ELIMINATING ENGLISH, ELIMINATING THE ECONOMY?
In 2015, under the governance of former President Jakaya Kikwete, Tanzania became the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to adopt an African language as the formal language of its classrooms.
While countries like Rwanda and Gabon made bold moves to assume English as one of their official languages, a nod to the continent-wide acknowledgement of the language's economic importance perhaps, Tanzania bucked the trend, expelling English from its education system and installing Swahili instead.
The new administration seems to be in no hurry to overturn this policy. Far from it, high-ranking governmental officials have been championing the native African language at prominent gatherings of East African states. Current President John Magufuli notably uses Swahili as his language of choice at international conferences and regional events.
According to The East African Kiswahili Commission's 2017-2022 Strategic Plan, Swahili will play a vital role in regional integration and the sustainable development of the East African Community (EAC).
Recently, calls in neighboring Kenya for language reform in the education sector—specifically the Kenya Language Bill—have created some stirrings among Tanzania's linguists and educational reformists, eager to see a similar regulation outlining the priorities and practicalities of shifting to Swahili in school.
The advantages of promoting Swahili are many. On the one hand, Swahili is the main language of production in Tanzania, with the majority of people employed in the agricultural and industrial sectors using it for everyday transactions.
Since an estimated 90% of the population speaks the African tongue—compared with just 15% who are adept in English—Swahili's reach is far greater, making it the more inclusive of the two. On a practical level, using Swahili as a common language facilitates civil participation, particularly in terms of organizing society, and effective provision of basic services such as healthcare.
Broadening the scope beyond Tanzania, Swahili is spoken widely in seven other countries: Kenya, Rwanda, Republic of Congo, Somalia, Comoros, Mozambique, and Zambia. And that is not to mention countless other states in which Swahili is still present. The language opens up possibilities to over 100 million people in the world.
For Tanzania, these possibilities could mean improved cross-border trade, decreased risk of border conflict, increased likelihood of reaching consensus on the East African monetary union, and important contact with one of the world's fastest growing demographics.
However, there are also disadvantages to enforcing a Swahili-only system. Tanzania's academics are up in arms about the downgrading of English in the classroom, maintaining that Swahili vocabulary is not rich enough to do justice to complex topics and, therefore, cannot be used exclusively in tertiary education. In addition, most of the world's discussions, whether academic, scientific, or financial, are carried out in English. Tanzania's foregoing of the language is also isolating itself from these global communities.
Secondly, English is undeniably the international language of business and, as of now, shows no sign of relinquishing this position. FDI projects, for instance, attract and often require a workforce proficient in English to enable a smooth project completion.
Furthermore, it has been proven that there is a wage premium attached to knowledge of language. And, with high demand for English globally, and low supply in some parts of the world, English has a higher wage premium than many other languages. Lowering supply in Tanzania through failure to teach will only increase this divide.
Finally, Tanzania's leading earner of foreign expenditure is the tourism sector. Without adequate English, there is a danger of alienating tourists, who might instead turn to other countries in the region that pose less communication barriers. Tanzania's service sector comprises 40% of GDP, but this would no doubt face a cutback if competency in English dries up over the next few decades.
Opponents claim that without the necessary English preparation in primary and secondary education, Tanzanian children are not sufficiently prepared for academia, employment, or a globalized society. While it is necessary to celebrate national patrimony, it is high time the Tanzanian government addresses the economic and social impacts of its education and language policy.
ELIMINATING ENGLISH, ELIMINATING THE ECONOMY?
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Guest Speaker
Hon. Patricia Scotland, Secretary General, Commonwealth of Nations
TBY talks to Hon. Patricia Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, on the advantages of being a member of the Commonwealth, the need to celebrate diversity, and Tanzania's war against corruption.
read articleGuest Speaker
Libérat Mfumukeko, Secretary-General, East African Community (EAC)
TBY talks to Libérat Mfumukeko, Secretary-General of the East African Community (EAC), on Tanzania's importance to the EAC, the major achievements of regional integration, and obstacles ahead of a monetary union.
