Maseru, Jan.15—Ministry of Education and Training Principal Secretary says languages such as Mandarin and Sign language have not been incorporated into the curriculum.
Mr. Rats’iu Majara said this in an interview where he said it is exceptional in schools with deaf community. He added that French is part of the curriculum in certain schools.
He said for now schools offering Mandarin and Sign language are doing such as part of extra mural activities until the ministry has incorporated them into the curriculum.
He however said they encourage schools to continue teaching those languages until such time when they will be in the curriculum saying education aims to prepare individuals by equipping them with relevant knowledge and skills necessary to thrive and be competitive in the global market.
He mentioned that including the said languages in the curriculum would mean more teachers saying the ministry currently does not have financial muscle to employ more teachers.
The Ministry of Education and Training considers itself as instrumental in playing a leading role towards realisation of this national vision. This is in line with its main responsibilities which include curriculum design, recruitment and payment of teachers, construction of additional classrooms, provision of subsidies for learners’ fees and administration of examinations as well as quality assurance of teaching.
Lesotho had envisioned developing an education system that is universal, free and compulsory to all and improving the system of examinations to avoid potential anomalies.
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