Latest from The Herald
The Herald
20 minutes ago
- General
- The Herald
Why can't our children read?
The long shadow of apartheid To understand this crisis, we must first confront our history. Under apartheid's Bantu Education system, black pupils, particularly in rural areas, were deliberately denied quality education. Schools were under-resourced, teachers were underqualified and mother tongue education was politicised and poorly implemented. Though democracy promised change, rural schools remain neglected, lacking libraries, literacy materials and trained language teachers. The legacy of systemic neglect lives on in the crumbling infrastructure and overcrowded classrooms. Even more damaging is the cycle it has created: teachers who were failed by the system now struggle to support the pupils they teach. The mother tongue dilemma IsiXhosa, like all indigenous languages, deserves to be a strong foundation for learning. While the curriculum supports home-language instruction in the foundation phase, implementation is inconsistent and under-resourced. Many pupils speak regional dialects of isiXhosa, and these varieties differ from the standardised form used in textbooks. At home, a child is exposed to isiXhosa that is structurally and phonetically different from what they hear in class. Instead of recognising this as natural linguistic diversity, the education system treats it as a problem. Pupils end up being told, implicitly or explicitly, that the language they speak at home is 'wrong'. Worse still, by grade 4, pupils must abruptly switch to English as the language of learning and teaching. This pedagogically unsound shift occurs before they've developed academic proficiency in either language. Instead of building understanding, they resort to memorising and mimicking. The English illusion There is a dangerous assumption in many rural schools that introducing English earlier, or more aggressively, will improve literacy outcomes. Yet, more English doesn't help if neither pupils nor teachers understand it. English First Additional Language (FAL) is often taught by educators who are not confident in the language themselves. Lessons rely on rote repetition, not meaning making. There is little focus on vocabulary development, reading fluency or comprehension strategies. English then becomes an empty ritual, not a tool for expression or exploration. Pupils become passive receivers of language, not active users. They learn to fear reading instead of enjoying it. The role of teachers This is not to blame teachers, many of whom work in incredibly difficult conditions, but rather to highlight a critical system failure. Initial teacher education programmes do not adequately prepare teachers for multilingual, rural classrooms. Ongoing professional development is rare or irrelevant. Many foundation phase teachers are generalists without specialised training in teaching reading, particularly in isiXhosa or English FAL. Furthermore, large class sizes, often exceeding 40 pupils, and the absence of classroom libraries or storybooks make it almost impossible to implement effective reading instruction. How do you teach 40 children to decode, infer, predict and reflect when you have one textbook and no space to move? What can be done? This crisis is not unsolvable. It only requires political will, targeted investment and a shift in mindset. Extend and improve mother-tongue instruction Pupils should be taught in isiXhosa as a LoLT ( language of learning and teaching) for longer, ideally until grade 6, while gradually building English proficiency. This dual-focus model works in other multilingual countries and aligns with research on language acquisition. However, it must be supported by well-developed isiXhosa materials that reflect the dialects and realities of rural pupils. Professionalise reading instruction Every foundation phase teacher should be a reading specialist. This requires dedicated training on how to teach reading in both isiXhosa and English FAL. In-service teacher support — coaching, mentoring, classroom demonstrations — should be ongoing, not a one-off workshop. Create reading corners in all classrooms Reading cannot flourish in a bookless environment. The government, NGOs and publishers must work together to produce low-cost, high-interest books in isiXhosa and English. These books must be culturally relevant and linguistically accessible. A classroom without storybooks is like a swimming pool without water. Embrace linguistic diversity Dialectal differences in isiXhosa should be embraced, not erased. Teachers need training on linguistic diversity, and pupils must be encouraged to see their home language as a strength. Language is not the barrier; it is the key. Empower parents and communities Parents may not be able to help with English homework, but they can tell stories, sing songs and engage in isiXhosa conversations that build vocabulary and imagination. Community radio, WhatsApp groups and community libraries can all play a role in supporting home literacy. Reading is liberation A child who cannot read is locked out of learning. For rural isiXhosa-speaking pupils in the Eastern Cape, the lock is not just illiteracy, it is inequality, history and neglect. However, the key is within reach. Reading is not a luxury, it is liberation. Until every child can read for meaning both in isiXhosa and English, and establish their own voice, our mission is not complete. Dr Nontsikelelo Ndabeni and Dr Siziwe Dlepu are lecturers in the Department of Humanities and Creative Arts Education at Walter Sisulu University This special report into the state of literacy, a collaborative effort by The Herald, Sowetan, and Daily Dispatch, was made possible by the Henry Nxumalo Foundation
