The Department of Basic Education (DBE) is considering introducing mother-tongue languages as a medium of instruction as part of its curriculum to improve outcomes in schools. Should this become a reality, then the department will need to acquire more teachers.
It is for this reason that DBE spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga said the Education Department is doing their bit in teacher supply and making a condition for aspiring teachers to consider taking African languages.
In an interview, Unisa’s Executive Director in the Department of Leadership and Transformation, Professor Zodwa Motsa Maikane said:
I support the idea of introducing the process of getting information and knowledge through one's own language because we know that language can be a barrier to learning.
Maikane also highlighted that if one learns a subject such as Geography, one has a better understanding of the concepts in that particular subject.
Whilst concepts may be better understood, skeptics might argue that certain terms haven’t yet been captured in mother-tongue languages, due to the fact that people have been mostly engaging in English.
Kenyan writer and academic, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o once said since there is so much focus placed on one language, that language itself ends up becoming a vessel of knowledge, leaving other languages behind.
Maikane had agreed to this, however, to a certain degree, she firmly believes that most terms do exist but we are just not using them, e.g when uncovering sciences, mathematics, the judicial system, etc.
Some African academics have also shared that there is so much that the continent has to offer in the knowledge systems of the world.
