On 12 March 2026, the Western Cape branch of the Literacy Association of South Africa (LITASA) held its Annual General Meeting, featuring a panel discussion that felt, for many in the room, like a long-awaited turning point. Titled Ukuqalela ngokutsha (starting over), the discussion centred on the implementation of mother tongue-based bilingual education (MTbBE) in schools in the Western Cape.
The panel brought together Nosimo Manyela, a Grade 4 and 5 Natural Science teacher, Dr Robyn Tyler, Senior Researcher at the University of the Western Cape and founding member of the bua-lit collective, and Suanne Rampou, Deputy Chief Education Specialist for Natural Science at the Western Cape Education Department. The session was facilitated by Dr Xolisa Guzula, chair of the branch committee.
Dr Guzula opened the discussion by providing historical context. South Africa’s Language in Education Policy dates back to 1997, yet for all of that time, schools operated as though the apartheid-era language regime had never been dismantled. The cost of neglect in this area has been immense. African language-speaking children were effectively switched into languages of instruction they were still acquiring, contributing to devastating educational failures, particularly in subjects like mathematics and science. As Dr Guzula framed it, language is “one part of the elephant that we need to get right in the education system.”
The turning point came on the 27-28 July 2023, with the Department of Basic Education Language Policy conference signalling to the sector that change was finally coming. For many, it was, in Dr Guzula’s words, a “dream come true.” The rollout of MTbBE began in Grade 4 in 2025 in science and mathematics, with incremental expansion planned in the years ahead. The panel offered an important opportunity to reflect on how that first year had gone.
One of the most compelling moments of the discussion came from Nosimo Manyela, who spoke openly about what the shift has meant in her classroom:
“I can see the difference because before bilingual education, the learners were struggling. They were not able to express themselves because of the language barriers. Now, you can pick up that the learners are now interested in sciences. The participation improved. Now, they are able to answer the question. If you ask a question, most of the learners raise their hands, but before then, it would be one or two learners who raise their hands to answer the question. The other learners would just look down as if they are shy or scared.”
Dr Tyler explained that evidence has long shown that children who receive a longer stretch of time in their home language develop stronger academic foundations across all subjects. Nosimo is witnessing this in action daily in her classroom.
Suanne Rampou described the arrival of MTbBE in the province as “an angel coming.” But she was candid about the resistance encountered along the way – from parents, fellow educators, and from within the Western Cape education department itself. From roadshows across districts, it was evident that the model was not universally welcomed, many teachers and circuit managers did not buy in to it. Progress depended, in part, on committed individuals willing to champion the initiative and push it forward in the face of resistance.
The fact that that the rollout has happened at all speaks to what becomes possible when political will aligns with research, advocacy, and the tireless work of those in the literacy sector. It has not been easy, and gaps remain, most notably around pre-service teacher training, classroom material development and the urgent need for engaging, bilingual and African-language science books for children who are, at last, able to raise their hands.
The work of starting over has finally begun. Now it must be sustained.
Written by Jessica Blom, LITASA Western Cape branch committee member and deputy director at the Centre for Early Childhood Development
24 March 2026
