social science that makes a difference. presentation at parliamentary portfolio committee: basic...

Social science that makes a difference


Presentation at Parliamentary Portfolio Committee: Basic Education

3Rs website: www.3rs.org.za

6 March 2012

Improving the Quality of Education in South Africa: The

Literacy and Numeracy Challenge


Research Programme Funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands


Programme Objectives

Knowledge advancement- to identify critical areas for enhancing school and classroom practices in literacy and numeracy

Research capacity -to build research capacity among a wide range of stakeholders, including teachers, departmental officials and communities

Policy knowledge and strategies - to produce a set of ideas and implementation strategies for use by policy makers and other actors for improving levels of learner performance

Institutional and community support- to determine support roles of school management, local education districts, communities and parents in supporting literacy and numeracy programmes in schools.


Consortium Partners

• Human Sciences Research Council (Grant holder)

• Education Policy Consortium • JET Education Services

• Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa (PRAESA)


1. Community Literacy and Numeracy Group (CLING Project)

Education Policy Consortium

Centre for Education Policy DevelopmentCentre for Education Rights and TransformationEducation Policy Unit University of Fort Hare


CLING ProjectExplored: the effects of community mobilisation and participation on

education in five communities in South Africa.

Aim: understand whether increased community involvement in schools could contribute to improved literacy and numeracy amongst children in primary schools.

Study emanated from: Limited or dwindling community participation in public schools

(urban and rural poor). Low levels of literacy and numeracy amongst children in primary

schools (systemic evaluations and international tests).


CLING Project

Methodology- multiple site case study approach combined with participatory research methods involving community activists, youth, adults and EPC researchers.

Achieved progress in community mobilisation in support of school

reform and community education. laid the foundation to accelerate greater community

participation based the research experience.


CLING Established

Relationships with government departments and institutions;

Reading clubs (some communities are participating in the Nalibali Reading Campaign);

Saturday classes and aftercare (ECD); Libraries; Examples of youth involvement in schools and

community work; and Mechanisms to carry work forward.


Key findings and recommendations Community participation in education remains of utmost

importance and should be recognised. Closer working relationships between schools and

community groups can contribute to literacy education. Greater support from government departments, such as

the Departments of Education, Social Development and Local Government could enhance such work.

Policies that value community participation in education are required.

People in poor communities are capable of finding solutions to community problems.


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2. Teaching Literacy and Numeracy in Multigrade Classes in Rural and Farm

Schools in South Africa

Social science that makes a difference1212

Education is important, not only for its economic benefits, but also for its social, political and cultural benefits, as well as enhancing the ability of citizens to participate in democratic processes

It is crucial that all learners be given equal opportunities to access quality education

One-size-fits-all policies and strategies are not appropriate for our diverse society and education system

Multigrade classes are a strong indicator of the bifurcation of the South African education system, and this needs to be recognised by education departments in order to meet the support needs of learners and teachers in such settings

Education is important, not only for its economic benefits, but also for its social, political and cultural benefits, as well as enhancing the ability of citizens to participate in democratic processes

It is crucial that all learners be given equal opportunities to access quality education

One-size-fits-all policies and strategies are not appropriate for our diverse society and education system

Multigrade classes are a strong indicator of the bifurcation of the South African education system, and this needs to be recognised by education departments in order to meet the support needs of learners and teachers in such settings


Context of multigrade teaching in SA Multigrade schools are commonly situated and operate within rural

communities, and the phenomenon cannot be fully understood outside historical and social contexts of these communities

Rural communities evolved as a result of historical forces of colonialism and apartheid through their tools of land dispossession, racial discrimination and neglect leading to poverty and under-development of those areas

There is a strong relationship between rurality, poverty and education in that rurality and poverty determine the quality of educational experiences of learners in those settings

The historical forces of exclusion and neglect continue to frame solutions to rural development and rural education in the democratic era, and there is a need for strategies that can be adapted to the diverse rural conditions.


