By Martin Paul Abuja with agency
Primary and secondary schools in the country will soon begin the teaching of mathematics and science subjects in indigenous languages, Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, has said. Speaking at the inauguration of inter-ministerial committee on teaching of mathematics and science subjects in local languages in Abuja, he said the project will help Nigerian students to understand mathematics and science subjects better.
Th e inter-ministerial committee, which involved Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Education, he added, would help in developing the capacity of the local languages to serve as eff ective tools for teaching mathematics and science subjects. Stating that the project would also promote the application of science and technology for national development, Onu expressed concern of the government over the low interest in mathematics and the science subjects by students. Onu said various countries like India and China adopted a related strategy by teaching mathematics and the science subjects in their indigenous languages at the primary school level and were advancement in science and technology. “For us to build the country of our dreams, for us to make Nigeria a truly great nation, a nation that is able to feed and house its citizens, a nation with a stable currency, we must embrace science and technology. “Nigeria will remain dependent nation if the citizens did not embrace science and technology, because no nation can become great without science and technology. “If Nigeria is to be great, then, Nigerians must embrace science and technology.
“Th e socio-economic challenges we are facing in the country is as a result of inadequate application of science and technology,” he said. Mr. Onu said that graduates were no longer able to get jobs after their studies because the nation imports everything it needed. Earlier, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, said using mother tongue to teach science and mathematics would certainly help and ensure better understanding of the of the subjects. Adamu, who was represented by Useni Adamu, the director in charge of the offi ce of the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, said that the project would facilitate a major breakthrough in the area of science and technology
