By Oluwaseyi Akanbi
Ekiti State Government says it will ensure that the ‘Je Ka Kawe’ initiative which is targeted at promoting indigenous languages among the younger generation is given priority.
The Commissioner for Education in Ekiti State, Dr. Olabimpe Aderiye stated this at the handover ceremony of the Yoruba Early Grade Reading Materials tagged ‘Je Ka Kawe’ to the ministry by the United States Agency for International Development, USAID in Ado Ekiti.
Dr Aderiye who lamented the decline in the learning and speaking of native languages among younger ones explained that the state government welcomed the initiative as it would safe Yoruba dialects from going into extinction.
In a separate remark, The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Basic Education, Professor Francesca Aladejana and Chairman, Ekiti State SUBEB, Professor Femi Akinwumi reemphasized the need for parents to communicate with their wards in dialects saying such enhances their intelligence.
On their part, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Dr Folake Olomojobi and her SUBEB Counterpart, Mr Dare Ajayi gave assurance that the initiative would be given to utmost attention it deserve.
On their part, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education Science and Technology Dr Folake Olomojobi and her SUBEB Counterpart, Mr Dare Ajayi gave assurance that the state government through the concerned stakeholders would do all that it require to achieve the aims of the initiative.
Also, the Representative from the Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs Chinyere Nwokorie called on the state government to ensure that the books get to every pupil in primary schools so that the objective of the ‘Je Ka Kawe’ initiative would be achieved.
Earlier, the Chief Of Party, COP, USAID Initiative, Mr. Nurudeen Lawal, said the organization’s commitment to promoting education, values and cultures of the people gave rise to the ‘Je ka Kawe’ project, urging state the government to play its role.
