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Parker Delmolino

The Costs and Consequences of Rwanda's Shift in Language Policy | Africa Portal - 0 views

www.africaportal.org/...2%80%99s-shift-language-policy

Rwanda language history of relation to other languages

shared by Parker Delmolino on 30 Apr 13 - No Cached
  • Language policy in Rwanda has revolved around three languages — Kinyarwanda, the indigenous language of Rwandans, French and English
  • In the aftermath of the 1994 genocide, the Rwandan government has worked strenuously to develop the country and construct a new national image; the shift in language policy from French to English is part of this ambitious project.
  • The Rwandan government’s decision to transition from French to English as the country’s main official language is part of the country’s play to join the East African Community (EAC) and to ease economic relations with its neighbours and South Africa.
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  • Kinyarwanda unifies the population because, unlike most other African countries, Rwanda only has this one indigenous language. Estimates show that almost 100 percent of the population speaks Kinyarwanda and 90 percent of the population speaks only Kinyarwanda
  • French was introduced as an official language in Rwanda during Belgium’s rule of the country from 1890 to 1962. Once a school system was established in French, Rwanda became a member of La Francophonie. The significance of French began to decrease after the 1994 genocide, under the new leadership’s obvious preference for English.
  • Two years after the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) took power in Rwanda, they declared English an official language alongside Kinyarwanda and French.
  • The decision to distance Rwanda from the French language also has implications for the country’s post-genocide identity project. It allows for a break from the colonial past and ties with Belgium and France, factors which the Rwandan government specifies as key in the development of genocidal ideology.
  • From 1996 to 2008 the language policy required the first three years of schooling be taught in Kinyarwanda, after which the students chose English or French as the primary language of instruction
  • Officially, the language shift is part of Rwanda’s membership in the EAC and economic relations with other member states.
  • Rwanda’s economic problems are serious. Overpopulation and struggles over land continue to challenge the country and its path toward development and prosperity. Policymakers expect that a move toward adopting the English language will accelerate the country’s ability to improve standards of living and facilitate national reconciliation.
  • Overall, the Rwandan population has a positive attitude towards the use of English language: they perceive English as a valuable commodity (Samuelson and Freedman, 2010: 203). It is important, however, to keep Rwandan realities in perspective when examining policies.
  • The implementation of English as the official language of instruction has led to serious hurdles in the Rwandan education system. Among them has been establishing a teaching force fluent in English.
  • To this end, the government has taken ambitious steps to change how Rwandans perceive their identity.
  • Yet, there are problems with using English as the only language of work. Particular identities and sections of society are linked to this language more than others, putting English-speaking groups at an advantage in socioeconomic relations, and non-English speaking groups at a disadvantage.
Karolina Hicke

Heart disease present in ancient mummies - 0 views

www.bbc.co.uk/...health-21739193

paleopathology mummies atherosclerosis

shared by Karolina Hicke on 12 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • Karolina Hicke on 12 Mar 13
     
    This is an interesting article related to the the newly emerging techniques of paleopathology, which were mentioned by Jared Diamond. For anyone interested in health sciences.
J Scott Hill

The New DADT: The Military's Ban on Transgender Service - OutServe Magazine - 0 views

outservemag.com/...rys-ban-on-transgender-service

transgender military LGBT news

shared by J Scott Hill on 20 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • J Scott Hill on 20 Mar 13
     
    Some background information on issues related to transgender individuals in the military
Christian Pyros

UNICEF Rwanda - The children - The Situation for Children in Rwanda - 0 views

www.unicef.org/...children.html

Rwanda Contemporary Issue

shared by Christian Pyros on 01 May 13 - No Cached
  • Christian Pyros on 01 May 13
     
    "Child Survival Rwanda has made tremendous progress in improving child survival. Under-five mortality rate has fallen from 153 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2005 to 76, with maternal mortality dropping from 1,075 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000 to 487 in 2010 (DHS,2010) However, over 50,000 children under the age of five continue to die annually from diseases like diarrhoea, acute respiratory infection and malaria. In addition, 44% of children under five years old suffer from chronic malnutrition and a quarter of the population still does not have access to an improved drinking water source or improved sanitation facilities (DHS, 2010). Education Thanks to a policy to make primary education free, 95.9% of students; more girls (97.5%) than boys (94.3%) are  enrolled in primary school (MINEDUC 2011), but completion (24%), dropout (12.2%) and repetition rates (14%) for both boys and girls, remain key challenges, along with the switch from French to English as the language of instruction. The latter will clearly impact the quality of education for the immediate future, but is being dealt with through the development of a strategy to address broader issues of the quality of education, including major investments in teacher training and development. HIV and AIDS While Rwanda is one of a few African countries with relatively low HIV prevalence, estimated at about 3% of the adult population, prevalence rates amongst pregnant women in Kigali, Rwanda's capital, range between 16 and 34%. Young people, especially girls, remain at increased risk of contracting the disease and an estimated 22,200 children under the age of 15 live with HIV. The country has made significant progress in scaling up services for HIV positive children, with 75% receiving anti-retroviral treatment (ART) and wants to eliminate the transmission of HIV from mother to child by 2015, making remarkable progress in scaling up services for pregnant women. 82% of health facilities provide PMTC
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