It was about children being taught in their mother tongue in schools.

Very interesting I said, but sadly, I did not have the opportunity to listen to the entire conversation.

So I had to come up with my own conclusions.

First in my mind was whether or not it will be myopic and retrogressive or progressive and beneficial to introduce mother tongue as the medium of instruction in all the schools in the country.

Something I guess I’m still not decided on, because up to now, the dominating medium of instruction in South African schools has always been English.

The only thing I know so far is taking biology, mathematics and physical science instruction in the English language.

But the school of thought here is which will be better, mother tongue or English?

I then asked myself a couple of question to try and justify what I already know and am used to.

I thought ok, how I will fit in the world if I’m, for example, taught mathematics, biology and science in Sesotho?

Also, if I wish to further my studies elsewhere – say in America- would I be able to grasp in English what I have learned in my mother tongue my whole life?

If I’m taught mathematics and all other subjects in Sesotho my whole life, will I be able to translate everything to English if need be?

Will it also not cause confusion in a workplace where two colleagues who studied the same degree in different languages have to advance an argument in a language that they both were not taught in?

Well, though I don’t quite have answers to these questions, the Afrikaans language has thus far been the perfect model for teaching in mother tongue in South Africa.

But I don’t have it on record how such students cope when they have to further their studies elsewhere, using English or a different language as the medium of instruction.

I have had such conversations before with both sides advancing their reasons why it would or not be beneficial to teach in mother tongue.

In a nutshell, and without quoting anyone, the fanatics of the whole language policy thing believe teaching in mother tongue will improve learning while critics think it is backwards and counter-intellectual.

Those against it argue that such policy will be retrogressive since it has been overtaken by socioeconomic and technological development.

They also argue that such policies would be difficult to implement as everything would have to be translated in all official languages in South Africa.

They will have to find suitable words for mathematics terms like algebra and trigonometry without losing the original meaning.

More critically, they say such a policy will further lower the learning outcomes in most public schools, which are already lagging behind private schools.

The fanatics, however, believe this is the right way to go.

They argue that if education is important, as we are led to believe, then all people should receive it in the best language they could understand to make it easy for all to take instruction.

One commentator once said the whole idea of teaching in mother tongue will not dilute the facts as some believe but would be merely transporting the same facts in a different language.

The argument from in this part of the world is that most pupils come face to face with English for the first time in mid primary school and this delays learning as students would then have to grasp the English language before they could understand mathematics or biology or economics.

The argument goes further to say that the use of mother tongue would provide comfort for learners, making education seem like a less arduous undertaking.

Well that’s it.

I think what is needed is a comprehensive and quality education policy supported by relevant resources and training which would enable learners to acquire useful skills at a very young age.

I don’t mind the delivery language. MM