South Africa: It's Time to Rethink What's Meant By 'Mother Tongue' Education

analysis

Cape Town — The issue of mother tongue education has been fiercely but sporadically debated in South Africa since 1994. In the past two and a half years, student protests at universities across the country have breathed new life into the discussions.

Proponents of mother tongue education tend to argue that children should be taught in the language they first learned and spoke at home. Those who oppose this approach argue that English is a 'global language' and should be the main language of instruction throughout the school system and into higher education spaces.

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