Imperialism In Congo

I don’t believe that there is too much wrong with their language policy though. With the nation accepting Swahili and English as their official languages, there are many indigenous languages which are reducing rapidly since it is not common practice to use the language openly. Even though there will be possible language death, I don’t feel as though it’ll impact this country.

Democratic Republic of the Congo
Demographics
In 2014 the population of the Democratic Republic of the Congo was approximately 75 million. There are about 214 languages spoken there. The official language is French with the national languages being Kikongo, Kiswahili, Lingala and Tshiluba.

Colonialism in DRC The Democratic Republic of the Congo was a fiefdom under
King Leopold II from 1885 to 1908. The territory went by the name Congo Free State during his rule. Under his rule, about fifty percent of the indigenous population was killed due to brutal treatment. Leopold II exploited the natives of the land and forced them to work. There weren’t any laws protecting the natives (3) so the Europeans as well as the Force Publique were able to kidnap, mutilate, rob and murder them to get what they wanted if the quotas weren’t reached. In 1908 the king was forced to give up power to the Kingdom of Belgium, where it became renamed as the Belgian Congo. The indigenous population was treated much better under the rule of the kingdom, but open racism and discrimination were still practiced. The indigenous were not allowed to hold office or vote. They did not receive equal wages and they were also not allowed to receive a public education.

Independence troubles within DRC
In 1960 the requested independence and gained it. There was a major crisis that resulted in the assassination of the first Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba. A civil war went on for two and a half years. The first multi-party elections were held in May 1965, but Joseph Mobutu overthrew the power and established his ruling. Through his reign, the west supported him until a multi-party system was developed. Mobutu lost control of the borders began to lose control of the borders later during his rule and in 1996 and 1998, Uganda and Rwanda invaded the country.

Language Policies The French education policy was accepted by elite members, but there were a handful of intellectuals and politicians who didn’t care much for it. In 1962 after a meeting of the Union Générale des Etudiants Congolais, there was a request to change French from being the official language to an indigenous one. Some efforts came from the Catholic Church of the Congo when they, in 1966, made Lingala the language of the church and it became mandatory for the clergymen to train in the language. Even though there is no single language that unites the DRC citizens together like there is for Tanzania, they come together because of their shared history during the colonial times and their difficulties to gain liberation. The Congolese people are very attached to their diverse cultures and they seem to learn as many languages that is required of them to speak to others. Many enjoy shows, music and operas that are performed in Lingala and not so much French.

Education in the DRC Before the DRC gained independence their schools were ran by missionaries.
The languages that they taught in were Kikongo, Kiswahili, Kitetela, Lingala, Lomongo, Tshiluba and Zande. From 1906-1920 non-mission schools were developed by the government but were, ironically, staffed by Roman Catholics. In 1948 a new curriculum was established and French became required to take as subject in the government-subsidized schools and then as the medium of education from the fourth year onward. By 1958, French became the required medium of education for the government and subsidized schools. Flemish, English, and German were available to take as a foreign language class during the secondary school. Kikongo, Kiswahili, Lingala and Tshiluba were the four national languages and were required subjects in the regions they were most commonly spoken in the country. According to the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, only about 10% of the population within the DRC spoke French at a proficient level. Data from the United Nations Children’s Fund says that in 2010, about 75% of children went to primary school and 32% were in secondary school. To no surprise at all, the ones who are most literate come from higher
classes.

Suggested Changes for the DRC There is a much needed education reform within the DRC.
I believe the medium of education for primary school should be one of the national languages based on the region the children live in with French being a subject. Having school taught in French in a country where only about 10% of the population can speak it proficiently is very unrealistic and as we can see, hasn’t been working. In first two years secondary, the medium of education should still be in one of the national languages while having more intense French learning classes. I believe at this point, the French classes should be immersion like where they can only speak in French during class. As for the last four year of secondary I believe there should be options to take certain courses in French. The university level should be a multi-lingual institute as well, offering classes in French and the national languages. In order for this to work, for attention and funding need to go towards the school for educating children, especially for those in very rural
areas. In this country, French has a huge divide between the elite and everyone else. It seems as though the citizens would like to identify more with the national languages more than a western one. The people listen to a lot of media in Lingala instead of French which shows that longing for a more African state. It surprises me that even with the wish for having an African language as the official, the government won’t listen and that all of their education is in a western language that hardly anyone within the country know. I feel as though my recommended policy changes will allow for the people of the country to get their literacy rate up and more children will long to stay in school beyond the primary years since the medium will be something they understand better. I’d also like to suggest that the country put the four national languages as their co-official languages as well. It is very difficult for a nation to participate within governmental elections or policy changes it’s all operating in a language that less than half can fully understand. This would cause a need for more translators I’m sure, but it would be less dividing than the current language system now.