Abstract

This study was to examine parental attitude to Tiv Language as a medium of instruction in view of the Nigerian language policy derived from the National Policy of Education which requires instruction to be given in the mother tongue in the Junior Secondary School. The theoretical and conceptual framework that was used for this study emerged from bilingualism and its two forms which are additive and subtractive models. One research question was used for the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. A questionnaire titled Parents Language Preference Questionnaire (PLPQ) was the instrument used for data collection. A sample of 330 parents were randomly selected from the eleven council wards in Vandeikya Local Government during Parent Teachers Association (PTA) meetings in two schools selected each from council ward from a population of 5000 parents. Data were collected and analysed using simple percentages to answer the research question. Findings indicate the following: First, Tiv parents are not ready to allow teachers to use Tiv language as a medium of instruction in the Junior Secondary School. The study also discovered that parents supported English as the language of instruction at the Junior Secondary school level. The study recommended among others the immediate introduction of Tiv Language medium in the Junior Secondary schools in all Tiv speaking areas in Nigeria.