Research Questions What is the extent of the multi-grade phenomenon in the South

African education system?

What are the literacy and numeracy teaching practices of educators in multi-grade classes?

How effective are these teaching practices in facilitating the acquisition of literacy and numeracy skills amongst learners?

How do initial professional education for teachers (IPET) and continuing professional teacher development (CPTD) programmes capacitate educators to deal with multi-grade classes?

What are the challenges and opportunities presented by multi-grade situations in ensuring that multi-grade teaching benefits learners?


Methodology

A quantitative desk-top analysis of EMIS data 6 school case studies

Interviews with principals Interviews with teachers Lesson observation Documentary analysis, e.g., work schedules,

lesson plans, time-tables, learners’ work Interviews with provincial and district officials Interviews with teacher trainers Policy review


Key research findings (1)

The multigrade phenomenon affects a significant percentage (26%) of SA schools

No recognition of multigrade teaching Schools are poorly resourced No curriculum adaptation Planning requirements are the same as for monograde

classes Exposure to suitable teaching strategies is limited No teacher training on multigrade teaching – reliance on

experiential learning Absence of specific support for multigrade teachers


Key research findings (2)

High levels of workload for multigrade teachers due to planning and assessment requirements

Learners struggle with transition to English LoLT in Grade 4

Learning materials not always available in mother tongue, and are not made for self-study

Visibility of materials (i.e., reading books, teaching aides) in schools due to QUIDS-UP programme

Negative attitudes towards amongst teachers and departmental (provincial and district) officials


Conclusions

Lack of recognition, and general neglect of the multigrade question in the education system

Continued neglect of the multigrade question constitutes a furtherance of marginalisation of the poor and voiceless for whom multigrade is a reality

It is antithetical to social justice, and the transformation project in our country


Policy implications (1) The Rural Education Directorate needs to be reinstated within the

DBE as a permanent unit, and within it a multigrade division. Policy development in multigrade teaching should take into account

the location of the schools. Conditions in urban multigrade schools differ from those in isolated, rural areas.

Education policy planners should collect and use quantitative and qualitative data that are regularly updated, to monitor trends. These data could be used to establish the cost of special learning materials, teacher training and use of technology in these schools. They could also be used to better understand and track learner academic performance.

The DBE, DHET and teacher training institutions should work together to revise teacher training in the initial teacher education phase and during in-service training programmes, so that they include courses that deal with the philosophies, curricula, practices and pedagogies of multigrade teaching. Prospective teachers should be trained for the different contexts and types of schools.


Policy implications (2) The DBE, Department of Higher Education and Training and

teacher training institutions should work together to revise teacher training in the initial teacher education phase and during in-service training programmes, so that they include courses that deal with the philosophies, curricula, practices and pedagogies of multigrade teaching. Training programmes should seek to prepare prospective teachers for the different contexts and types of schools: for example, monograde/multigrade, rural/urban/township and so forth, as well as the pedagogical implications of teaching in such contexts.

IPET, ICS and curriculum workshops should include topics related to multigrade teaching and learning and to enhancing teacher subject competence. These programmes should be aligned with support at both school and departmental levels. Regular follow-up work should be conducted by subject advisors and APOs.

Teacher training institutions should require student teachers to complete teaching practice in multigrade schools.


Policy implications (3)

Enhanced departmental support at schools should be accompanied by greater teacher accountability in areas such as lesson planning, teaching, grading learners’ work and continuous assessment. Schools and teachers should also be accountable and report to parents and local communities.

District officials supporting the schools need to be introduced to best practices in multigrade schools and classes.

There is a need for raising awareness on multigrade teaching across all levels of the system.

There is a need to strengthen language teaching in schools. This requires efforts on various fronts, including strengthening the training of teachers to help them teach first languages and additional languages systematically.


Policy implications (4) Providing learning materials in relevant languages and supporting

teachers with interpretation and implementation of language policy are also necessary. Proposals by the Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa for a late-exit transition from first language should be seriously engaged with.

