Abuja parents pay extra tuition fees to special tutors so their kids can be taught to speak with British accents

NIGERIAN parents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have begun paying extra tuition fees to local schools so that their children can be taught how to speak with British accents believing that it will help with their career advancement.

 

Investigations into schools around Garki, Gwarimpa, Wuse, Asokoro and Maitama in Abuja revealed that the teaching of British accent had been included in the curriculum. Classes, developed to satisfy parents with this quest have been named phonics, elocution, enunciation and diction.

 

These classes generally separated from the normal English and literature lessons commonly found in schools and were allocated special times in the timetable. Classes in the schools go for cumulative prices between N10,000 and N25,000 per term, on top of the standard school fees.

 

Some schools said such classes were optional but pressure from some parents was gradually making them popular. According to some parents, having their children speak with British accent gives them a feeling that they are receiving proper formal education, unlike the standard schooling they had in their time.

 

They said since the English language originated from Britain, it was important that children learnt to speak it in the proper accent, adding that it would help the children to relate better with people abroad. Christina Ayuba, a businesswoman with four children said she was glad that her children were being taught British accents in school.

 

She said although she did not fully understand the way the children speak lately, she was proud that they speak that way, as it made her feel like she was giving them the best education. Mrs Ayuba said it is something every parent should pay for to improve the children’s English language.

 

“I feel the pride of a parent when my children go to church and people envy the way they speak smartly, at least I won’t be bothered if they go abroad. They will be able to interact with white people and understand them when they talk," she added.

 

Another parent, Oyietari Oboro, an engineer with two children, said that he hired a tutor to teach his children the accent at home in addition to lessons they receive in school. He stressed that it was a necessary skill as the world was becoming more global and people needed to be armed with the right conversational skills, noting that British accent had become an added advantage.

 

Mr Oboro said: “We did not have these kind of lessons growing up and it affected us. When you hear people speaking with British accent, you start to feel your grammar isn’t correct.

 

“We don’t want our children to suffer these things and so these lessons are important as part of equipping them for the future. Most of us do not want our children to stay in this country for long and also do not want them to feel left out when they go abroad.”

 

This practice has now led to a surge in private diction tutors who teach children in their homes or act as resource persons to schools. Some of the tutors charge between N15,000 and N30,000 per month, depending on the intensity of the lessons.

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