State urges scholars & researchers to invest in orthographic studies on indigenous languages to improve CBC’s Digital Literacy.
The government has urged scholars and researchers to invest in extensive orthographic studies on indigenous languages as part of the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC) education system’s efforts to diversify content and improve Digital Literacy.
According to Prof. Fatuma Chege, Principal Secretary (PS), State Department for Curriculum Implementation, the indigenous languages included in the school curriculum under CBC had established and well-developed studies that informed proper content development for use in class.
The PS was speaking at Kitivo Primary School in Mwatate during the pilot phase of the SchoolNet program’s rollout.
“Indigenous languages are included as part of the school curriculum, if they have orthographic studies, to guide the process of content development. This is a key requirement that studies must be available for references,” she said.
She urged academics to promote research in the orthography of indigenous languages, which would eventually allow the creation of digital content for learners across the country.
Orthography refers to a comprehensive set of language components that focuses on aspects such as pronunciation, spelling, cadence, inflection, and nuances that influence how a language is spoken or used.
Scholarly studies and peer-reviewed publications on such languages provided a starting point and a foundation for developing curriculum for use in schools.
Noting that the CBC was an all-encompassing curriculum, the PS stated that Digital Literacy was also a key component of the new curriculum and would help unlock learners’ full potential as a means of exploiting their latent capabilities for appropriate career choices.
She went on to say that, unlike in the past, where children’s career paths were predetermined by the preferences of their parents and guardians, CBC allowed learners to explore and develop an interest in their areas of interest.
“This is a learner-driven program, where children will choose career paths based on their strengths in different fields. Teachers and parents will support those strengths,” she noted.
Other senior officials, including Deputy Governor Majala Mlaghui and Ms Lucy Mulili, ICT Authority Board member, who represented the PS for ICT, were present at the colourful launch. Mwatate Deputy County Commissioner Damaris Kimondo, TSC County Director Silas Mugo, Mbaruku Wangai, County ICT Officers, and other officials were also present.
The project is being carried out in collaboration with the Ministries of Education and ICT and Innovation, the ICT Authority, UNESCO, and Huawei.
State urges scholars & researchers to invest in orthographic studies on indigenous languages to improve CBC’s Digital Literacy
