Challenges of Mother-Tongue Education in IsiZulu: A Case Study of Selected Schools in the uThungulu District of Kwazulu-Natal

Abstract

The post-apartheid language policy of South Africa grants every child the right to study in their mother tongue. Despite this provision, mother-tongue education in indigenous languages has only been implemented in some schools in the country, and this has also been limited to the first three grades of primary education. While research has highlighted the challenges of mother-tongue education in South Africa, little attention has been given to the educators’ perceptions on the subject. It is for this reason that this study sought to investigate educators’ perspectives on the challenges of mother-tongue education in uThungulu District of KwaZulu-Natal. Using Biesta and Tedder’s ecological agency as a theoretical lens, the study adopted a multiple-case study research design to collect data from 30 educators in five schools using questionnaires. The results revealed that the implementation of mother-tongue instruction in uThungulu District was fraught with challenges such as ill-adapted terminology for mother-tongue teaching, negative attitudes from the community, lack of training for teaching in the mother tongue and lack of resources. The study is significant in shedding light on the role that educators as agents of the system can play in bringing about the successful implementation of mother-tongue education in South Africa.