History bears testimony to the fact that learning can best take place when one is very comfortable with the language in which that knowledge is imparted. One has to understand each and every word spoken by educators. Thus, Creole must enter our schools. It should become the official means of instruction in our institutions as students are in a better position to understand Creole than any other language – a language, which they encounter at every moment of daily life. No extra efforts are required for them to deal with the learning. The knowledge goes directly to the young brains through their ears.Thus, teach in Creole and the explanation is perfectly grasped.

Furthermore, don’t we say that our schools are our temples? Therefore, where lies the problem in using whatever language to pray? What really matters is the arrow reaching the target! And this means that Creole language should become part and parcel of our learning system.

It is a truism that today three-quarters of learning is done in private tuition classes. Why so? Well, it is simply because those teachers do all the tutoring in Creole, which is a welcome change from the routine explanations in English and resulting in overhead transmission to all students.

Why then not make Creole official? Why use it clandestinely? Hence, again and again, we notice a missing dimension in our learning system, which is constantly failing. Subsequently, Creole must find its due place in our educational arena. It should become a means of teaching. And rightly so, if we want a rise in the number of passes at school.

Let’s now turn to SC results in Mathematics especially from the past decades. We have a majority of students passing in English and French but failing badly in Maths.

Why? Why is Mathematics always difficult for our students? Simply, because they cannot make head or tail of explanations crammed into their small brains in English by their teachers. I bet they would have immediately understood all “plus and minuses”, had the teacher resorted to the Creole language with which students are already familiar. Therefore, I anew maintain that Creole as a language of imparting knowledge in our schools should see the light of day. Therefore, it will unanimously be agreed that Creole should be used at school for our own benefit.

I request our responsible and curriculum research council to probe deeper into the roots of the matter and in all wisdom, for the sake of a better output in academic performances, a far more intelligent generation and a brighter Mauritius, to give the green light to the use of Creole in our academic institutions. In doing so, the common day-to-day language of youngsters will also get brushed up in the process.

Last but not the least, there is a French ‘adage’ which says, “Nul n’est prophete dans son pays.” This saying becomes true in the case of Creole. Though it is a useful and productive tool, it has been put aside to rust in a corner without anyone realizing its worth. It is high time that a brake should be applied to this worthless mentality of ours that Creole cannot fulfil our needs, which is causing harm to us only.

Hence, to conclude, I firmly maintain that Creole, which is the very voice of our inner selves, should be given a chance, an opportunity to prove its worth and be used as the only ladder to get us to the dizzy heights of success.

<B>Zafirah FOONDON</B>