MoE to Pilot Foreign and Indigenous Languages in Selected Schools

The Ministry of Education (MoE) andthe Teachers Service Commission (TSC) are set to pilot teaching of foreign and indigenous languages in some selected primary schools in the next term.

Schools are set to reopen for the first term of the 2021 academic year before the end of this month of July.

The Foreign languages are German and French. The Principal Secretary for Education Dr. Julius Jwan released a list of schools where the piloting will happen. He also released guidelines for the implementation of indigenous and foreign languages in schools.

Going by the circular dated the 8^th of July, Juan said that there will be two lessons in a week for any foreign or indigenous language as per the curriculum designs and each lesson will be set for a duration of 35 minutes.

TSC has identified, inducted, and oriented teachers who will be involved in the piloting program in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

“Principals of secondary schools whose teachers have been identified to be part of the piloting exercise of foreign languages teaching in primary schools, will get specific guidelines on teacher management from the TSC,” said Julius Juan.

The following is the Circular dated the 8^th of July regarding the piloting exercise.

TO:

ALL REGIONAL DIRECTORS OF EDUCATION

ALL COUNTY DIRECTORS OF EDUCATION

ALL SUB-COUNTY DIRECTORS OF EDUCATION

ALL HEADTEACHERs OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS

RE: COMPETENCY-BASED CURRICULUM (CBC) ROLLOUT:

IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES FOR FOREIGN AND INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES IN UPPER PRIMARY GRADES (4, 5 & 6)

The Ministry of Education rolled out the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) for Early Years Education (EYE), covering the Pre-Primary 1 and 2 and Grade 1 to 3 vide circular Ref: MOE/CONF/G5 of 2^nd January 2019.

All schools rolled out CBC in Upper Primary in January 2020 in Grade 4. This will be followed by the rollout of Grade 5 in 2021 and in Grade 6 in 2022.

The following cluster of optional subjects will be offered for the first time at Grade 4 for selected pilot schools.

French, German and Indigenous languages. Details of selected schools to offer indigenous languages are shown in appendix 1 while details of identified schools to offer foreign languages are shown in appendix 2.

All institutions will use the following Guidelines:

1. Time Allocation

a) There will be Two (2) lessons in a week for any of the selected from this cluster as per the curriculum designs.

b) Each lesson shall be 35 minutes.

c) Schools that are not participating in the pilot shall utilize the two lessons for Teacher Professional Development activities as per circular letter Ref: MOE.CONF/G11/3/1 dated 7^th November 2019.

2. Selection of a Language

A learner will be expected to select one (1) of the subjects from this cluster.

3. Criteria for selection of any of the Languages from this cluster

• Foreign languages will be offered by schools that have been identified for piloting in the year 2021 (see list in Appendix 1).
• All other schools (both public and private) that are not participating in the pilot may apply for approval to introduce the new subject/learning area as per the directorate of Quality Assurance and Standard Guidelines.
• The Ministry of Education will provide learning materials for foreign and indigenous languages; to support learning.
• A learner may choose any of these Languages if he/she has:

a. Interest in a particular language.

b. Basic language skills in the language of choice.

4. Teaching staff

Identification, induction, and orientation of the selected teachers to participate in the pilot program has been carried out by the Teachers Service Commission in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

The particular of selected teachers and pilot schools they will be attached is appended (Appendix 2)

Principals of secondary schools whose teachers have been identified to participate in the pilot of foreign languages teaching in primary schools will receive specific guidelines on teacher management from the TSC.

Julius O. Jwan, PhD, MBS

PRINCIPAL SECRETARY

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