SITE VISIT - Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and ...

English 3 422 503 9
Tswana 3 368 544 9
Shangaan/Tsongo 1 439 809 4
Swazi 952 478 2
Venda 673 538 2
Ndebele 477 895 1
Other 640 277 2
(Other Asian and European immigrant languages)
Whereas one language predominates in most provinces, there is a rich linguistic mix in Gauteng
and the Eastern Transvaal with no single language dominating. In the following table only
languages spoken by more than 5% of the population are listed (TABLE NOT AVAILABLE).
English
English is the first language of only 9% of South Africans, but its importance is much greater
than this figure indicates. Firstly, most South Africans speak more than one language, and
English is the second or third language of many.
Secondly, English is widely viewed as a means to promote national unity. Because it is the
predominant language of science, technology and business, knowledge of English is seen as
essential for entry into the job market.
Moreover, since the Soweto uprising in 1976, when black high school students rejected
Afrikaans as the language of learning, English has been the overwhelming choice as the medium
of instruction in black schools.
In future, local communities will determine in which language their children are taught. It is
likely that dual-medium and multi-medium schools will become the norm, with mother-tongue
instruction in the early years combined with development of English language skills to equip
children for further education and entry into the workplace.
Adult educational levels
There is a clear correlation between race and educational levels attained because of the gross
disparities in per capita expenditure on black and white education (see "Government expenditure
on pre-school children" below) and the inferior standards laid down by the Bantu Education Act
for the education of black children in the past. The figures below are based on the 1991 census
and exclude the TBVC states, for which statistics were unavailable.
Adult literacy
Using completion of Standard 6 (Grade 8) as a measure of retained literacy, less than half the
total adult black population (43%) is literate (see Map 35), compared to 97% of whites. Literacy
is higher among blacks living in urban areas (52%) than in the former homelands (42%) or rural
"white" South Africa (28%). In KwaZulu the literacy rate is less than 25%. Because of the high
illiteracy rates among black adults, black children as young as seven frequently have more
literacy skills than their parents.
About 56% of coloreds (68% in urban areas and 39% in rural areas) and 79% of Indians are
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