From the beginning of form education in Zambia the government has been looking for new

ways, methods and approaches of teaching in the lower primary level. Most recently the
government of Zambia came up with a policy to improve the literacy levels in Zambia, in 2014
the policy passed by the government which states that children from grade one to grade four
should be taught in their familiar languages. Therefore, this research is mainly focused on the
challenges and advantages in the implementation of this policy.

Williams (1995) conducted a study among Malawian and Zambia primary school learners which
was aimed at the establishing the reading proficiency of the learners in English and local
languages. The findings of the study revealed that the Malawian learners performed better than
their Zambian counter counterparts in both English and the local language. The Malawian
superiority in local Language reading tests was supported by the reading investigation when all
Malawian pupils were judged to have read the text with understanding, while less than a third of
Zambian pupils were able or willing to read the text. There appeared to be two reasons for the
difference between the two groups the first was to do with the fact that the “ordinary” Nyanja of
the Zambian pupils differs from the Nyanja used in the tests; the second view, the more
substantial reason was the lack of attention to local languages in Zambia (Williams, 1995). This
shared concern led to the establishment of the national language committed and later the
formulation of the national language policy, which directed that initial literacy instructions were
to begin in a child’s local language, preferably their mother tongue(MOE, 1996).

In 1998, break through to literacy (BTL), an initiative of south African non-governmental

organization, molteno project was piloted in kasama and mungwi in northern Zambia. This Was
among grade one learners . Icibemb was used as the language of initial literacy. The results of
the project were positive as learners were able to read in grade one and by the time they reached
grade two they were able to read at a level equivalent to those in grade four (ministry of
education, 2001). The project which was renamed new break through to literacy(NBTL) in 2000
was extended to mongu, chipata and Lusaka where lozi and Nyanja ,respectively were used to
teach intial literacy.

2.0 Background of the schools

Mama monty secondary school located in chimwemwe, kitwe Zambia. The school was opened
by the late president MR.CHILUBA in the year 1997. The first enrollment 950 pupils and the
headmasters MR.MBIRI from 1997 to 2002 and seconded by MR.TEMBO 2002 to 2012 .The
school has enrolled of 2351 pupils from childhood education to grade 10 in 2017 and has 69
teachers and among these teachers only 7 male teachers.

Mindolo primary was opened in 1940.this school was built for the miners children and it was
only for black children located in mindolo north and the name comes from the mindolo mine. It
was one of the first schools in mindolo and its one of the schools that offered the three R’s to
Zambian people .Mindolo primary was from standard one to standard three and in the early 80’s
grade 8 and 9 was introduced to the school and the enrollment has increased to two thousands

Riverlan primary was officially opened in 1960 it was run by the British, riverlan primary is
located in nkana east kitwe, it offers the following a Zambian syllabus and providing some
facilities such as athletics, swimming, basketball, ruby and football .It also offers familiar
languages from one to seven
Question

1. Dear sir/madam what are the challenges did you face personally has a teacher on new policy
passed by the ministry?

2. Looking at the learners what are the challenges do they face when it comes to then new policy
of 2014?

3. What advantages have you experienced has a teacher when it comes to the new policy?

4. How is this new policy benefiting the learners?

5. From what you have experienced, teaching in the familiar language has it made it easy for the
learners to understand the concepts when teaching and learning language of instruction has
changed to English?(give a reason for your answer)