Using the mother tongue to teach Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) will advance Nigeria scientifically and technologically, an Igbo group, the Odinala Cultural Heritage Foundation (OCHIE Igbo), said on Thursday.
Okoro Chinedum, Executive Director of OCHIE Igbo STEM school, made the assertion in Awka, to announce the inauguration of the committees for the development of the curriculum for STEM in Igbo language.
The OCHIE Igbo STEM Project is in collaboration with the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka.
He said: “Great minds have always argued that the security and future of every society lies with the education of the children.
“Being intentional about internalising the culture, values and tradition of a people and marrying same with science, technology, engineering and mathematics is the secret of the white man.
“The OCHIE Igbo STEM Project was conceived in 2021, as a benign search to harness the gains associated with teaching science, technology, engineering and mathematics in schools using the mother tongue.
“This is the framework that the Asian Tigers like Japan, India, China, and Korea leveraged to earn their deserved place in the world of science, innovation and information technology.
“If we do the same here, Nigeria will advance scientifically and technologically too,” he said.
Also speaking, Prof. Charles Esimone, Vice-Chancellor, NAU, said teaching STEM in indigenous language would help preserve the culture and identity of the nation.
“No nation can advance scientifically except that the mode of instruction is done in their indigenous language.
“You see the development in China, Europe and other advanced countries, check well, the mode of instruction is in their indigenous language.
“So, the Igbo language is not an exception. It is an old, ancient and very powerful language. If we follow what other advanced countries have done, we are going to make advancement as a nation,” he said.
Esimone said that the university was collaborating on the OCHIE Igbo STEM project because it had the best human resources and machinery to run and actualise the project.
He said that after the resource persons had developed the curriculum and framework, it would start in NAU and later be domesticated in other tertiary institutions, and secondary and primary schools in other states.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Coordination Committee for the project would be led by Prof. Joseph Ikechebelu, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), NAU, with Okoro Chinedum as the Committee’s Co-Chairman.