Nigerian parents are reported to be paying between $28 and $70 in extra fees for their children to acquire British accent.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that some parents claimed that they believe when their children speak the English language with the British accent it would show a sign of proper education.
NAN reported that its investigations in schools revealed that the teaching of British accent had been included in curriculum of schools.
Classes on British accent were most times separated from the normal English and Literature lessons commonly found in schools and were allocated special times in the timetable.
For some parents who spoke to NAN, having their children speak in British accent gives them a feeling that they are receiving proper formal education.
One parent was quoted as saying that “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. It is something every parent should pay for to improve the children’s English language,” the parent said.
Another parent was also quoted as saying that “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,” the parent said.
Source: Africafeeds.com
