Language Policy in Ethiopia: Analysis of the Medium of Instruction in Primary Schools

• In Event: Teacher Prepreration and Student Achievement in Afrikan Schools

Proposal

Especially in multiethnic and multilingual countries, issues surrounding language policy, particularly the medium of instruction in schools, are pedagogically and politically important and involve equity (Kashima 2005; Aidou 2004). In other words, the medium of instruction determines which social and linguistic groups have access to political and economic opportunities and which are deprived of access. Ethiopia is a multiethnic and multilingual country with more than 80 ethnic groups and more than 80 languages (Shimellis and Negash 2020). This research examines the status of the medium of instruction at primary schools in Ethiopia.

Based on previous research, there are three main advantages to receiving education in mother tongue language. The first is from a pedagogical point of view. This is the perspective that receiving education in one's mother tongue allows one to understand academic content faster and more easily (e.g., UNESCO 1953; 2004; Yirgarem 2019). Studies have shown that retention rates decrease when children are educated in their mother tongue (UNESCO 2004). Others have shown that higher learning achievement can be expected for children educated in their mother tongue than those educated in a non-native language (Heugh et al. 2007).

The second point is the sociological perspective of showing one's identity as a member of the community to which one belongs (e.g., Heugh 2006; UNESCO 1953; Yirgarem 2019). Learning in one's mother tongue strengthens one's identity and makes one proud of one's culture (Yirgarem 2019).

The third point is the psychological perspective. This is the viewpoint that if the medium of instruction is the mother tongue, the child can express and understand it spontaneously (automatically or reflexively without taking time). This perspective is also given that this situation brings psychological stability to the child (e.g., UNESCO 1953; Yirgarem 2019).

In multilingual and multiethnic countries, the common language that bridges communication between different language groups is called the lingua franca (Heugh et al. 2007; Yirgarem 2019). For example, Swahili is used as the lingua franca in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda (Kutsukake 2018), and in many African countries that have experienced colonization, French and English, the languages of the former sovereign states, are adopted as lingua franca.

There is an argument for the necessity of the lingua franca, especially in multilingual and multiethnic countries, where it plays a vital role in trade, political development, and cultural exchange in the country (Alisjahbana 1971). There is also an argument that the lingua franca, a common language, becomes a symbol of shared national identity. Furthermore, using the lingua franca is seen as an opportunity to improve intergroup relations and cross-cultural understanding (Tesfaye 2012: 349).

This research examines language policy in Ethiopia, particularly concerning the medium of instruction in primary schools. In Ethiopia, during the imperial and Derg periods, Amharic was the medium of instruction, and other ethnic languages were oppressed. After these regimes, with the EPRDF (Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front) administration, as a federal democratic republic, the regional governments were allowed to determine the medium of instruction and the working language. Thus, many people were able to receive their primary education in their mother tongue. This has shown positive pedagogical results regarding primary school enrollment, years of schooling, and even learning achievement. It was also suggested that learning in one's mother tongue strengthens one's identity and makes one proud of one's own language and ethnicity.

The EPRDF administration promoted education in the mother tongue, but on the other hand, it promoted Amharic as the working language and communication, or lingua franca, in Ethiopia as a whole and the study of Amharic as a subject. However, Amharic is not fully functioning as a lingua franca. While there are problems with the educational system and the educational environment for learning Amharic, it was suggested that the negative impression of Amharic fostered during the imperial and Derg periods has instilled a sense of resistance to learning Amharic.

Due to the inability of the lingua franca to function, there is a current inability to communicate with each other between different languages and ethnic groups. Such lack of communication may lead to division with other language and ethnic groups and to increased distrust of other languages and ethnic groups. The failure of the Amharic language to function as a lingua franca, combined with the strengthening of ethnic identity through education in the mother tongue, may be one factor in the heightened sense of self-ethnicity that is seen in Ethiopia today.

The current Abiy administration established its first language policy in 2000, establishing five working languages. It is believed that this was part of an ethnic reconciliation policy and a desperate measure in the face of many people's resistance to the Amharic language. At this point (July 2023), there has been no specific change in the working languages or their use as a subject in schools. In the future, the medium of instruction and language education in schools and the position of Amharic may be vital in influencing the future of Ethiopia as a multilingual and multiethnic country.

Author

• Yoshiko Tonegawa, Waseda University