Learning materials should complement the pedagogies and teaching strategies, the assessment methods and the learner organisational strategies of multigrade teaching.

Special incentives, such as increasing the remuneration of teachers working in isolated multigrade schools, should be implemented to recruit and retain teachers in this sector and to increase the number of teachers at schools that are currently understaffed.

The education department needs to provide facilities basic to the functioning of schools; for example, safe toilets and (spacious) classrooms, and staff accommodation, among others.


Policy implications (5)

Merging and closing small schools should be evaluated against the overall goal of enhancing rural development and improving the quality of local education.

The processes by which such decisions are made should include all the relevant stakeholders.


Education and Skills Development Research Programme

Human Sciences Research Council

6 March 2012

3. Enhancing teaching and learning in South African schools through

assessment



Focus of the Study

Explored the challenges in using assessment to enhance teaching and learning at the systemic and classroom levels. We ask the questions;

What does the systemic evaluation tell us about the provision of quality education for all?

What challenges are teachers and district education systems encountering in their attempt to use assessment to improve teaching and learning

How can these challenges be addressed?



Methodology—how the study was carried out

The National Assessment of Learner Achievement: collected data from grade 9 learners across the 9 provinces on their achievement levels and background characteristics (involved 9000 learners from 300 schools)

District assessment systems: case study in Gauteng and Western Cape using individual and focus group interviews, observations, and document reviews to develop an understanding of how their curriculum and assessment units function.

Teacher Classroom Assessment Practices : case study of eight schools in Gauteng, Mpumalanga and North West using questionnaires, interviews, lesson observations and document reviews


Findings: National Assessment of Learner Achievement

The achievement levels of a large number of grade 9 learners across the nine provinces are quite poor—the performance of a typical grade_9 learner is at the elementary level in Language and not achieved level in Mathematics.

Most of our learners from the poorest homes attend the poorest schools (Quintile_1and2 schools) and the few of these learners who attend well resourced schools (Quintile_5 schools) over 50 percent do not meet the required standards.


Are our best schools good enough for our poor children?


Findings: Assessment at Provincial and District Level

Observed significant differences in the way the two provinces conceptualise curriculum and assessment implementation processes.

In one province, these processes are seen as separate entities while in another they are integrated

Teachers seems to have greater challenges in integrating curriculum and assessment in the province where the two units are not integrated


Key Findings: Teacher Classroom Assessment Practices

Teachers have very limited understanding of how to use assessment to enhance teaching and learning

Teachers predominantly utilised the strategy of awarding marks and giving motivational comments to learners

Teachers attempt to comply with assessment policy demands instead of developing an understanding of the underlying assumptions of the theory of action of these policies and adapting them to their unique classroom situations



Addressing these challenges—National systemic survey

Current targeted interventions excluding Quintile 5 schools are missing the poor learners in these schools who need help

Improved resources to schools without an understanding of how these resources work to improve learning would not be enough

Need to develop an understanding of the conditions in schools and at home that provide opportunities for some learners from the poorest homes attending the poorest schools to succeed

Mobilize the public and all education stakeholders to develop among learners a “hunger” of learning for success

Use technology such as cell phones to help poor children access learning materials and communicate with mentors outside school


Addressing the challenges: District assessment systems

Integration of assessment and curriculum units at national and provincial levels would allow for assessment to feed into teaching and learning. This would require:

strong synergy among assessment policies, the implementation structures and assessment practices within schools

a well coordinated assessment and implementation processes

a common purpose for support systems intended to implement curriculum and assessment


Addressing the challenge: Classroom Assessment Practices

Implementing ongoing professional development of teachers aimed

at promoting understanding of assessment policy and enhancing their assessment and instructional practices

