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Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga has announced that from 2025, South African schools will incrementally offer mother tongue-based bilingual education from Grade 4.
"Our current policy has proven from our research - it is not working that our kids will learn in Sesotho up to grade 3," she said during a briefing in Bloemfontein.
"Before we know it, they have to be taught in English. They have not even yet understood that English and they have to be taught concepts in a language they don't understand. It is not working for us, the results are confirming."
As a result, from 2025, the department is "going to start" allowing Grade 4 pupils to learn in their mother tongue.
Angie feels this will move the country in the right direction.
"There are things we have to confront as the country if we want to build on our development 30 years down the line. Language in education is a big issue. Language policies are going to be key that we teach our kids in a language they understand," Motshekga added during a meeting on Mother Tongue-Based Bilingual Education in Bloemfontein.
READ more about what an Education expert talks about the ‘unintended consequences’ of mother-tongue bilingual education.
READ: ConCourt ruling 'will make other mother-tongues obsolete'
HAPPENING NOW : @DBE_SA Minister Motshekga addressing stakeholders the Mother Tongue Based Bilingual Education advocacy gathering. She explains the importance of language and what needs to change in the system. #language #mothertongue @ReginahMhaule @HubertMweli @ElijahMhlanga pic.twitter.com/iNkc51CYmL
— @DBETVNews (@dbetvnews) May 21, 2024
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