The value of mother tongue education, especially at primary school level, is proven fact. However, in the multi-lingual context of South Africa this is no small challenge. With UNESCO celebrating International Mother Tongue Day on 21 February, the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools (FEDSAS) wants to reaffirm this core principle of education.

"FEDSAS supports mother tongue education in all eleven of South Africa’s official languages. The fact that this is not currently a reality nor an achievable possibility is one of the main causes of the country’s poor education performance,” says Dr Jaco Deacon, Deputy CEO of FEDSAS. Deacon says the majority of South Africa’s school children do not receive education in their mother tongue.

“The practical application of this principal is of course the biggest challenge. But the fact that it is expensive or that it will require additional planning may not be used as an excuse. Children have the right to mother tongue education,” says Deacon.

In his keynote address at FEDSAS’ Annual General Meeting last year, Judge Eberhard Bertelsmann said innovative solutions have to be found for South Africa’s education problems. Bertelsmann, widely considered the architect of the South African Schools’ Act, says solutions should come from within the school communities.
 
“Every school is a unique entity and has to be treated as such. The community within which a school functions should work together to find solutions that are in the best interests of the children of that community. How to make mother tongue education a reality in that specific community is one of the challenges,” says Deacon.

FEDSAS is an innovative organisation with the necessary experience and the ability to work together with school communities to fine-tune such solutions. “However, it must be an achievable and affordable solution for a specific school, not education in general. A number of South Africa’s education problems are the result of a one-size-fits all model that are forced on schools without the possibility of adaptation,” says Deacon.

Deacon says the most important consideration for any decision in education remains the interests of the children. “Mother tongue education is one of these interests – as education role-players we have to work together to make this a reality.”