Today, February 21, is the International Mother Language Day. It’s a worldwide annual observance held on 21 February to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. 

Its overall objective is to contribute to promoting Global Citizenship education. The theme “Towards Sustainable Futures through Multilingual Education.”

Meanwhile, a professor at the University of Juba says the government should now implement teaching local languages in primary schools as part of the national curriculum.

At the end of last year, South Sudan and its education partners launched primary education curriculum to improve learning in the country.

In the syllabus, all dialects are regarded as national languages and must be thought in lower primary classes.

Mairi John Blackings, who is a lecturer of linguistics, says learning one’s mother tongue is a human right issue, and that all schools should begin implementing it.

He speaks with Joakino…