BASIC Education minister Angie Motshekga says her department is developing a new plan to promote the nine previously marginalised languages at schools in South Africa – other than English and Afrikaans.
Responding in a recent written parliamentary Q&A, Motshekga said the plan will see these languages used as ‘languages of learning and teaching’ from Grade 3 and beyond. Languages which will be featured in the programme include:
- IsiZulu;
- IsiXhosa;
- IsiNdebele;
- Siswati;
- Sesotho;
- Setswana;
- Sepedi;
- Tshivenda;
- Xitsonga.
Research worldwide shows that learners learn best through their home languages, Motshekga said.
“The Department of Basic Education, through the Eastern Cape Education’s own initiative, piloted the Mother Tongue Based Bilingual Education wherein IsiXhosa and Sesotho were utilised as languages of learning and teaching for mathematics and science and technology beyond Grade 3,” she said.
“The learnings from the Eastern Cape Mother Tongue Based Bilingual Education pilot taught us to be very prudent in
You’ve reached your free article limit
Subscribe to enjoy unlimited access to trusted journalism. Cancel anytime.
Subscribe nowNeed help? molokom@insidepolitic.co.za