Technology can play a significant role in helping teachers integrate assessment to teaching and learning. The HSRC has developed a computerised assessment system (TARMII) with a curriculum-based assessment database comprising a range of cognitively challenging assessment items (literacy and numeracy for grades 4, 5 and 6) and reporting and diagnostic functions that allow teachers to :

(a) Gain insights about learner strengths and weaknesses ; (b) Identify relevant strategies for addressing learner needs(c) Monitor learner performance continuously



4. The National School Effectiveness Study

(NSES)

Outline and findings

6 March 2012


Research Design

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2007 2008 2009

268 schools selected at random nationally 8 383 pupils followed for 3 years (± 16 000 each year)

Grade 3 Learner testHome factorsSchool management

Grade 4 Learner testHome factorsSchool managementTeacher practices

Grade 5 Learner testHome factorsSchool managementTeacher practices


Model of schooling

Home subsidy Resources: SES, relationship of caregiverEducational practices: language, reading, homework

TeachingT knowledge T competence

Learner attainment Test scores

Instructional leadershipLanguage Time manCurriculum man

System levers PolicySupport schoolsMonitor performance

PovertySchool resources


Home educational practices

A consistent pattern that emerged when controlling for home language and poverty:

Greater exposure to English through speaking and hearing English on the television was associated with higher achievement

Children who read frequently at home on their own also did better

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School Leadership & Management: Modeling

Factors associated with better learner performance:

Low teacher absenteeism Curriculum planning & monitoring Management of books

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School Leadership & Management: Case Studies

In a well functioning school: Parents are incorporated into an extended

pedagogical team A division of labour integrates curriculum delivery

across the classroom, the school and the home. Systems regulating the flow of work are time

management, curriculum planning, assessment, book procurement and retrieval

Innovative solutions need to be found to local problems endemic to poor communities: learner hunger, poor punctuality, shortages of books and classrooms, and low parental engagement.

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Writing in language classes Writing is thought which leaves a permanent trace:

• The writer to reflect upon what has been written, generating and refining ideas in the process.

• Writing allows ideas and information to be detached from space and time → reach a wide audience across continents and generations.

• Research has firmly established the centrality of writing in shaping the way we think, reason, and learn:

• “to improve the teaching of writing...is also to improve the quality of thinking required of school children.”

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Writing in learner books: total no. exercises pa

Province Average number of exercises per learner

No days to write one exercise

EC 31.2 5.8

FS 40.9 5.1

KZN 47.1 3.6

LP 38.1 4.0

MP 39.3 3.9

NW 39.6 4.9

NC 44.2 4.0

WC 63.8 2.6

TOTAL 42.1 4.34242


Paragraphs or longer: total over the year

Province Half a page or less

More than half a page

Total

EC 1.7 0.6 2.3

FS 3.8 1.7 5.5

KZN 1.7 1.0 2.7

LP 2.1 0.3 2.4

MP 2.7 1.4 4.1

NW 1.8 0.5 2.3

NC 2.9 0.7 3.6

WC 5.8 1.8 7.6

TOTAL 2.6 1.0 3.64343


Coverage of math topics

Math Topic Grade 4 Grade 5No

topics%

coveredNo topics %

covered

Numbers 32 35 34 38Patterns 12 13 12 12Geometry 15 23 14 18Measurement 14 17 17 15Data handling 11 12 12 10Total 84 24% 89 24%

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Equip educators to do the jobs they’re paid for

Appointments and promotions on

demonstrated expertise

• Equip

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>95% educators qualified

BUT

75% Teachers, HODs, DPs, Principals, SAs, IMGsdon’t have the competence to do their jobs

Build a professional civil service for education

Start with 9 Provincial Depts Then 81 District

Offices

Pay attention to initial teacher

education

Survey and research


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Project Findings

5. Project For Creating Literate School Communities & The Dual

Medium-Biliteracy Project

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Models for a MTBBE system

The fundamental assumption of our research is that a learner-centred educational system, one that seeks to deliver meaningful access to effective learning to all learners, has to be based on the mother tongue(s) of the learners, especially of school pupils.

