The valorisation of African languages and policies in the African education systems: a case of Uganda

This paper highlights the challenges of current language policies in education in Africa, with reference to Uganda. Also examined are the likely challenges to language policy in education, while indicating how these challenges can be curtailed or overcome. The authors suggest a different view is required when approaching this topic with a paradigm shift from modernist theories imbued with colonial and neo-colonial approaches experienced by African countries over decades. The use of a more post-modernist critical theory is required to envisage democracy, linguistic justice, linguistic human rights, linguistic citizenship, diversity and sustainability for quality education and development. The execution of outdated language policies in education that are often misguided and do not reflect reality continually cost individual learners and their societies. This is evidenced by the trend of education output and research by scholars worldwide on literacy and educational achievement in Africa. Many African governments are tending towards local/arterial languages in educational policy and are supportive of inclusion of African languages in education; however the trend in literacy and educational attainment is stagnant with outcomes becoming worse. By advocating for a much wider collective approach, research based on these very communities by African researchers working with and in the communities can aid an improved outcome in the African settings. The approach advocates language policies in education to shift from borrowing colonial policies to pragmatic policies which are emancipatory and liberative with learner centred approaches to teaching and learning.