We
are all affected by AIDS pandemicA Break Through into Taonga at Last
By Mazuba Mwiinga
For the past four years, the Interactive Radio Instructions (IRI),
well known as Taonga schools, have been continuing up-grading out of
school children’s lives through out Zambia. In Chikuni Parish,
these schools have won not just acceptance but also, respect from the
communities around. The onus of these schools has managed to show society
that age has nothing to do with education. Men and women as old as
44 years of age have come out in the public and attended these schools
so as to be literate.
But being an initiative of the Ministry of Education trying to reach
the target of Education For All by 2015, the syllabus have always been
running concurrently with that of formal schools. And that’s
why when the Ministry of Education brought a new method of teaching
grade one pupils called: New Break Through to Literacy (NBTL), there
was a cry out that this component be encompassed as well into the Taonga
Lessons. And believe me you; on February 20 to 22, Seventy-five Taonga
Mentors in Chikuni Parish gathered at the Hall to get new skills in
handling starters of Taonga.
The 75 mentors came from 21 old Taonga centers and 2 new ones.
The New Breakthrough to Literacy – NBTL method of teaching, is
one concept with an idea of teaching learners in their local language
at an early stage. This method does not just make it easy for learners
to grasp the contents of the lessons but also gives them a commendable
chance to learn their own language; just as the Nature-Nurture Controversy
goes; that language is in-born but has to be learned.
This I believe will make our children grow up into adults who appreciate
their culture and language. In turn, it will enhance confidence in
them in translating what they know in Tonga into English. This inclusion
has increased lessons from 100 to 150. During a demonstration at a
seminar showed in clear ways how this method is so practical, workable
and good to the learners. But it was discovered that caution should
be taken seriously in terms of Mentors. For it has to do with local
language use, Mentors for grade one then should be very conversant
with the local language lest they mislead the learners. This was seen
during a demonstration exercise on translating an English statement
into Tonga. Various translations came out, some of which were quite
doubtful. Though so, the Mentor’s Guidebook gives proposed translations
to help a Mentor in times of difficulties.
As our learners now come into Taonga lessons, I have no doubt they
will come out of it fully baked and ready to read and write in both
their local language and English with less difficulties. This break
through into Taonga is one of the successes that have come to Radio
Schools in Zambia. As we fight illiteracy amongst us, we should too
support the Taonga Centres and encourage the children to go to these
schools; so are parents to send them to the schools. We have at last
gone through the barrier of – viva NBTL.
