In a move believed to aid learning for students in Northern Nigeria, Bayero University Kano has reportedly translated physics, chemistry, and mathematics textbooks into the Hausa language.

A Twitter user Muhd El-Bonga Ibrahim/@El_bonga revealed this while translating a news report tweeted by Freedom Radio Nigeria.

@El_bonga tweeted:

“Bayero University Kano has concluded the translation of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics textbooks into Hausa.

“This is a welcome development because many students find it difficult to speak English, not to talk of using it to learn. They should do it at the primary level too.

“Language of instruction, in addition to having good teachers that can implement any curriculum content into practice, is very vital when it comes to ensuring effective teaching and learning.

“According to Professor Aliyu Mu’azu who led the team, their works comprise of translated Hausa books in the field of science and technology meant for primary school pupils from primary one to three.

“The professor added that his team translated a total of eight textbooks in the field of science so as to help those in primary and secondary school to learn well especially in the northern region.”

When another Twitter user claimed the move will not help Northern students to learn English and said it is a step backward.

“This will not help our children to learn English it’s taking us backwards,” the Twitter user said.

@El_bonga responded:

“The national policy on education recognizes the need to use indigenous languages to teach at the early stages, with English coming up later. It doesn’t mean that English will be stepped aside totally. The aim, I think, is to foster learning first.”

The news has been met with mixed reactions on Twitter. While a section of the microblogging site described it as a good development, others believe it is not a step in the right direction.

Gimba Kakanda, a Nigerian writer, called the move a “welcome development, and a very effective way to domesticate science and technology in our society”.

He tweeted:

Bayero University has concluded translation of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (textbooks) into Hausa.”

This is a welcome development, and a very effective way to domesticate science and technology in our society. https://t.co/qFto1ZQWsT

— Gimba Kakanda (@gimbakakanda) January 6, 2020

 

See other reactions:

I fail to see what this solves, if words like Quantum Electrodynamics and Feynman path integrals don’t get mapped to the Local language. We are simply hiding from the glaring fact. we do an abysmal job in basic early childhood education!!

— Alusi (@etakspaehc) 7 January 2020

 

…that students taught in English do not adequately grasp the concepts involved, I fail to see how hausa speakers will “outpace the rest of the country” because some books were translated. 1 + 1 will remain 2 in English, Hausa, Ijaw and Birom until the laws of Math change.

— Taerg (@JohnDoe049) January 7, 2020

 

 

Wonderful.

Research has since confirmed that the use of mother tongue in pedagogy leads to easier understanding of the subject being taught.

— Tosin Obembe (@SirTosinObembe) 6 January 2020

This is superficial at best. In a country as ethnically diverse as Nigeria, vernacular is never a better medium of instruction. The lingua franca has done more to foster unity, which is critical to sustaining civilization, the civilization, education aims to strengthen.

— ADENUSI SAMUEL SEYI (@AdenusiSamuel) 7 January 2020

I’m in total support of this. Let Yoruba scholars not sleep on this. Allow each ethnic nation take full control of their future & God given resources.

— Bα̲̅bα̲̅ Ẹri ifẹ (@babsacademy) 7 January 2020

If you have to wait for it to be translated to imagine anything would be done only shows we hitherto had nothing to offer. You should be telling us of books already written in the language with present day realities by indigenous people. Na today u go understand rocket science?

— Prof.Dr.Chief.Alh.Pst.Engr.. Kwesi-Fola(SAN)JP (@Folababs1) 7 January 2020

They will have to, first, scrap NYSC then. A corper from a non speaking Hausa part of the country might not be able to teach a student who had learned in Hausa language. I say this because implementing this policy at the tertiary level means it must start at the lower level too.

— A. G. Abdullahi (@gift_aku) 7 January 2020

Translating basic science into Hausa is a huge success but how are they going to incorporate this into the curriculum? And I hope this will not make the #North think that there isn’t the need now to perfect ourselves in English language#KadunaLanguageclass need to see this

— Idrees (@dr_ideee) 7 January 2020

90% of key words in Physics and Chemistry has no Hausa translation, so it will still end up as an Engli-Hausa mix and the teachers will still waste a whole of time trying to explain to them what those words mean especially as they are already struggling with English Language

— Íké Mámàh (@aikmamah) 7 January 2020

If this is true, is a welcome idea, I love this and encourage our people from South West and South East to emulate this…they shld also compulsory our mother’s lang in curriculum not math & eng

— Olowookere Samuel (@sammy_prestige) 7 January 2020

This is fantastic news. Improved learning at basic education in the Indian educational system is achieved through their 3 language policy in school education. Similar policy can be explored in Nigeria with the right instructional instruments.

— Faisal U. Kaita (@FaisalKaita) 7 January 2020

British and other European countries are already restricting Nigerians who has the intention of coming to study in their countries with IELTS, TOEFL and many more… This Hausa people should not compound our problems. Every Nigerian students should be taught in English.

— Bench Warmer (@Merozoites) 7 January 2020

Are they going to write SSCE in Hausa too ?

How will they interact with their fellow countrymen from other regions if they taught exclusively in Hausa ?

How does this unite Nigeria ?#GenuineQuestions

— شاه آيو الرمادي (@Shah_Gray) 7 January 2020