More Afrikaans Model C schools are increasingly adopting English as a medium of instruction

The Department of Basic Education has reported a marked increase in the number of former Afrikaans Model C schools adopting English as a medium of instruction.

The move, aimed at accommodating a more diverse learner population across the country, was highlighted on Tuesday during a briefing to the Basic Education Portfolio Committee by Deputy Director-General Simone Geyer.

The department was briefing the committee on the implementation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act’s (BELA) sections dealing with language, admissions, and Grade R.

Geyer said the shift aligns with a trend where Afrikaans-medium schools are beginning to embrace English.

“The data indicates a nationwide trend of Afrikaans-medium schools introducing English instruction, which is a good thing to accommodate as a movement of learners from different parts of the country who are not necessarily Afrikaans speaking,” she said.

A presentation to the committee revealed that out of the country's 19,363 schools, 1,795 are classified as former Model C institutions.

Of these, 639 are Afrikaans medium, with 274 having adopted English as part of their language instruction.

A notable 946 schools have made strides in integrating African languages, with KwaZulu-Natal leading the initiative, having 729 schools engaged in this effort, followed by Gauteng and Free State with 99 and 32 schools, respectively.

According to Geyer, the integration of African languages into former Model C schools was most prominent in KwaZulu-Natal.

She noted that efforts to introduce other languages within former Model C schools remain limited, with only 55 schools currently involved in this initiative.

“Overall, the number of schools being engaged to introduce other languages is relatively low across all provinces, but there is an attempt, and an effort,” she said.

Geyer also said most of the former Model C schools have now completed admissions and language policies.

As for admission and language policies, Geyer reported significant progress among former Model C schools, with 1,080 completing their admission policies and 1,047 finalising their language policies.

Meanwhile, the department said the public comment on regulations on capacity and admission was extended until December 5, following requests from interest groups Section27 and Equal Education.

The regulation on the management of learner pregnancy was approved by the Council of Education Ministers, and was awaiting translation before submission to Parliament after the minister’s approval for publication.

This happened as other regulations were before the Office of the State Law Advisor, except for home-based education, which was being finalised by the task team.

Responding to questions, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube said the department granted an extension for public comments to allow more South Africans to have a greater say in the legislative process.

“As long as the delay was not with the department’s drafting process and if the public requires more time to have greater say in their legislation, there is no danger in allowing them a say,” she said.

Gwarube addressed concerns regarding the regulations, explaining that existing language legislation primarily features English and Afrikaans due to the languages in which the Act itself was drafted.

“The regulations follow the language the Act is published in,” she said.

Gwarube said they would look at how to make the regulations more accessible in the future.

“It is a criticism that is well levelled to say do better when you want the public to comment to incorporate a lot more voices.”

In another development, the department has positioned Grade R within the framework of formal schooling.

As part of efforts to enhance the qualifications of Grade R practitioners, the Department of Basic Education has engaged in a collective agreement with unions, including Unisa, to begin upgrading practitioners’ qualifications by January 2026.

An allocation of R66 million from the Skills Development Fund has been set aside by the ETDP- SETA for this initiative.

An audit revealed that out of 7,294 practitioners across various provinces, 2,121 are set to benefit from the upgrading programme.

Although applications initially closed on October 10, the deadline has now been extended to December 1, with a further extension to December 19, allowing more eligible practitioners the opportunity to apply.

mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za