Such a shift towards basing the entire system on the mother tongues of the population rather than on a second, third or even a foreign language (which is what English is for a very large percentage of South Africa’s population) will require anything from one to two generations

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It will require, among other things, teacher re-training, professional development in line with a mother tongue based system, language development with respect to terminological standardisation, lexical expansion, production of learning and teaching support materials, adaptation of management approaches.

Although dual medium classroom practices and biliteracy outcomes are the focus of our model building research, we view these as aspects of the system of mother tongue based bilingual education, a concept that implies a much wider range of classroom practices, including especially single medium teaching accompanied by the learning of additional languages by means of excellent second language teaching approaches

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Tactically, our dual medium focus opens the way to persuading sceptical or hostile parents that mother tongue education is a valid and valuable method of educating their children as well as a base for the learning of an additional language that can, and should, be used as a complementary medium once the child has acquired “second language instructional competence”.

Given the global hegemonic significance of English for the foreseeable future, dual medium classrooms that involve English as a complementary medium will eventually position South African education in a very favourable international niche.

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We do not see mother tongue education as a silver bullet. Without the essential improvement in teaching methods and the availability of appropriate learning and teaching support materials, learners will continue to do badly even if they perform better than in the context of a second language based system.

The integration of this additive bilingualism approach to language learning and to the LOLT issue with the whole language approach to early literacy and biliteracy learning takes place on the basis of the assumption common to both that children learn best if they are taught through the medium of the language(s) they know best.

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Mentorship as key to teacher education and professional development

Take up of reflective practice is a complex developmental process rather than a linear process or a once off event. Our reflections included written as well as oral reflections.

Take up of approaches depended a lot on the presence of mentors to reinforce things and on their attitude and patience.

The need for reinforcement showed us that learning for adults is also a process and reminds us that input does not necessarily lead to immediate output.

Mentoring teachers required mentors to value teacher’s current practices while identifying gaps and problem areas together. This helped in boosting teacher’s morale.

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• Analysis of data (researchers personal journals and interactive reflective journals with teachers) shows us that although oral reflections were very useful, journal writing was more valuable because it provided evidence of:• follow up after workshops and demonstrations. • One on one/individualised training and • a starting point in developing teachers’ written reflections

• Take up of literacy approaches requires on-going demonstrations, team teaching, discussions, meetings, training, reading of professional books and reflections by both teachers and researchers.

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Praising teachers in their attempts, however small, encouraged and motivated them to take up some of the new approaches.

We made it clear that we were there to empower, not to inspect.

Our use of the inclusive ‘we’ rather than ‘you’ in both oral and written reflections showed that we were identifying with teachers rather than distancing ourselves from classroom practice and that we were together in this.

Linking our approaches with the curriculum documents helped with the take up of the curriculum.

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• Owing to planned classroom activities with Mother-Tongue Based Bilingual Materials (MTBBM), there was a considerable improvement in the way in which the teacher at School Maroon delivered her lessons in both mathematics and science.

• The teacher also developed a systematic approach in the use and choice of terms in both English and isiXhosa for teaching mathematics and science. Evidence to this effect has been seen in her lesson plans, which were developed in a bilingual manner.

• The teacher has developed confidence in the use of isiXhosa as a LoLT but realized that a MTBBE approach was more practical, given the multicultural diversity of our South African classrooms.

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Recommendations• Until the system is established and self-reproducing, it will be

necessary to rely on a select group of mentors in each district in order to ensure that a consistent pedagogy is acquired and practised by teachers.

• The first task in each of the provinces is, therefore, in conjunction with teacher educators and trainers to identify such initial mentors for each phase and subject or learning area.

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Children’s enhanced participation

• Children love stories and writing letters and journals when they have reading and writing role models. However, we found inconsistency among teachers in making stories central in children’s learning and in creating meaningful opportunities for writing.

• Children loaned books from the libraries and from the researchers.

