Double Trouble, and Three is a Crowd: Languages in Education and Official Languages in Vanuatu

Abstract

At independence in 1980 Vanuatu's Constitution declared that English, French and Bislama (Melanesian pidgin English) are official languages, Bislama is the national language, and English and French are the principal languages of education. Also, protection is guaranteed for the 105 Oceanic vernacular languages spoken by the Melanesian population (170,000). Further, the Constitution requires that the Ombudsman report to Parliament annually on the 'observance of multilingualism' and 'the measures likely to ensure its respect'. Such reports were presented in 1995, 1996 and 1997, and the paper critically responds to them. Various deficiencies are claimed, including the definition of multilingualism, the bias towards French, the misunderstanding of language equity, and the misinterpretation of the Ombudsman's role in language matters. Crucially, the reports fail to acknowledge the complexities of the post-colonial language situation in Vanuatu, and disdain both the important unifying role of Bislama as the national language and the diverse linguistic and cultural base provided by the multiple vernaculars. The system of official trilingualism and the dual-language education system are grounded in historical circumstance, but today place enormous strains on Vanuatu's infrastructure. Appropriate multilingual language development for the future requires that fundamental issues of Constitutional interpretation and definition of language policy be resolved.