Lagos Assembly Summons Education Commissioner

The Lagos State House of Assembly has summoned the state Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, to appear before the House to explain the rationale behind her plans to introduce Chinese Language as a subject to be taught in schools in the state.

Members of the House showed their disdain for the plan with some of them arguing that it was not the current most important idea to uplift the education sector in the southwest Nigerian state.

They wondered why foreign language had suddenly become important in the state’s schools curriculum when the pupils and students have not effectively learnt the English and Yoruba languages which are taught in schools currently.

The commissioner is to face the lawmakers on 9 October.

Mrs. Oladunjoye recently announced that the state government was introducing the Chinese language in the curriculum of public schools beginning from this session.

Opposition to the policy on the floor of the House began when a member, Abdoulbaq Balogun, drew the attention of his colleagues to it.

The lawmaker representing Ajeromi-Ifelodun Constituency 2, who spoke under matter of urgent public importance, argued that the introduction of Chinese Language in public schools would not be of any economic value to the state.

He informed his colleagues that Lagos would be giving a pride of place to the Chinese and promoting their culture with the policy.

He argued that it would be better to introduce it as a course in tertiary institutions for anyone who wants to study it instead of making it mandatory for pupils and secondary school students.

In his argument, the Chairman, House Committee on Works, Rotimi Olowo, said most students of the state are not even sound when it comes to Yoruba Language and that this is causing the language to gradually fade away.

According to Olowo, who represents Somolu Constituency 2 at the House, “our children are yet to understand  our local language, we are planning to introduce another language.”

Though the Deputy Leader of the House, Mrs. Lola Akande, saw nothing wrong in the introduction, the Speaker of the House, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, said children in most countries he had visited spoke up to three or more languages but this was not the same with the state.

He noted that even the lawmakers were not fluent in spoken English and Yoruba Language which is spoken in the House on Thursdays.

“If you take your colleagues out to Britain, I know how many times the white man would draw you back to understand what you have said.

“I also know how many times you would want the white man to repeat what he says.

He, therefore, called for a vote which he got from the lawmakers to invite the Commissioner to explain the rationale for introducing the language.

—EROMOSELE EBHOMELE