Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, in collaboration with an Igbo social-cultural Organization, Odinala Cultural Heritage Foundation (OCHIE), has inaugurated committees in a bid to develop and Integrate a standard curriculum for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) with Igbo as a language of instruction and evaluation across Schools in South East Nigeria.
The Vice Chancellor of Unizik Prof Charles Esimone while inaugurating the committees at the ASUU Secretariat, said the programme is built around promoting the use of Igbo language in modern technology and development of students in the South East and beyond.
The Vice Chancellor however commended the foundation for initiating the wonderful idea geared towards integrating Igbo language in the school curriculum as he charged the committees to tackle their assignment with diligence and to look beyond mere translation of Igbo language but to look into scientific discoveries in Igboland from the cultural background as well.
He stressed that Ochie Igbo and department of curriculum and methodology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University have set about the teaching Igbo children the basic sciences in Igbo language, anchored on the premise that children learn better when the language of instruction is in the mother tongue, the first language of instruction.
He however dispelled the notion that pre colonial Igbo society knew no science, as science being a study of systematic study of physical and natural world did not exist in the pristine Igbo society, as many practices in agriculture, traditional medicine, arts and crafts were underpinned with scientific principles.
In his address, the Executive Director of OCHIE Igbo STEM School, Okoro Chinedum Benedict, said the target of the Project is to raise a generation of Igbo children who can innovate, conceive, invent, and interpret phenomena and concepts in the Igbo language, as every child is a basic function of it's environment.
He noted that it will also take off on a virtual note targeting to enroll Igbo kids from all parts of the world."This way, the educational barriers and challenges associated with the learning sciences in our primary and secondary schools would be a thing of the past".
“over the years, educationists, researchers, and curriculum development experts have argued that children perform better when taught in their mother tongue, hence the project" he further explained.
Delivering a keynote address, the Former Vice Chancellor, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Prof Chinedu Nebo, and presently the Vice Chancellor of Niger University, called on all Universities in South East region to make Igbo Language compulsory for students, so that the concept of using English to interpret Igbo language will be a thing of the past.
Nebo who spoke on the topic: "The Potentials of mainstreaming Igbo as the language of instruction and evaluation for STEM in Igboland, also called on south east governors to make the language a text-run for those seeking for government work in the region.
The National President of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide ,Chief Emmanuel Iwanyawu was represented at the event by Prof Fred Eze, while speaking to newsmen at the sidelines of the event, harped on the need for Igbo language to be integrated in the STEM project so that the Igbo language can be a formidable front towards launching the Igbo nation into mainstream technological innovation, just like the Chinese.
He called on the South East governors to support the innovation towards making the Igbo language a form of evaluation to further strengthen the Igbo language Internationally.
He said that the concept if properly harnessed will transform the south east towards remaining a force to reckon with in the country and beyond.