Language of Instruction: A Qualitative Analysis of the Perceptions of Parents, Pupils and Teachers Among the Kalenjin in Kenya

The paper reports the results of a survey of parents (n = 12), teachers (n = 8) and pupils (n = 20) in primary schools in rural Kenya. The sample was divided equally between multilingual and monolingual schools, the former using English or Kiswahili only, right through primary school, the latter using the mother tongue (in this case, Kalenjin) Kalenjin in primary classes 1–3, and English or Kiswahili from primary class 4 on, where the children are on average 9 years old. Virtually all the respondents preferred using English or Kiswahili instead of their mother tongue as the language of instruction in primary classes 1–3. The paper discusses the findings and their implications for further research and policy-making.