The Chartered Institute of Educational Practitioners UK (CIEPUK), Monday, unveiled a scholarship initiative aimed at rescuing the erosion of the Igbo language in primary and secondary schools, as well as tertiary institutions in the Southeast states of Nigeria.
CIEPUK’s President, Prof Marcel Ezenwoye, told THE WHISTLER in Enugu that the initiative was in view of the recent West African Examination Council’s results where over eighty percent of secondary school candidates that sat for the exam failed Igbo language.
Ezenwoye said the scheme would begin in Anambra State as pilot, and would then be extended to all the Igbo-speaking states when it formally takes shape. He added that the initial pilot is in partnership with the government of Anambra State.
According to him, “The initiative runs in segments. CIEPUK will begin from the conduct of extra-mural lessons in Igbo language across all the classes. We shall also encourage those who are reading Igbo language in various higher institutions in the states through incentives. Anybody who gets A1 in Igbo language will be provided scholarship to finish his or her programme. We shall also encourage schools and higher institutions that run Igbo studies as a course.”
He said another segment of the initiative was to partner with tertiary institutions running Igbo language as a course. “We intend to discuss the modalities of handing over their Igbo units to CIEPUK to enable us to generate enough interest in Igbo language studies through our networks. We intend to design functional curriculums, and then begin the implementation. This will be replicated in other Igbo-speaking states. It encompasses private and public education institutions.”
He said the drive had started. In his words, “It is unacceptable that our children are failing the Igbo language in this magnitude. Our duty as stakeholders is to return the language to what it used to be. Igbo language is the purveyor of our culture. If we lose our language, we have lost our cultural values. CIEPUK has language experts, and I can assure you that we shall return Igbo language to its original status, and also position it in the global context. Igbo is spoken across continents, and it will be disastrous if the root is lost.”
(The Whistler)