Languages bedevilling teaching

Teachers are faced with a complex problem that no one knows how to solve.

There are 11 official languages in South Africa, the prevalence of each differing from region to region, but only one teacher per classroom, speaking one language.

At least 30% of Grade 1 pupils are not taught, as experts recommend, in their home language.

There are also significant differences between spoken African languages and their written forms - leaving pupils often unable to understand national tests.

Adding to the confusion, mathematics terms developed for some indigenous languages differ from the standard forms used by teachers, so pupils often cannot comprehend the Annual National Assessment numeracy tests.

The language challenges are considered in a report by the National Education Evaluation and Development Unit based on a study of pupils' first three years of school.

The report showed that: "When learners do not speak the language of instruction, they find learning difficult and academic achievement is undermined."

The education department's policy allows for students to be taught in an African language only from Grade 1 to Grade 3.

Researchers were concerned that the government's new policy of teaching English as an additional first language from Grade 1 to Grade 3 was not being properly implemented.

The English policy was introduced in 2012 to make sure that Grade 1 students were well-grounded in English so that they could cope with the all-English curriculum from Grade 4. But many teachers did not have the required proficiency in English to teach it effectively from Grade 1.

Researchers found that some parents were insisting that teaching be in English exclusively .