3rd October, 2016
He disclosed on Monday in Ilorin that teaching children in elementary classes with English language was a defeat of the essence of education.
“We as Nigerians are deceiving ourselves and a lot of educational institutions are also deceiving themselves.
“If you go to pre-primary schools, you see kids being taught in English, it a total defeat of a whole essence of education.
“So, the government must wake up to its responsibility that we must preserve our culture and tradition, because there is no culture without language.
“The dignity of a human being is embedded in the totality of his identity and culture and as Nigerians we are losing that dignity.
“Most Nigerians now want to be like whites, you see kids sagging and they don’t even speak their language.
“I am absolutely in support of schools redirecting themselves to the reality of using our languages in schools,’’ he said.
The vice-chancellor advised parents to desist from speaking English language to their children at home.
“The parents too should stop speaking foreign languages to their children because charity begins at home.
“A parent who knows the importance of his language will not send his children to schools where they speak English in elementary school. So, we need to bring ourselves back,’’ Na’Allah said.