The Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Dr Reginah Mhaule, hosted a two-day strategic engagement from 20 to 21 November 2024, at Emperors Palace Hotel in Kempton Park, Johannesburg, where the DBE and various partners discussed the phased implementation plan for Grade 4 Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education (MTbBE) roll-out in 2025. This strategic think tank was funded by the Old Mutual Foundation.
Mr Buyane Zwane, a strategist from GIBS Business School, directed the proceedings towards a MTbBE strategic plan that has been consulted upon to seek the contribution of various stakeholders in the sector.
The multi-stakeholder session was comprised of DBE and the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) officials, the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB), various Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), private sector organisations, the business industry and teacher unions.
Professor Ihron Rensburg, Chair of the South African National Commission for UNESCO, delivered the key note address, expressing the importance of seizing the moment as South Africa is now correcting the mistakes of the past. He further cautioned that thorough planning was key to avoid failure.
DBE’s Dr Naledi Mbude-Mehana, Deputy Director-General for Transformation Programmes, outlined the Department’s implementation plan stating that, “MTbBE is not a policy. It is an over-arching framework that aims to widen the epistemic access to the curriculum for majority of African language students who are excluded from attaining positive learning outcomes by exclusion of their home languages for teaching, learning and assessment”. It was a historic moment that intended to equalize the education system as directed by the Constitution of South Africa.
Dr Mark Chetty, the Director for Assessment at the DBE outlined the Bilingual National Assessment Framework for Grade 4 that the DBE will carry out for Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Technology in 2025.
The Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Dr Reginah Mhaule stated: “We can no longer deny black African children’s constitutional rights to education. It is their right that many people have died for, therefore, we owe it to all children to make education accessible, which is why former Minister, Mrs Angie Motshekga, made this announcement during February 2024”,
Five commissions convened to plan the way forward: Teacher Development; Learning and Teaching Support Material (LTSM); Assessments; Partnerships; and the Refinement of MTbBE Strategies. The morning of day 1 was on presentations and key notes and the afternoon was on breakaway sessions. The second day of the think tank was dedicated to report back sessions for the commissions and mapping of the strategic direction with the next steps for the Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education outlined.