Teachers from the Chama cha Kiswahili Cha Taifa Uganda (CHAKITAU) have rallied support for the government’s move to make Swahili Language an examinable subject in primary and secondary schools.
Kiswahili teachers under their umbrella, the Chama cha Kiswahili Cha Taifa Uganda (CHAKITAU) have rushed out to rally support for the government in the move to make Swahili language a core examinable subject in primary and secondary schools in the country.
Earlier this week, the Swahili language was declared a compulsory subject in all primary and secondary schools across the country.
The move came after the Cabinet approved the compulsory teaching and examination of the language in these schools with the aim of expediting the achievements of East African integration.
According to the ICT minister, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi who passed on the announcement, the Education Ministry will now decide in which education calendar this directive will be implemented.
“Cabinet approved the implementation of the 21st East Africa Community summit directive in Uganda to adopt Kiswahili as an official language of the community. Cabinet recommended that the teaching of Kiswahili language in primary and secondary schools be made compulsory and examinable,” Baryomunsi said.
With this in mind, the Swahili group has come out to support the idea. While addressing journalists, Benon Mukundane the CHAKITAU Secretary said the idea will help create more employment opportunities for teachers of the language.
“We applaud government for making a decision at cabinet level to approve the implementation of the 21st EAC Summit directive to adopt Kiswahili as an official language of the community but also recommending the teaching of Kiswahili in primary and secondary schools be made compulsory and examinable.”
“The East African protocol provides for the teaching of Kiswahili in primary and secondary schools as a compulsory subject and whereas textbooks have been developed and distributed in all schools, it is worrying that the teaching of this language at primary level has taken long,”Mukundane said.
In addition, he said Kiswahili will have a great positive impact on Ugandans at wider level in the region for harmonious community business and timely implementation of EAC policies and programs.
Mukundane however, called on government to ensure that the subject is taught straight from primary one and not from primary four.
He said languages are easily learnt during the infant stages.
 has rallied Kiswahili teachers under its umbrella to support the government's plan to make Swahili a core subject.){kind=link}