CHANGING ATTITUDE TOWARDS MOTHER TONGUE EDUCATION AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN LAGOS STATE

The provision for indigenous Languages in the National Policy on Education (NPE, 2013) presupposes that the Languages are inactive use in homes and in the communities. The use of Mother Tongue in formal Education is about as old as formal education itself in Nigeria. However, Nigerians appears as to have a poor attitude towards the use and learning of their indigenous languages which relegates or even predisposes the Language unto extinction. The aim of this paper is changing attitudes of the learners, parents, teachers and other stakeholders in education towards Mother Tongue. The paper revealed that changing attitude towards Mother Tongue Education plays significant role in Language learning. The paper therefore recommends that: (i) society should not compromise the use of Mother Tongue within the nation, (ii) students should be encouraged to speak their Mother Tongues at all times both at home and in the School (iii) A law should be promulgated by Lagos State government ensuring that Yoruba language becomes a pre-requisite for admission into higher institution of learning in the State. Parents, teachers and learners should change their behavior, attitude, belief and disposition tothe use of Mother Tongue.Keyword: Changing attitude, mother tongue, mother tongue education, secondary school students