Acting Chief Education Specialist in the Motheo district, Kediemetse Mochoari, told OFM News that in 2012, when the project kicked off, schools in the five districts in the province were requested to choose two schools that would take part in this project. 

In the Motheo District, the Rutanang and Daluxolo Primary Schools, which are both in Bloemfontein, were chosen as the schools to represent the district and the books were then written in Setswana and isiXhosa respectively by four Grade 3 learners from these two schools. The books were thereafter packaged and printed by the provincial education department and Mochoari said since 2012 the Department has continued with this practice, even extending it to subsequent grades after grade 3. “On a yearly basis, the learners are writing, so we are still waiting for the province to print more books so that these books may be used by the learners in foundation phase classrooms and then also in the libraries,” Mochoari said.

The four learners, namely Karabo Rantsho, Zizipho Nyulu, Mzwandile Majenge, and Naledi Moretsi, are all now in Grade 9 and attend various schools in Bloemfontein. Mochoari said it was important that the mother tongue literacy and development is promoted as early as possible in schools as several data sources, such as the Global Education Monitoring Report (GEMR), have stated that children taught in their mother language are more likely to develop literacy skills. Mochoari said that 63 principals from schools all across the district were handed over these books yesterday at the Samson Sefuthi Hall in Botshabelo. The department, through this initiative, hopes to inspire a culture of learning in indigenous languages among the next generation of learners and leaders. The launch also coincides with South Africa’s Children’s Month, which is celebrated every year in November. South Africa also celebrates Children’s Day on the first Saturday of every November and this year, it was celebrated on 3 November 2018.

OFM News