Minister Grant Attends First Grade 1 isiXhosa Lesson

Media Statement by Donald Grant, Western Cape Minister of Education

On Monday morning, 7 April 2014, I visited Montevideo Primary School to attend an isiXhosa lesson for Grade 1s.

Montevideo Primary School is one of 10 schools in the province that have volunteered to take part in a pilot which teaches isiXhosa to grade one learners.

The pilot forms part of a national experiment to introduce a second additional language in grade one.

Many primary schools already offer isiXhosa as a second additional language, in grades 4 to 7. The pilot will look at feasibility of introducing a second additional language in grade one.

The following 10 schools volunteered to participate in the pilot in the Western Cape: 

• Metro Central Education District: Zonnebloem Boys’ Primary School, Montevideo Primary School, Cecil Road Primary School and Good Hope Seminary Junior School.
• Metro North: Vorentoe Primary School and Belhar Primary School.
• Metro South: Simon’s Town Primary School, West End Primary School and Square Hill Primary School.

The department considered various factors when identifying schools for the pilot. 

They included proximity, (to make it easier for itinerant teachers to visit schools), school performance, ability to cope with the pilot, and the composition of the learner population.

The participating schools have responded enthusiastically to the pilot at all levels. Both I and the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) appreciate their support in the pilot and the support of our project team.

The WCED has appointed four teachers for the pilot and will appoint a fifth teacher this week.

The teachers appointed are trained isiXhosa teachers and will each visit two or three schools to provide the lessons in Grade 1.

The WCED trained the teachers in March, as part of an induction programme.

The training programme included a training workshop.

The training included the national policy on Incremental Implementation of African Languages (IIAL), the teaching programme and lesson plans.

District curriculum advisors for isiXhosa in the foundation and intermediate phases (covering grades R to 6) also attended the sessions.

WCED officials then introduced the teachers to staff and learners at the participating schools as part of an induction programme.

The Grade 1 teachers concerned are looking forward to learning isiXhosa as well. Workbooks for the pilot will be provided by the Department of Basic Education (DBE).

The WCED is supportive of the pilot. However, any future roll-out will be determined at a later stage. We will be in a better position to evaluate the programme when it has been running for several months.