Education Matters in South Africa

Guest: Professor Eric Atmore 

Produced by : Tshidi Lengoasa

Children raised in deprived or improvised conditions were services are limited experience compromised opportunities towards a good standard of adult life. Through early childhood development interventions, laying the foundation for all future health, behaviour, and learning is ignited. Early Child Development (ECD) works in dual system where the provision of ECD takes different forms depending on the geographical area and earnings. There is a formal system and an informal system. Both systems are necessary, however the other enjoys more benefits than the other. In the townships, mothers dropped off their children with a caretaker, normally a mature older women and grannies. In rural communities, children participated in domestic activities. In urban areas, formal learning was happening at day care centres.

Guest: Zonele Mdiya 

This a language series reflection episode. We chat about the previous episodes and we talk books. 

Guest: Senzo Hlophe 

Researchers worldwide agree that children need six to eight years of learning a second language before they can use it effectively as a medium of instruction. Senzo's experience is no different to the experience of many learners in the schooling system.  Classroom was an English and isiZulu experience. When the struggle of understanding come to the fore, teachers, in a communal effort showed up ensuring that learning is a success. 

Guest: Siwaphiwe Sibeko 

People have migrated and so do languages. Through migration, languages have owned their different dialects, American English and British English are simple global examples of this differentiation. South Africa is no different, from tradition dialects that have been grouped according Nguni and Sotho, leaving those other beautiful languages that do not fit in the box, such as TshiVenda. What about Sepitori which represents a Sekgatla dialect of Setswana spoken in Hammanskraal (a region north of Pretoria), with additions mainly from Northern Sotho (also known as Sepedi), Afrikaans and English. What about the identity of Afrikaans spoken in the Cape Flats? Remember the confusion during Former President Nelson Mandela’s funeral, where grouping and dialects of the Xhosa people came into question as ambiguous identities, so AbaThembu are of Xhosa people or not. Languages have a classification character, a history and position in identity. Language often determines “the ways of living.”  To help us unpack the ways in which we live with our languages, #SiwaphiweSibeko joins us.

Also read https://mg.co.za/article/2018-07-13-00-we-are-not-meant-to-be-alone/

#Language series

Guest: Nompumelelo Mohohlwane
Understanding the power of languages is important, especially in a multilingual and unequal society such as South Africa. There are complex dimensions to be considered because language-in-education policy has a powerful influence on social and economic relations. There are practical considerations around how best to use language to achieve better educational outcomes, and consequently better economic outcomes, especially if guided by sound policies.

The development of Afrikaans and neglect of African languages provides historical lessons of how languages have implications on identity and power. This conversation considers why the language policy dilemma persists through the discussion of economic returns to language and if there is opportunity for African languages to yield better educational and economic returns.

Reference: https://resep.sun.ac.za/mother-tongue-instruction-or-straight-for-english-the-primary-education-policy-dilemma/ 

Nompumelelo tweets as @Mpumi_NLM. On other social media platforms she lives by her name. 

Trailer

Welcome note