JOHANNESBURG - Basic Minister of Education (DBE) Siviwe Gwarube says African languages are not a barrier to literacy.
If used used correctly they can be a tool for better performance.
This comes at the backdrop of findings by the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) that 81% of Grade 4 pupils can not read for meaning.
Gwarube says the transition between Grades 3 and 4 is a critical point.
During this time she says many pupils tend to struggle with reading for meaning because of a break in languages.
The Minister says in allowing teachers to use African languages to instill literacy in children at an early stage it will bridge the gab resulting in better performance.
The push towards incorporating African languages in the schools comes at the back of a already existing system.
In 2024 November, DBE launched its first ever Mother Tongue-Based Bilingual Education for Grade 4 pupils in Quintile 1-3 schools.
Assessments were in Natural Science and Technology and Mathematics across all nine provinces.
Gwarube at the time welcomed the strategy saying it was a step in the right direction