This book seeks to enter the crucial debate on educational language choices in Africa which began with the arrival of missionaries and took varied forms over the years. In her book, Roy-Campbell examines the link between the languages of instruction in former colonies and the kind of knowledge produced in the schools. She explores issues such as who decides which language should be the medium of instruction in schools, the criteria for this decision, and the implications of this decision for knowledge production and reproduction

Tanzania is the primary focus of this discussion. It provides the illustration of a multilingual country, which nearly 30 years ago legislated the use of a local language as the language of instruction throughout primary school level. Yet, it continues to use a foreign language as the main language of post-primary school education. The importance of the Tanzania experience resides in its enormous efforts towards decolonizing the language of instruction. Insights are offered into some of the contradictions that can occur between the radical conceptions of educational change and the practical implementation of these changes. In this book, the Tanzanian experience is positioned within the larger context of the educational language issue in post-colonial Africa, and the experiences of countries in Southern Africa are also introduced to broaden the discussion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Zaline Makini Roy-Campbell, a Pan-African educator, was born in Chicago and has studied in the USA, Uganda, the Caribbean and England. She taught at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania for six years. She has also lived and taught in Zimbabwe and Uganda.

CATEGORY

Education, language, Politics/AFRICA