The Herald
21 minutes ago
- Politics
- The Herald
Time to go back to the drawing board on early childhood education
What type of society is this? What have our priorities been for the past 30 years, especially in the education sector? Where have we been? Social scientists and educational psychologists opine that the human brain is the last organ to develop to its fullest potential. Research indicates that it takes 20 years for the brain to get to the point where it is fully developed, meaning that the work that is done to develop the child from adolescence to early adulthood is of vital importance to engender a culture of meaning, purpose and ultimately a drive to succeed. If you miss it then, forget about the potential you will derive from the adult who has been neglected from the early years. Is it surprising that we have the challenges that we face in SA? Rising crime rates, homelessness, unemployment and general helplessness have come to define the experiences of many in our society. The question we ought to ask is what is being done to instill the right focus on early education to ensure we have better results in the future. This is not only about demonstrating how we benchmark ourselves against other nations on literacy and education. It's also about fulfilling an agenda set by the June 16 generation to create a country and a people that will hold their heads high and take their rightful place among the community of nations. A key challenge that most researchers point to is the absence of cognitive attention among our children at the age they are when they take these tests. This refers to the slow cognitive development experienced by a majority of our children in that age group. Studies such as the University of Pretoria's point to a lack of teaching skills among educators who teach at those levels, the absence of parental involvement in the education of their children and other socioeconomic challenges as the major causes of these challenges. My own assessment is that we generally don't have a vision as a country when it comes to defining the society that we want. SA's budget for basic education far exceeds that of many developing nations that face similar challenges. The results, however, are far short of those achieved in some of those countries.
The Herald
21 minutes ago
- Business
- The Herald
Mozambique minister optimistic about TotalEnergies resuming LNG project
Mozambique's energy minister said on Friday the government has not received a request from TotalEnergies to lift a force majeure declaration on its $20bn (R360.71bn) liquefied natural gas (LNG) project there, but he is optimistic about the oil major's plan to resume its development this summer. The force majeure will be lifted as soon as the project's operator determines conditions are in place to resume operations, minister of mineral resources and energy Estevao Pale told reporters in Tokyo after meeting with Japan's industry minister Muto Yoji. "We, as government, are doing everything that we can to be able to resume the project," Pale said. "We are working together with all partners on the project to create the security conditions favourable to restart the project," he said, adding that security conditions have improved considerably.
The Herald
21 minutes ago
- Science
- The Herald
SpaceX Starship rocket explodes in setback for Musk's Mars mission
SpaceX's massive Starship spacecraft exploded into a dramatic fireball during testing in Texas late on Wednesday, the latest in a series of setbacks for billionaire Elon Musk's Mars rocket programme. The explosion occurred around 11pm local time while Starship was on a test stand at its Brownsville, Texas Starbase while preparing for the 10th test flight, SpaceX said in a post on Musk's social-media platform X. The company attributed it to a 'major anomaly' and said all personnel were safe. Its engineering teams were investigating the incident, and it was coordinating with local, state and federal agencies regarding environmental and safety impacts, the company said. 'Preliminary data suggests a nitrogen COPV in the payload bay failed below its proof pressure,' Musk said in a post on X, in a reference to a nitrogen gas storage unit known as a composite overwrapped pressure vessel. 'If further investigation confirms this is what happened, it is the first time for this design,' he said. The Starship rocket appeared to experience at least two explosions in quick succession, lighting up the night sky and sending debris flying, according to video capturing the moment it exploded.
The Herald
21 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald
US singer Chris Brown pleads not guilty to assault charge in UK court
US singer Chris Brown on Friday pleaded not guilty to attacking a music producer with a bottle in a London nightclub two years ago. Brown is charged with attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm in what prosecutors said was an 'unprovoked attack' on Abraham Diaw in the nightclub in 2023. The 36-year-old appeared at London's Southwark Crown court, where he denied the charge. His trial was scheduled to begin on October 26 2026. The R&B star, a two-time Grammy Award winner known for hits such as Loyal, Run It and Under the Influence , was granted bail in May after promising to pay a £5m (R121.5m) security fee to begin his Breezy Bowl XX tour. Brown was arrested at a hotel in Manchester in, northern England last month after returning to Britain for the first time since the incident two years ago. Reuters
