Kenyan learners weigh mother-tongue teaching against English demands
Students and training leaders say local-language teaching can improve learning, while English remains central to jobs and higher education.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
Some Kenyan learners say classes taught partly in their home languages have helped them grasp lessons that once felt out of reach. Their experiences point to a wider education challenge: how to improve comprehension in multilingual classrooms while preserving access to English, the language often needed for exams, work and further study.
Al Jazeera reported the case of Lona Chepkemoi, a 33-year-old mother of five from Kericho, who returned to education in 2023 through a scholarship from her local member of parliament. Chepkemoi had left primary school in 2008 after failing her final exam, and her family could not pay for secondary school.
At a technical college, she studied fashion design in classes that used Kalenjin, her mother tongue, along with Kiswahili and English. Chepkemoi told Al Jazeera that the shift from English-only schooling made lessons easier to follow and helped her understand the concepts being taught.
Kenya’s language split in schools
Kenya’s policy allows mother-tongue instruction in the first years of primary school, generally through grade 3, before English becomes the main teaching language from grade 4, according to Al Jazeera. Kiswahili is also widely used.
Classroom practice can vary by region, teacher capacity and the languages spoken by students. Across much of Africa, Al Jazeera reported, colonial-era systems still shape schooling, with English, French or Portuguese often dominating classrooms where many children speak other languages at home.
UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring reports say about 40 percent of learners worldwide are not taught in a language they understand well. In some low- and middle-income countries, the share rises to about 90 percent, according to UNESCO.
UNESCO has argued through its Global Education Monitoring work that children learn best in a language they understand, and that mother-tongue-based multilingual education can support literacy and learning outcomes. The organisation also notes that multilingual classrooms are common in many countries.
Technical training shows the trade-offs
Chepkemoi’s husband, Philemon Tonui, also enrolled at the same institution, studying building and construction. Al Jazeera reported that he completed secondary school but could not sit his final exams because his family could not afford the fees, leaving him without a certificate.
Tonui told Al Jazeera that learning through Kalenjin, English and Kiswahili improved his experience and said he believed more learners would do well if taught in their mother tongues at every level.
Ismael Kiplang’at, a 28-year-old mason who also attended the college, said instructors tried to repeat lessons in several languages so students from different communities could follow the material. He told Al Jazeera that the approach helped him complete training and build a career in masonry.
Kiplang’at also said English remains part of his plans. According to Al Jazeera, he practises English daily because he hopes to continue studying and work abroad.
Balancing access and understanding
Shadrack Tonui, national chairperson of the Kenya Association of Technical Training Institutions, told Al Jazeera that English is generally the language of instruction in technical institutions. He said teachers may still use languages learners understand, especially at lower levels, to support comprehension.
He also said technical institutions draw students from many linguistic backgrounds, which makes relying on one local language difficult. At the same time, he stressed that English proficiency remains important for the labour market, according to Al Jazeera.
UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring work identifies similar problems beyond Kenya, including teacher preparation, shortages of learning materials in local languages, and competing expectations from parents and employers over English.
For Chepkemoi, the practical balance is local and immediate. She told Al Jazeera that most of her clients speak Kalenjin, while Kiswahili helps her communicate with a wider group of customers.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.