Wits University academic Professor Leketi Makalela has dismissed concerns that the introduction of Mother Tongue-Based Bilingual Education (MTBBE) in schools could lead to teacher retrenchments, describing such fears as misconceptions that risk creating unnecessary panic.
Makalela, an education and language specialist at the University of the Witwatersrand, made the remarks during the South African Democratic Teachers Union’s (SADTU) three-day Mother Tongue-Based Bilingual Education Orientation Programme in Ekurhuleni.
He said incorporating learners’ mother tongues into teaching and learning could improve educational outcomes while creating new employment opportunities in the education and language sectors.
According to Makalela, the initiative could increase demand for educators, language practitioners and writers involved in developing teaching and learning materials in African languages.
“This initiative would create wider employment opportunities for educators, language practitioners and writers involved in developing teaching and learning materials in African languages. It would strengthen skills development and increase demand for teachers capable of supporting learning through African languages,” he explained.
Makalela also rejected claims that introducing African languages into schools would promote tribalism, stressing the importance of implementing multilingual education strategically.
He argued that multilingualism should be treated as a resource to improve access to education rather than allowing language differences to become barriers to learning.
“Rather than restricting learning to English, for example, teachers can use learners’ familiar African languages alongside English to make lessons more accessible,” Makalela emphasised.
His remarks highlight the potential of MTBBE to promote inclusive learning, strengthen the role of African languages in education and create opportunities for professionals involved in developing multilingual teaching resources.
