Pres. Ramaphosa should talk less and do more about mother tongue education

15 March 2024

Solidarity doubts the sincerity of pres. Cyril Ramaphosa sudden concern about mother tongue education which he expressed earlier this week at the Department of Basic Education’s lekgotla in Boksburg.

While Ramaphosa emphasised the importance of mother tongue education in a democracy, the reality is that indigenous languages as medium of instruction have been and are being forsaken by the very same government.

Johnell Prinsloo, education researcher at the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI), says the president’s remarks will baffle more than just native Afrikaans speakers.

“Of course, we realise that it is now a popular time for nice election talk coming from people in government. However, it has become clear that nothing has been done to promote mother tongue education in other indigenous languages.

“Solidarity is of course in favour of mother tongue education – clearly much more so than the government on whose part we see no serious action whatsoever in this regard,” Prinsloo said.

As far as Afrikaans mother tongue education is concerned, Solidarity not only sees a lack of support from the government, but open hostility towards it.

Attempts to transfer schools’ authority over their language and admission policy to government officials with the help of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill (BELA), can be regarded as a clear attack on Afrikaans.

The Bill is currently being processed by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).

According to Prinsloo, there are other ideological aims with the BELA legislation which, despite the government’s feigned struggle against decolonisation, will only result in the further Anglicisation of schools.

“Putting the emphasis on mother tongue education is the government’s mandate in any case in terms of the South African Schools Act. Functional Afrikaans schools can indeed enable the government to deploy resources to where they are most needed.

“For this reason, it is in the government’s best interest to precisely give greater autonomy to governing bodies and functional schools. BELA is completely at odds with this,” Prinsloo said.

Solidarity challenges Ramaphosa’s government to build any schools – even so-called decolonised schools – to ensure wider access to public schools. 

Until this happens, statements about it and about mother tongue education will clearly be nothing but cheap politics from Pres. Ramaphosa.

Issued by Johnell Prinsloo, Education Researcher: Solidarity Research Institute (SRI), 15 March 2024