The Akademi Kreol Morisien has submitted its report, Lortograf Kreol Morisien, to the Minister of Education at the beginning of this week. Dr Vasant Bunwaree has stated that if everything is ready he will not hesitate to introduce the language in schools this year.
It was on Monday that l’Akademi Kreol Morisien handed the report to the Minister of Education at the Aimé Césaire primary school. The report will be in turn presented to the Cabinet soon where it will have to be approved before being introduced in schools.
A ‘special desk’ will be set up at the Ministry of Education for those who are interested in learning to write Kreol. “Authors who wish to write in Kreol can send their work to this special desk. The work will have to be corrected so that it is in line with the norms of written Kreol,” said the Minister.
The syntax and grammar of Kreol language which will be used in schools was finalized by the Akademi Kreol Morisien. Dr Bunwaree said that the documents will be ready in the weeks to come and that the introduction of the Kreol language in schools will probably be sooner rather than later.
The spelling of Kreol in the Lortograf Kreol Morisien is an improved version of what was published in Graphi Larmoni in 2004. “This is a major step forward in the introduction of Kreol in schools,” explained Dr Arnaud Carpooran, who is in charge of spelling at the Akademi Kreol Morisien.
For Vinesh Hookoomsing, President of the Akademi Kreol Morisien, a Mauritian needs three languages to be able to work properly: English, French and Kreol. He added that there are already various cultural, spiritual and pedagogical publications in Kreol in Mauritius.
While Kreol will be introduced in schools, in the meantime the training of the teachers will be conducted by the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE). The training courses are due to start soon and will last for six months. The teachers will then be asked to introduce their pupils to Kreol which will be then used as an optional language in Standard I.
Around 60 trainee teachers will be trained in teaching Kreol while the MIE will have to provide the necessary pedagogical tools in this regard.
International Day of the Mother Tongue
In 1999, UNESCO declared 21 February as the International Day of the Mother Tongue. Over the years, this day has been celebrated to emphasize understanding, tolerance and dialogue. The use of the mother tongue aims at encouraging a diversity of languages and a multi-lingual education as well as at sensitizing the population on the different languages that exist in the world.
In Mauritius, mother tongues are widely used by different levels of people. Even in schools, teachers opt for Kreol to explain complicated things to their students though the official language is English.
According to Alain Ah-Vee of Ledikasyon Pu Travayer, there is still a lot to be done in this respect. After a forum-debate organised in 2010, the Akademi Kreol Morisien was founded with the objective of advising and finding ways and means for the introduction of Kreol in schools in Standards I and II by 2012. The introduction of Bhojpuri as an optional language will also follow. However, all will depend on the choice of the parents, and whether they want their children to learn the languages.
Dev Virahsawmy, linguist and author of many publications in Kreol, believes that the high rate of failures at the Certificate of Primary Education (CPE), School Certificate (SC) and Higher School Certificate (HSC) is a result of having ignored Kreol. “If the language is not introduced in schools, we will never be a population which masters literature and writing. The most essential reform needed in our educational system is the introduction of Kreol in schools. Not as an optional language but as a teaching medium,” he said.
On the other hand, Jimmy Harmon of the Bureau d’Education Catholic (BEC) points out that Kreol should be introduced in schools but not without due consultation. “We have to ensure that the Kreol Morisien project as an optional language is a success. This project is very important for the Mauritian culture. Besides, the project is in line with the objectives of UNESCO which are to promote cultural diversity and the use of multi-languages,” he said.
It was on Monday that l’Akademi Kreol Morisien handed the report to the Minister of Education at the Aimé Césaire primary school. The report will be in turn presented to the Cabinet soon where it will have to be approved before being introduced in schools.
A ‘special desk’ will be set up at the Ministry of Education for those who are interested in learning to write Kreol. “Authors who wish to write in Kreol can send their work to this special desk. The work will have to be corrected so that it is in line with the norms of written Kreol,” said the Minister.
The syntax and grammar of Kreol language which will be used in schools was finalized by the Akademi Kreol Morisien. Dr Bunwaree said that the documents will be ready in the weeks to come and that the introduction of the Kreol language in schools will probably be sooner rather than later.
The spelling of Kreol in the Lortograf Kreol Morisien is an improved version of what was published in Graphi Larmoni in 2004. “This is a major step forward in the introduction of Kreol in schools,” explained Dr Arnaud Carpooran, who is in charge of spelling at the Akademi Kreol Morisien.
For Vinesh Hookoomsing, President of the Akademi Kreol Morisien, a Mauritian needs three languages to be able to work properly: English, French and Kreol. He added that there are already various cultural, spiritual and pedagogical publications in Kreol in Mauritius.
While Kreol will be introduced in schools, in the meantime the training of the teachers will be conducted by the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE). The training courses are due to start soon and will last for six months. The teachers will then be asked to introduce their pupils to Kreol which will be then used as an optional language in Standard I.
Around 60 trainee teachers will be trained in teaching Kreol while the MIE will have to provide the necessary pedagogical tools in this regard.
International Day of the Mother Tongue
In 1999, UNESCO declared 21 February as the International Day of the Mother Tongue. Over the years, this day has been celebrated to emphasize understanding, tolerance and dialogue. The use of the mother tongue aims at encouraging a diversity of languages and a multi-lingual education as well as at sensitizing the population on the different languages that exist in the world.
In Mauritius, mother tongues are widely used by different levels of people. Even in schools, teachers opt for Kreol to explain complicated things to their students though the official language is English.
According to Alain Ah-Vee of Ledikasyon Pu Travayer, there is still a lot to be done in this respect. After a forum-debate organised in 2010, the Akademi Kreol Morisien was founded with the objective of advising and finding ways and means for the introduction of Kreol in schools in Standards I and II by 2012. The introduction of Bhojpuri as an optional language will also follow. However, all will depend on the choice of the parents, and whether they want their children to learn the languages.
Dev Virahsawmy, linguist and author of many publications in Kreol, believes that the high rate of failures at the Certificate of Primary Education (CPE), School Certificate (SC) and Higher School Certificate (HSC) is a result of having ignored Kreol. “If the language is not introduced in schools, we will never be a population which masters literature and writing. The most essential reform needed in our educational system is the introduction of Kreol in schools. Not as an optional language but as a teaching medium,” he said.
On the other hand, Jimmy Harmon of the Bureau d’Education Catholic (BEC) points out that Kreol should be introduced in schools but not without due consultation. “We have to ensure that the Kreol Morisien project as an optional language is a success. This project is very important for the Mauritian culture. Besides, the project is in line with the objectives of UNESCO which are to promote cultural diversity and the use of multi-languages,” he said.
Source: Défi Média
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