Decolonizing Primary Education in Cameroon

A Theoretical Framework for Multilingual Language-in-Education Policy

Abstract

This theoretical article confronts the persistent colonial legacy in Cameroon’s primary education system, where a linguistic mismatch between official languages of instruction and pupils' mother tongues continues to hinder educational outcomes and cultural affirmation. The central problem is the hegemonic position of English and French, which marginalizes indigenous languages and fosters epistemic injustice. The objective is to construct a decolonial theoretical framework to reconceptualize multilingual language-in-education policy. Drawing on decolonial theory and African sociolinguistics, the article critiques the current subtractive bilingual model and synthesizes indigenous African knowledge systems with contemporary multilingual education models, such as translanguaging. The core argument posits that a transformative policy must be rooted in an additive, context-sensitive approach that systematically integrates Cameroonian mother tongues as foundational mediums of instruction alongside the official languages. This framework champions linguistic plurality not as a barrier but as a critical pedagogical resource for cognitive development, cultural preservation, and identity formation. The significance lies in offering a concrete, theoretically-grounded alternative for policymakers and curriculum developers to dismantle colonial structures. By centering African linguistic assets and epistemologies, this framework provides a viable path for genuine educational decolonization, promising enhanced literacy, reduced dropout rates, and the cultivation of a more equitable and culturally sustaining learning environment for Cameroonian children.