EDITOR — I am concerned and disturbed by the increase in Early Childhood Development Centres (ECD) that appear to pride themselves in offering a strictly English-speaking environment.
Definitely indigenous languages will not be a priority at these centres.
ECD offers the basic knowledge and values that will contribute to the child’s identity in future and the identity that is being given to them is Western and not Zimbabwean.
The new educational curriculum emphasises on moulding children who are proud to be associated and identified as Zimbabweans and it looks like only children at government schools are being moulded in such a manner.
If one goes to other countries like China, Britain and America national pride and identity is the first thing you encounter, especially in the youngsters.
They would rather know and be identified with their country rather than belong to another country.
I am not saying that offering English is bad, but the issue of prioritising English over local languages is not in sync with patriotism.
I kindly request that the relevant Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education monitor what these schools and pre-schools are teaching and those that are found on the wrong side be de-registered.
Teachers and owners at these schools must be taught what it means to be patriotic before they teach our children.
It is sad that children who speak local languages fluently are made to feel inferior by the ‘good’ English speakers.
Patriotism is key to our development and it is cultivated in early childhood development centres as well as in our homes

Chichi, Montague