We’ve to do something about English

When I first heard about reports of mass failure in an English examination by Kenyan nurses who had applied for work in the United Kingdom, I thought the Cabinet Secretary for Health Mutahi Kagwe had been misquoted.

How could he possibly have uttered those words? Further, it could not be possible that nurses would be unable to pass a basic proficiency test in a language which is the mode of instructions in our educational institutions. It has since been confirmed that the reports were accurate.

The debate about the Cabinet Secretary’s public comments has been revealing. I saw a post on social media critiquing the insistence on language tests for people from Africa and other developing countries seeking to either go study or work in the West. While these concerns may be legitimate, they should not obfuscate the fundamental issues around how English is learnt and taught in the country.

I have served on the boards of several schools and the performance in the subject is always a cause of worry. A few months ago, I sought an explanation from a secondary school teacher of English of what the problem could be. The context of the conservation was the performance of two students whose secondary school education I support and whom this colleague knows personally.

When CS Kagwe’s public comments were reported in the media, the colleague sent me a message reiterating our discussions a few months ago on the teaching and learning of English in the country.

From his explanation, the reasons can be categorised into three broad strands. These are methodological, contextual and motivational. The way the language is taught should be the starting point of our interrogation.

All the way from primary school children have trouble grasping and fully expressing themselves in the language. Speak to any child preparing for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exam and you will notice that performance in English is not high. The same is replicated in high school.

Part of the reason has to do with the methodology employed and the investments made on instruction in the subject. There is an assumption that the language having been introduced to the country from our former colonial masters and being our main language of communication, learning it isn’t a problem.

Like learning how to ride a bicycle it should be straightforward, so the argument goes. We, therefore, do not pay sufficient attention to learning the nuances and rules of the language. In addition, the investment required for teaching the subject, including having language laboratories, is not prioritised.

The second set of factors are societal. While English is an official language of the country, it is not our native language. Children are taught English initially at home in some cases, but mostly in school. As my teacher friend reminded me those who teach it at home and even in school do not consistently apply the rules of the language in their communication.

The result is a disjuncture between the language as written and as spoken. Added to the introduction of colloquial words in our speech, the environment in which we operate is one that works to the detriment of and not in support of the language.

Then there is the question of motivation. A few weeks ago, I saw a social media post about societies where teaching is the most valued profession. While there is some recognition that teaching is a noble profession in Kenya, there is not enough support for teachers in terms of motivation.

As a society, we seem to glorify the politicians more than our teachers. Consequently, the passion that teachers have is sometimes dampened due to policy failure to appreciate their role in society. This impacts the quality and standards of teaching. The performance of the nurses is an indicator of what is a bigger problem within the country.