• By Grade 3, children could read and write in two languages, unlike before, where they were only taught English in Grade 3 orally.

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• Children are now doing extensive writing in different genres, including letter and journal writing which gives children opportunities to write in meaningful ways

• The use of songs allowed children to ‘practice’ their English in a non-threatening environment and had ‘shy’ children engaging willingly.

• The majority of learners in the classroom were very willing to participate and to engage the teacher in classroom activities and, thus, in the co-construction of their knowledge.

• Learners were able to express their indigenous (folk)ways as prior knowledge in the classroom.

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• Initially, the general passivity of learners and their low-level of participation was a glaring shortcoming in most classes. Though not sustained as a practice, the open learning approach resulted in the learners showing increased levels of interest and diligence.

• The practice of rote learning among learners seemed to dwindle as the use of their own home language seemed to stimulate them to argue rather than being passive learners.

• Mathematics and Science learners developed argumentation skills as a result of conceptual understanding which emanated from systematic bilingual teaching and learning.

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Interactive Journals

Teachers generally find writing challenging. Because journal writing is an unfamiliar genre to them they found it difficult.

High administrative workload impacts on teacher’s time to write their journals.

Interactive journaling can be used as a tool to facilitate follow up after training.

The journal also became a strategy for individualised attention, for teaching and role modelling, for free writing, support and reflection

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L2 Teaching and Learning

Teachers used the grammar/translation approach to English teaching. This means translating from isiXhosa directly and focussing on grammar.

Teachers have had no training on how to teach English as a second language and there is no support from the Department for struggling teachers

Teachers do not have a repertoire of English stories, rhymes or songs at their disposal. Teaching through stories, rhymes and songs was mostly left to researchers to do.

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At times, the English the teacher modeled for the class was incorrect.

No planning for the English period is done.

Initially the English print on the walls was random and meaningless and we did not observe the teacher using it.

In some cases, the English period was not timetabled and where it was timetabled, there was no systematic use of it.

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Even though there were many English books in the classrooms and libraries compared to isiXhosa books, teachers did not use them.

Teachers do not have English curriculum documents.

Where Whole Language approaches had been used for teaching literacy in the MT, the children quickly understood the processes when the same approaches were used to teach English (this cannot occur using the grammar-translation approach).

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Teaching that involves combinations of movement, music, rhythm, enjoyment, interaction (i.e.. Stories, songs, games) are memorable for children who demand similar experiences repeatedly.

Teachers’ approach to mother tongue and second language teaching

varies. Even though we emphasized holistic approaches in mother

tongue, transference of these fundamental understandings of how young

children learn was not automatic for second language teaching.

Languages are taught separately and there is no coherence and

understanding of how concepts taught in the mother tongue transfer to

English.

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Reading Clubs

• All our RCs are based at schools and this maximises the impact in the community.

• It is a model of community and intergenerational literacy that can and has been replicated across different contexts in South Africa.

• There are ways to value the literacies children bring to the RC and to improve them in a relaxed atmosphere using children’s literature

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Reading Clubs

A literacy programme based on children’s literature is effective and can be used to help children acquire reading and writing and oral skills in more than one language

Requires commitment from the volunteers, as the benefits can only be realised over time

There are not enough good quality children’s books available across all the genres in isiXhosa and this applies to other materials such as children’s games, audio books, movies, etc.

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Need for technical terminology in African languages

• It has been found to be almost impossible to teach in English or in isiXhosa only because of the lack of LTSMs in isiXhosa as compared to English as well as the fact that some isiXhosa terms are not yet recognised in scientific discourse.

• As a result, assessment in isiXhosa requires key scientific/technical instructional terms to be in both isiXhosa and in English

• Recommendation• Technical glossaries of terms in English and isiXhosa should

always be provided.

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Bilingual Teaching and Learning

• Code-switching occurs with more discretion and appropriateness and is practised to a lesser extent. This is a significant change, firstly because it is self-induced (by the teacher) and secondly because it represents a shift in awareness regarding how language ought to be used when teaching (and learning).

