(Jwplayer)

September 20, 2015

As of 2016, schools must offer an African language from Grade 1, Afrikaans doesn’t count

As of 2016, schools must offer an African language from Grade 1, Afrikaans doesn’t count

Angie Motshekga wants to force all schools that offer English and Afrikaans to add one African language to that as of Grade one.

According to Motshekga, who’s spent years getting to grips with what it is she’s really doing – she has yet to figure that one out – this is a very ‘exciting and important development’, but she also seems to have skipped the part where Afrikaans originated in South Africa.
“This means that schools that previously offered English and Afrikaans will now be mandated to offer African languages from Grade 1 and continue incrementally year-on-year.”
As with most of her decisions, it’s not clear as to what this will actually mean in terms of implementation, but we’re sure SADTU will have a strike or two to say about the matter, as it would be far too much work for teachers to – God forbid – offer learners more opportunities for academic development.
Now, while the benefits of learning more languages than one at a young age are numerous; South Africa is sitting with the lowest average score in basic mathematics and science, trailing most other African countries… perhaps priorities should be reshuffled a bit?
Only time will tell whether this new measure will distract the us long enough for Angie to make a clean getaway before we start actually looking at her less than basic performance as minister of basic education.
http://www.thesouthafrican.com/as-of-2016-schools-must-offer-an-african-language-from-grade-1-afrikaans-doesnt-count/