In the world of African literature one of the recurring themes is the use of which language. Is a writer bound by a ‘colonial’ language? A language he learned at school, a language he perfected at university, but a language that often is his or her second or third language.

The same theme applies to education. What is the language of education? Is it one of the former colonial languages? Or should we realize that for many people worldwide e.g. English is an important second language, but not a (former) colonial language. Should we see these languages as world languages that open a new world or should we ‘revert’ to our mother tongue and use that language as a language of instruction in education? 

When we decide that the local language should be preferred in education, then not just for primary education, but also for secondary education. When we do this will it be an unifying force or a de-unifying force in a country with a multitude of languages?

Read more about it in this article.