INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS
Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga
File photo: Phill Magakoe
Durban – The Basic Education Department’s backpedalling on introducing a third African language in all primary schools next year has been met with relief and praised as sensible.
In May, the department told The Mercury it was preparing for “full-scale implementation” next year, by phasing in the policy at selected schools in each of the provinces this year.
Afrikaans, for the first time, was also categorised as an African language.
The policy was billed as an attempt to promote multilingualism and foster social cohesion. At the time, educationists warned that, practically, it could not be done, given the current timetable and short supply of teachers. They did, however, support its goals.
On Wednesday, however, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga announced that she and the provincial education MECs had decided that instead, next year the policy should be piloted in 10 schools in each district of each province.
The DA’s Tom Stokes said the decision was sensible.
“The DA fully supports the department on this,” he said.
“The new academic year is just more than five months away and there are many issues which must still be addressed, including how an extra subject will be slotted into the day as well as the procurement of skilled educators.”
Tim Gordon, the head of the Governing Body Foundation, said he was encouraged to note that misgivings about an over-hasty introduction of additional languages in Grade R and Grade 1 next year had not fallen on deaf ears.
Gordon said in a statement that, where it was appropriate to do so and conditions were ripe for an effective introduction of additional languages, schools would pilot the initiative
“But the entire project will not, at this stage, be rushed into effect in schools where the result could have been damaging, to say the least,” Gordon said.
The Mercury
