The DBE has forwarded questions 1, 2 and 3 to the Eastern Cape Provincial Education for a response. Once received the response will be forwarded to the National Assembly.
(1) Waiting for a response from the EC.
(2)(a) Waiting for a response from the EC.
(b) Waiting for a response from the EC.
3.Waiting for a response from the EC.
(4)(a) UNESCO has published much literature on the importance of mother tongue education. Provisions for education in mother tongue are contained in several international conventions, namely, the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention (1989), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (1990).
(b) Section 29(2) of the SA Constitution makes provision for everyone “to receive education in the official language or languages of their choice in public educational institutions where that education is reasonably practicable.”
The Language in Education Policy, which is premised on the imperatives of the Constitution, provides for learners to learn through any of the eleven official languages. Learners and schools have an option from Grade 4 onwards to select a language of their choice for learning and teaching, and that includes English or Afrikaans.
5.The Eastern Cape Province, upon concluding the evaluation of their Mother Tongue Based Bilingual Education pilot initiative, will present their findings to the Department of Basic Education. Thereafter a determination for a demand of mother tongue in the other official languages will be made.