Overview
- Grade 4 pupils wrote Natural Science and Technology on Monday, with Mathematics scheduled for Tuesday.
- The Department of Basic Education confirmed 11,948 schools are now implementing Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education across all nine provinces.
- Uptake varies sharply by province, from 3,860 schools in Eastern Cape and 3,558 in KwaZulu-Natal to 20 in Gauteng.
- The model teaches and assesses learners in their home language alongside English to strengthen comprehension and foundational skills.
- Minister Siviwe Gwarube lauded the milestone and said the DBE will expand the programme, bolster teacher training, and develop materials in all official languages.