on indiscipline in the school milieu, sketch on pride price, choral singing etc.
The Inspector Coordinator General in charge of Letters, Arts and Languages at the Ministry of Secondary Education, Michael Iyassa explained to The SUN that “our Minister has urged us to assess the law of orientation of April 1998 which says that national languages and cultures should be taught to Cameroonian children and that is what the Ministry of Secondary Education is actually doing now. For now, we have about 102 schools nationwide where national languages and cultures are being taught with an effective of about 300 teachers.’’
Languages are essential to education and sustainable development, serving as the primary means through which knowledge is transferred and cultures are preserved. With approximately 8,324 languages in the world today, many are at risk of disappearing due to globalisation and societal changes. Ensuring that education systems support the right to learn in one’s mother tongue is crucial for improving learning outcomes, as students who are taught in a language they fully understand show better comprehension, engagement and critical thinking skills. Multilingual education, particularly for minority and indigenous languages, not only helps learners but also fosters a deeper connection between education and culture, contributing to more inclusive and equitable societies.
The 25th anniversary of International Mother Tongue Day celebrates a quarter-century of efforts to preserve linguistic diversity and promote mother tongues. This milestone emphasises the importance of language preservation in safeguarding cultural heritage, improving education, and fostering more peaceful societies.