Hon Speaker, the Department of Basic Education encourages the use of mother tongue instruction - where learners learn in their home language - during the foundation phase.
In this regard the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements are made available in all languages. The provision of learning and teaching support material on the National Catalogue is also made available in all languages in the Foundation Phase.
The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements for the intermediate, senior and the further education and training, FET, phases for content subjects will be made available in all languages, to bring the content subjects in line with the incremental introduction of African languages, where African languages will be used as languages of teaching and learning. The incremental introduction of African languages would then invite non- African learners to also learn an African language.
Furthermore, the Department of Basic Education is planning to establish a language unit as per stipulation, or as suggested or alluded to by the hon Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture, in terms of the South African Languages Bill as well as the SA Language Practitioners' Council Bill.
Amongst other things, the language unit will be responsible for the development of relevant African language terminology for all content subjects, which will enable our learners to access knowledge and skills in these subjects more effectively and with greater understanding, since it will be offered in their mother tongue.
For the benefit of the House, we may mention that the institutions of higher education - universities - have also taken it upon themselves to develop languages. For example, the University of KwaZulu-Natal is developing isiZulu, the University of Pretoria is developing the Pedi language, the University of the North West is developing Setswana and the University of the Free State is developing the Sotho language.
This is a process, and, as a result of a discussion with Higher Education and Training and the Higher Education South Africa, Hesa, component, this particular aspiration for the parity of languages and the development of languages will see the light.
We want to caution that we cannot introduce - even though it is available, and is in fact policy for the foundation phase - teaching to take place in the mother tongue. We cannot compel learners to go beyond that because it requires the requisite resources and the requisite skills for an educator to teach in another language. In recognition of the fact that learners can speak their mother tongue as well as English in general, a further additional language is being supported from Grade 1.
With regard to the second part of the question, the Department of Basic Education is working closely with key education stakeholders, including unions, school governing body associations, universities, NGOs and other departments, such as the Department of Arts and Culture.
All stakeholders contribute within their areas of expertise. Unions and universities have assisted with the workbook project. There are 54 million workbooks in all 11 official languages that will be distributed during this year.
We can also indicate that the Departments of Arts and Culture and Basic Education are in discussion with regard to the libraries that have to be provided to schools and communities, and the books in the different indigenous languages. I thank you, hon Speaker.