The Use of Shona as Medium of Instruction in Zimbabwean Primary Schools: A Case Study of Buhera South District

The study examined the implementation of the 2006 Zimbabwean language policy which stipulates that Shona may be used as medium of instruction in primary schools up to grade 7, a development which came 26 years after Zimbabwe gained her independence.The paper investigated the extent to which Shona is being used in the teaching-learning process where English, a foreign language, has always mediated the teaching and examining of primary education in the country.The research design adopted for the study was mainly qualitative and data was collected through observation, interviews and questionnaires involving heads of schools, teachers and grade 7 pupils from 5 primary schools in Buhera South District.The study found out that the use of Shona in the teaching and learning of primary school pupils has not been widely accepted.Several reasons as to why a few teachers and pupils use Shona during teaching and learning and why a majority seemed to favour English have been found.One among others being that the language of the textbook and the examination has not changed from English.The study thus, concludes that although the use of Shona, an indigenous language, as medium of instruction came as a positive linguistic development in the country, there are still challenges at the implementation stage which need immediate attention.The study therefore recommends a revision of the language policy of the country so that it does not face tissue rejection and this should be done in wide consultation with teachers.