Mother-tongue education in primary schools in Malawi: From policy to implementation

Abstract

This article argues that it is one thing to pronounce language-in-education policy statements and yet another to implement such pronounced policies. In the context of Malawi, the language policy has remained fragmented since 1996 when five indigenous languages were elevated to the status of official languages alongside the existing official languages of ciCewa and English. KiNgonde was co-opted much later as another official indigenous language. The policy remains fragmented, and suffers from a lack of appropriate planning and logistics, and the government's tardiness in effectively pronouncing and implementing the pronounced policy statements.