My attention has been drawn to Kennedy Buhere`s article (The Standard Newspaper 31st May 2010, P16) titled “Teachers to blame for poor language grasp.” I find Buhere`s stance on teachers of the English language maddeningly unfunny. It is loathsome for an opinion leader of his stature to behave like the “Bully Pulpit Preacher”, who elects to use mere rhetoric to shine a spotlight on an issue of national interest.

Buhere alleges that “lay” teachers of the English language have given up the fight against the ascendancy of Sheng among students. His is a misnomer. The truth is that teachers have put in place the language policy that seeks to encourage the use of the English language as the official language of communication not only within but outside school as well.

Apparently, his is a case of misconstruing the teachers` hue and cry over the ascendancy of Sheng among the youth to mean that teachers have given up the fight against minimizing the effects of Sheng in formal education.

All that teachers are simply looking forward to is a broad, proactive societal role to protect the interests of the youths in this nation. Parents must for instance take a more proactive strategy in guiding and counseling the youths. It goes without saying that society has given the youth so much latitude. Consequently the youths have become heavy consumers of popular culture, values that come from advertising, the entertainment industry, the media, and icons of style. These values are distinguished from those espoused by more traditional, political, educational or religious institutions. The effect of all these is manifested in their medium of communication which, as Buhere opines, is uniquely different from the mainstream society.

Things are made even worse by the fact that parents and guardians, flawed by their lack of understanding of their role, elect to make Sheng their occupation whenever they indulge in tête-à-tête with their children. This is a clear pointer to the fact that the parents` philosophy is not aligned with the schools` philosophy. In such instances, teachers are discouraged from actively disabusing the minds of the youths from their error of idolizing Sheng.

From the foregoing, Sheng is a social problem whose panacea does not lie in the hands of teachers alone. It is the society more than teachers that reserves most of the responsibility for the English language debacle. It is therefore incumbent upon Buhere to desist from his great game of straws and understand once and for all that teachers have no magic wand to wave.

TOME FRANCIS,

BUMULA.

http://twitter.com/tomefrancis