read articleInterview
Raymond P. Mbilinyi, Executive Secretary , Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC)
TBY talks to Raymond P. Mbilinyi, Executive Secretary of Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC), on its work to support the private sector in the country, tackling challenges in the economy, and clamping down on corruption.
read articleReview: Banking
The Quest for Depth
If Tanzania is to meet its 2025 vision of attaining middle-income status, it will need to corral its bank-centric financial and capital markets for greater depth by extending participation and rendering credit more accessible to SMEs, women, and the young to spur economic growth.
read articleInterview
Dr. Baghayo A. Saqware, Commissioner , Insurance, Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA)
TBY talks to Dr. Baghayo A. Saqware, Commissioner of Insurance, Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA), on achieving universal healthcare coverage, the brilliance of microinsurance, and how to partner with public and private entities to increase the industry's penetration.
read articleReview
Legal Thunder
With the stepping down of Minister of Energy and Minerals Sospeter Muhongo in May 2017 over transparency issues and the introduction of three new laws that give the government the right to renegotiate or revoke existing mining and oil and gas rights, private players in the country are unsure of what future lies ahead. On the other hand, project-specific developments bode well for a sector in need of a breakthrough.
read articleInterview
Kapuulya Musomba, Managing Director, Tanzania Petroleum Development Company (TPDC)
TBY talks to Kapuulya Musomba, Acting Managing Director of Tanzania Petroleum Development Company (TPDC), on the planned expansion of the Mtwara-Dar es Salaam natural gas pipeline, entering northern industrial hubs, and empowering nascent industries.
read articleInterview
Marc Den Hartog, Managing Director, Shell/BG Tanzania
TBY talks to Marc Den Hartog, Managing Director of Shell/BG Tanzania, on the critical need for economies of scale, the importance of developing LNG for export, and why renewables must be taken into account in any long-term plan.
read articleInterview
Hon. Charles Mwijage, Minister, Industry, Trade and Investment
TBY talks to Hon. Charles Mwijage, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, on how to reach middle-income status, employing the private sector toward this end, and what sets the country apart from the rest of East Africa.
read articleFocus: Helium
Discoveries of Magna-tude
Despite being the second most common element in the universe, helium is in short supply on earth. With global reserves of the gas steadily dwindling, and demand steadily increasing, the discovery of a whopping 1.53 billion cbm of helium in underground chambers in Tanzania could not have come at a better moment.
read articleInterview
Gilliard W. Ngewe, Director General, Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Agency (SUMATRA)
TBY talks to Gilliard W. Ngewe, Director General of Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Agency (SUMATRA), on transportation budget allocation and cross-sector dialog and partnerships.
read articleInterview
Jared H. Zerbe, CEO, Tanzania International Container Terminal Services Limited (TICTS)
TBY talks to Jared H. Zerbe, CEO of Tanzania International Container Terminal Services Limited (TICTS), on regional trade flows and Tanzania's potential to take a leading role in orchestrating cargo movement.
read articleFocus: Tanzania Strategic Cities Project (TSCP)
East Africa’s “Geneva”
If Rome wasn't built in a day, it is not surprising that Tanzania's project to revamp eight of its largest cities is entering its eighth year of implementation. A release of further funds from the World Bank has given the project a new lease of life.
read articleReview
Lost in the Maize
Agriculture accounts for 30% of Tanzania's GDP, and the sector has experienced above-average output in recent years compared to the rest of the African continent. However, the sector's development is held back by poor rural farming practices and general infrastructure bottlenecks.
read articleInterview
Fred Kafeero, Tanzania Representative, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
TBY talks to Fred Kafeero, Tanzania Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), on the organization's long-term support for Tanzania's development, recent initiatives in agriculture, and financing.
read articleFocus: 2020 Irrigation Target
Reap What You Sow
In 2006, the Tanzanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation set a target for Tanzania's agriculture sector: to irrigate 1 million ha of land by 2020. More than 10 years on and moving ever closer to the deadline, this target has not yet been met, though the first seeds are being sown.
read articleFocus: Southern Circuit Tourism
Hidden Gems
Tourism is frequently described as the jewel in Tanzania's economic crown. In 2016 alone, the industry contributed over USD2 billion in revenues. However, for at least three years, the government has expressed concern that tourism is not well distributed across the country.
read article