“Children who learn in their mother tongue are better equipped to succeed.” These are encouraging words from the new Minister of Education Siviwe Gwarube. As we continue to celebrate the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022- 2032) it is reassuring to see the Minister’s commitment to promoting mother tongue-based bilingual education. Speaking at Heritage Day commemorations Gwarube affirmed the Constitutional right of learners to be taught in their mother tongue. She acknowledges that this right has not been realised for millions of learners in South Africa.
When it comes to reading, national and international research has overwhelmingly shown that children who learn to read in their mother tongue are more likely to stay and succeed in school. Conversely, African language mother tongue children who start school learning in English can be set back by up to 6 years (Cummins, 1981).
Children begin school with an oral language they have learned and been exposed to at home – their mother tongue. At school children are taught sounds and corresponding letters as their reading journey begins. A child will learn these sounds more easily and read for meaning if they are the same as the sounds and words they already know in their mother tongue.
Addressing the Reading Panel Education Conference in Pretoria in August, Minister Gwarube stated:
“As the DBE we have to ensure that all children have access to a wide range of engaging reading materials in schools, homes and communities, particularly in their home languages. We have to ensure that all parents and caregivers support their children’s reading development. This is why we move towards utilising and exploiting the value of Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education (MTbBE). Research c confirms that there is value in utilising MTbBE to drive up literacy levels; we must be c deliberate and support this implementation. At the heart of our efforts must be the c c goal of ensuring that all young learners have access to stimulating environments to c support their literacy and numeracy endeavours.”
At Little Zebra Books our mission is to publish affordable books for children in their mother tongue. We welcome the Minister’s commitment to mother tongue reading and look forward to collaborating to put books in the hands of as many of our children as possible.