• In relation to Mathematics and Science teaching and learning, code-switching happens unsystematically resulting in terminology which has no precise meaning. For example, “place value” is rendered as “ipleyivelu”, a word that does not exist in isiXhosa and which has no conceptual referent.

• Well planned code mixing works well.

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RecommendationThe systematic use of both isiXhosa and English in the

teaching of Maths and Science in most township and rural schools is an unavoidable transitional position, which should be accommodated in all relevant respects, especially in the provision of textbooks and learning and teaching support materials. On the other hand, the final destination must remain the development of technical registers in the African languages that will gradually render this practice superfluous.

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The changes that were hard to impact on were:o the change from English-based assessment to Xhosa-based

assessment in Xhosa-speaking classrooms. o to adhere to a structured approach to dual medium teaching and

learning. o teachers’ commitment to integration of their efforts across subjects

and phases so that congruency in approach could be obtained and consensus arrived at on certain priority issues like language use, the conscious building of the self-esteem of learners etc.

o generating organised and on-going parental involvement. Need for more structured and intensive use of isiXhosa in all

learning areas with a particular focus on reading and writing.

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General Recommendations

SECTION

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Reading and writing:

Smaller classes encourage better implementation of any reading and writing strategy.

Especially but not only foundation phase teachers need training in understanding how young children learn.

Emphasis needs to be on meaningful learning/meaning making in foundation phase.

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In particular, interactive writing is an excellent tool for getting children writing and reading, and we can and must find ways to meet the challenge of getting committed people (adults, teenagers etc) to write regularly with children.

Bringing community into school – adults helping teachers in classrooms.

Materials: districts need to offer more workshops and deliver quality books in all languages.

Second language: The department needs to train English first additional language specialists (mother-tongue and non mother tongue speakers).

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Teacher mentoring: teachers need to be trained in reflective journaling and curriculum advisors need to take this up.

On-site support: is more effective than dishing out policy documents alone.

School management: School management needs training.

The need for professional development of all educational personnel but especially of teachers, is by far the most important government-led intervention that is needed.

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The provision of opportunities for teachers to be apprenticed into multilingual classroom practices in which they can create a dynamic learning atmosphere would definitely improve professional development. In addition to such sustained and intensive subject specific initiatives, didactic courses should be made available that focus on multilingual approaches.

Mentors should understand the languages of those they mentor as well as the fact that their mentees are not empty vessels who cannot reason.

Demonstrations of how to implement new changes is a key for successful implementation.

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Appointment of the SMT should be strictly scrutinised as this body is a critical element of the school success.

Time should be set aside for lesson development and phases should be encouraged to plan together.

Meetings should be held towards the end of the school calendar and foundation phase and intermediate phase teachers should discuss things covered in their respective classes and the issues that can be expected with respect to the children.

SLP should be visible to all the school stakeholders and its implementation should be monitored.

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Key Recommendations

SECTION

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Key Recommendations

This research has confirmed our view that it is essential for the educational authorities of post-apartheid South Africa to consider urgently the mechanisms and modalities of shifting from the current English-based educational system to a mother tongue-based bilingual educational (MTBBE) system. We recommend that a special conference be called towards the end of 2012 in order to initiate this process. This could be done within the framework of the existing Action Plan to 2014: Towards the Realisation of Schooling 2025).

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Key Recommendations

It has become clear to us that in order to arrive at an understanding of the optimal conditions for introducing a MTBBE system, it is essential that demonstration schools be established in each district, where appropriately trained and selected teachers can research and demonstrate to others good practice with regards to subjects as well as all other dimensions of the learning process. Existing focus schools could serve as a point of departure for realising this recommendation.

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Key Recommendations

Teacher education and professional development should be undertaken on an apprenticeship/mentorship basis. The current bias towards academic training plus some practice teaching is a demonstrable failure