Challenges to African development: the medium of instruction in Uganda’s education system

Abstract

Education, whether formal or informal, is perceived as development and language is the major medium of instruction and communication through which knowledge is transmitted. Documented substantial evidence indicates that Africa was on a positive trend to steady development before colonialism set in. Colonialism ushered in a foreign medium of instruction and disoriented the African technology and the overall education system. Therefore, this study was geared towards assessing the challenges learners face where English as a medium of instruction is employed in the classroom situation in Uganda, and its implications to the attainment of knowledge and skills. The implications of a local language such as Luganda as a medium of instruction were also studied to assess the differences in knowledge and skills’ acquisition. Using a case study that involved ethnographic modes of inquiry, the researchers found out that learners had a double task of comprehending the medium of instruction in addition to acquiring the content. Instructions in Luganda were found to be easily absorbed by learners. The researchers recommend an urgent need to implement the National Language Policy where a national language could emerge. The national language would become the medium of instruction in schools.

Keywords:

• Africa’s technological development
• informal and formal education
• medium of instruction
• Luganda language education
• Uganda’s education system

Acknowledgement

We wish to thank the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs for sponsoring the corresponding author to attend the 4th European Conference on African Studies (ECAS 4) in Uppsala, Sweden where the findings of this study were first presented.