Challenges and Achievements in Using Hadiya Language AS A Medium of Instruction: The Case of Hossana Primary Schools
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Date
2008-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The m a ill aim of this study \I'OS to cOlJlpal'olil'e(v illveSli,l!.{/le the pruhle ms encollntered (Ind achieveme nts
gained in both Hadiya and Amharic taJlguoy- es us media o./il1SlrllCliol1 since Ihe lillie of implementation
at grass root level in the pri lllm)' schools of !-IoS.Wlnll IO" 'n in Hadiyo Zo n e-- SNNPRG _
As the main subjects oj th e siudy. primm)' school leae/lers. studeuts. principals. educational officials,
porenls and linguists were takeu. In an attelllpt /() collect reliable and valuable inJormation, a
combination of diverse research method," ( triangula/ioll) cons/~~'ling of questionnaire, interview,
observation and documen(CIIY sources were applied. The dala gall/ered were analyzed and d escribed
based on comparative-descriptive survey met hod cOll1prising both qlfanlilalive and quolitalive resear c h
designs.
Language skill trall1l11g offered to primal)' schools teachers in both H adiya and Amahric media oj
inslruclion was no/ promising and sali5jac/orily ,rea/ed The s hort-t erm in - service training teachers who
were graduates oj old curriculuill dominated th e school environment and language instruction.
Particularly, the delivel), of education through Hadiy" lang uage in 2"" cycle (5-8) was left Jar the
teachers who have not qualified nor they have offered suffiCient skill training pro visions Ja r the position
they held.
Th e study Similarly shows that both Hadiya and Aillhoric lIIedia were suffering a lot from the shortage oj
c urricululI1l11 aterials and general r eading re/erellces_ The preparatiun oJtextbook 11'(1.1' nol contextualized
and c usloll1iz ed and didn't in Jull allo w teache rs' active participation. They were directly translated int o
language media (Hadiyyisa and A mharic) from the lIIaterials already available eilher in English or
Amharic. The co ntents were Jull 0/ alienated terill s. locked relevallce to connectedly rejlect students'
classroom lesson with their day-to - day activities in th e environillent andfailed to lIIeetthe psychology oj
th eir leaming
Through the evaluative m echanisms and se rious lIl easur es taken, however, slIch diffiCUlties were
concurrently reduced. Almost all the subjects oJthe study (teachers, students, parents, principals, offiCials
and linguists) wer e develop ed co nslructive allitude toward, th e use oj Hadiya language and choice oj
Latin script to be lIsedfor ins truc tion Reverse~v , many respondents wer e dissatisfied Clnd rejected th e use
oj Amharic as a medium at primOl)' school levels.
When compared aver-all students' enrollllelll and repletion rates, the degre e oj promotion and
participation oj girls in edllcalion and their level oj acadeillic achie veillents were lIIore enhanced in
Hadyiyyisa than Amharic lallguage lIIediuIII. In the same way, the degree oj studen ts' de tainment, dropout
and repetition rates are decreased s ince mother longlfe e ducation cOl1lmence ment. 777e research findings
again describes that Hadiy" language medilllll had 'I"ite depe ndable relati onship IPith English lIIedium
while the type oj c lo seness the Amharic lang uage lII ediu III shared with English lal/guage was low and
s mal/. It was thereJoreJound th atstlldents in Hadiya IlIliguage medium are p el/arming beller and scoring
high grades than those who in Amharic lII ediu III_
Th e involvement oj teachers in th e preparation oj cllrric ulum ma terials which was marginal at the
beginning became progressive. Th e jlow oj in/orm ation. interactivit)'. communica tion and exchange oj
ideas rejlec ted belweenthe schools and the whole CO lIlIlIl.ll1ity was SlilO o th, friendly alld encouraging
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Keywords
Using Hadiya Language AS A Medium of Instruction: