Language, Education, and Public Policy in Eritrea

African Studies Review, Apr 2003 by Woldemikael, Tekle M

The second type of language planning exists when the national goal is to maintain cultural pluralism through the principle of "unity through cultural diversity." In this case, the state commits itself to introducing all the indigenous languages in its educational system and in all governmental and official practices. The resolution of the Bureau of Ghanaian Languages to introduce eleven languages in the educational system, including three variants of Akan, and the recognition of eleven languages in the postapartheid South Africa are examples of this approach (Williams 1996:50). Eritrea also follows this second pattern.

The Eritrean government has stated that its educational system is meant to foster national integration while discouraging the traditional religion-based social divisions from obtaining a new political life after independence. The practical foundation of this policy has been the medium of instruction in primary schools. Continuing the EPLF's practice of teaching in local languages, the government declared, "Every nationality has the right to its own language or any other language of its choice at the primary school" (Provisional Government of Eritrea 1991). The government justified its policy by presenting a pedagogical argument supported by research and international agencies such as UNESCO, which claims that children who study in their "mother language" learn better and faster than children who study using second languages or non-mother tongues. It also argued that the use of mother languages in schools has the advantage of preserving minority languages and folk traditions that would be threatened if the government were to pursue policies and practices emphasizing the principle of "one state, one nation, and one language" (Ghebru 1996:3). In the case of Eritrea, the mother-tongue policy has been a form of social engineering that emphasizes "one state, one nation, and many languages."

In addition, all elementary school students are required to take Tigririya and/or Arabic, the two languages that were considered the working languages of the government of Eritrea, and English, the European language the government has chosen for international communication and as the main medium of instruction in all Eritrean schools beyond the primary school level. The educational policy gave clear directives as to how this was to be done.

All school-boys and school-girls of primary level and whose medium of instruction is Tigrigna [Tigrinya], will take up Arabic as a compulsory subject.... All school-boys and school-girls of primary level and whose medium of instruction is Arabic, will... take up Tigrigna as a subject.... All school-boys and school-girls whose mediums of instruction at primary level have been other than Tigrigna or Arabic, by the time they join the Middle School, taking into consideration their standard, will commence the learning of Arabic and Tigrigna.... Following the completion of the Elementary level, for the ensuing Middle School years and above, the medium of instruction will be English. Other languages will also be taken up as subject matters. (Provisional Government of Eritrea 1991:1-4)