FYI, from the language policy list. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
-----Original Message----- From: Harold Schiffman <hfsc...@gmail.com> Sender: lgpolicy-list-boun...@groups.sas.upenn.edu Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2011 14:44:20 To: lp<lgpolicy-l...@groups.sas.upenn.edu> Reply-To: Language Policy List <lgpolicy-l...@groups.sas.upenn.edu> Subject: [lg policy] South Africa: Language ‘main is sue’ in literacy, maths marks Language ‘main issue’ in literacy, maths marks KARL GERNETZKY Published: 2011/07/22 07:00:45 AM THE government’s policy of second- language education was most to blame for students’ underperformance in maths and low literacy levels, academics said yesterday. Neville Alexander, direct of the University of Cape Town’s Project For the Study of Alternative Education, said that while language was not the only problem facing SA’s students, it was the "fundamental issue" and the state’s language policy was a "guarantee of failure". He was speaking at an education seminar hosted by the Centre for Education Policy Development, standards body Umalusi and the University of the Witwaterstrand (Wits) in Johannesburg. The switch to English or Afrikaans as a medium of instruction from grade 4 onwards is widely cited for the country’s poor performance in the Annual National Assessments released last month. The national average performance in grade 3 was 35% for literacy, and 28% for numeracy, while grade 6 pupils achieved an average of 28% in languages and 30% in mathematics. Jill Adler, Wits professor and the Firstrand Foundation’s mathematics education chair, said the use of language was crucial for students to be able to grasp complex mathematical concepts, and this was leading to poor maths results. She said diverse levels of fluency were significantly complicating teaching as, "in order to teach mathematics, you need to simplify language". The Grade 6 Systemic Evaluation National Report of 2005 showed students who studied in their mother tongue achieved a national average score of 69% in language, whereas students taught in a second language achieved only 32%. Those who wrote mathematics in their home language achieved an average score of 48,13%, while the average score of those using a second language was 23,19%. gernetz...@bdfm.co.za http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=148991 -- ************************************** N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator) For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/ listinfo/lgpolicy-list ******************************************* _______________________________________________ This message came to you by way of the lgpolicy-list mailing list lgpolicy-l...@groups.sas.upenn.edu To manage your subscription unsubscribe, or arrange digest format: https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/lgpolicy-list ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AfricanLanguages/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AfricanLanguages/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: africanlanguages-dig...@yahoogroups.com africanlanguages-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: africanlanguages-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/