PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE MEETING

PROGRESS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF

THE INCREMENTAL INTRODUCTION OF
AFRICAN LANGUAGES (IIAL)

DR MJ MABOYA
DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL: CURRICULUM BRANCH
DATE: 28 FEBRUARY 2017
VENUE: CAPE TOWN
 PRESENTATION OUTLINE
1. Purpose
2. National Development Plan
3. Policy and Legislative Framework
4. Objectives of IIAL
5. Schools not offering IIAL
6. Schools implementing IIAL
7. Progress
8. Projections
9. Challenges and Remedial Measures
10. Recommendations

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 1. PURPOSE

To present a progress report on

the Implementation of IIAL

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 2. NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN (NDP)
The NDP:471 states that:
“Since a few non-African South Africans speak any
African language, a second challenge is to encourage
those for whom an African language is not a mother
tongue to develop at least a conversational competency
in one of these languages. This will enrich the
experience of the language learners. Both government
and society should promote and celebrate this form of
multilingualism. Knowing each others’ languages can
play a profound role in promoting understanding and
developing social cohesion.”

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 3. POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK

• The IIAL is underpinned by the following policies and

legislations:
– The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa
– The South African Schools Act 84 of 1996 (SASA)
– The National Education Policy Act 1996 (Act 27 of
1996)
– The Language in Education Policy (LiEP) 1997
– The National Curriculum Statement - Grades R-12
(Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement [CAPS])
– Recommendations of the National Development Plan
(NDP)

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 4. OBJECTIVES OF IIAL
• Strengthen the use of African languages at a home language level;
• Improve proficiency in and utility of the previously marginalized
African languages;
• Increase access to languages by all learners, beyond English and
Afrikaans;
• Promote social cohesion;
• Expand opportunities for the development of African languages to
help preserve heritage and cultures.
• Ensure that all learners offer at least one previously marginalised
official African language as part of their curriculum requirement;
and
• Target all schools that are currently not offering a previously
marginalised official African language (3 558);
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 5. SCHOOLS NOT OFFERING IIAL
Prov Target Languages Learners
Schools

IsiZulu, IsiXhosa, Setswana, Sesotho, Sepedi, and

GP 682 74511
Xitsonga
KZN 686 IsiZulu, IsiXhosa, Sesotho 20126

MP 184 Siswati, IsiZulu, IsiNdebele 360

EC 508 IsiXhosa and Sesotho 22945

NW 260 Setswana, IsiXhosa and IsiZulu 8007

FS 147 Sesotho, IsiXhosa, IsiZulu and Setswana 11689

NC 29 Setswana and IsiXhosa 17381

Sepedi, Setswana, Tshivenda, and Xitsonga
LP 245 14358

WC 817 IsiXhosa 1320

Total 3 558 170697

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 6. SCHOOLS IMPLEMENTING IIAL
Prov 2016 Languages Teachers Classes Learners
IIAL
Schools

IsiZulu, IsiXhosa, Setswana, Sesotho,

GP 198 818 1788 74511
Sepedi, and Xitsonga
KZN 309 IsiZulu, IsiXhosa, Sesotho 309 1211 20126

MP 4 Siswati, IsiZulu, IsiNdebele 4 9 360

EC 134 IsiXhosa and Sesotho 134 1506 22945

NW 35 Setswana, IsiXhosa and IsiZulu 35 372 8007

FS 93 Sesotho, IsiXhosa, IsiZulu and Setswana 93 474 11689

NC 8 Setswana and IsiXhosa 8 435 17381

Sepedi, Setswana, Tshivenda, and
LP 51 51 359 14358
Xitsonga
WC 10 IsiXhosa 10 33 1320

Total 842 1462 6187 170697

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7. PROGRESS

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 7.1 THE IIAL CURRICULUM
• The National Curriculum Statement (NCS) requires learners to offer two official
languages, one of which must be the language of learning and teaching, and the other
one as a subject.
• One language should be offered at Home Language level and the other one at First
Additional Language level.
• There was no Second Additional Language (SAL) CAPS in the Foundation Phase.
• In 2015, the DBE appointed a task team to develop SAL CAPS in English.
• The FP SAL CAPS was versioned into the other ten official languages:
IsiZulu Sesotho
IsiXhosa Sepedi
IsiNdebele Setswana
Siswati Xitsonga
Tshivenda Afrikaans
• The FP SAL CAPS were quality assured, printed and distributed to all schools that are implementing
the IIAL.

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 7.2 LTSM AND OTHER RESOURCES
• In 2015 the DBE developed the Foundation Phase SAL Toolkit
and distributed to all schools that are implementing the IIAL. The
Toolkit comprises:
– Foundation Phase Curriculum and Assessment Policy
Statement (CAPS) for Second Additional Language;
– Big Books;
– A set of Conversational Posters;
– An anthology of stories, songs and poems in all 11 languages;
– An Audio Compact disk with songs and dialogues in all 11
languages; and
– Lesson Plans which include activities and exemplar
assessment tasks.

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7.3 TEACHER PROVISIONING AND DEVELOPMENT
• In 2013, the National Core Training Team (NTT)
capacitated provinces to cascade the IIAL training to
all prospective teachers in all the districts.
• 66 and 70 subject advisors were trained in 2013 and
2014 respectively on SAL CAPS Grade 1-3 and the
utilisation of IIAL Toolkit.
• 735 teachers have received IIAL orientation in 2016.
• Provincial IIAL teacher orientation workshops are
held regularly on an on-going basis.

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7.3 TEACHER PROVISIONING AND DEVELOPMENT CONT …
Province Training Date No of Teachers Trained
WC 18-22 Jan 2016 7
FS 16-19 Feb 2016 110
GP 25-28 Jan 2016 and 1-4 Feb 2016 289

KZN 28-30 Jan 2016 No indication

LP 4-6 Feb 2016 58
NC 15-19 Feb 2016 36
NW 19-20 May 2016 35
EC 22-25 Feb 2016 200
MP Not reported No indication
Total 735

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7.3 TEACHER PROVISIONING AND DEVELOPMENT CONT..
• Provinces, depending on their contexts, are using different teacher
provisioning models which include: new appointments; teachers in
addition; retired teachers; teachers from existing staff establishment;
and itinerant teachers.
• All 842 schools currently implementing IIAL have teachers:
– GP is using IIAL teachers for the 12 pilot schools and teachers from
existing staff establishment for the rest of the implementing
schools;
– KZN and EC are using educators declared in addition;
– NC, NW, FS and KZN appointed IIAL teachers;
– WC is utilising itinerant teachers;
– In 2014 and 2015 MP used retired teachers, student teachers and
SGB appointments. Due to budgetary constraints, only 4 out of 41
schools managed to sustain IIAL implementation in 2016.
• The same modus operandi is expected to be used in 2017
implementation and beyond.

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 7.4 ASSESSMENT
• Exemplar assessment tasks are included
in the Lesson Plans, which are part of the
IIAL SAL Toolkit.
• The IIAL SAL Toolkit was distributed to all
participating schools.
• IIAL does not form part of the SBA for
promotion purposes.
• It is not for progression purposes.
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 7.5 MONITORING AND SUPPORT
• According to the DBE Annual Performance Plan (APP) 2016/17 a
total of sixty schools (20 per annum) that are implementing the
IIAL will be monitored as part of the Medium-Term targets for
2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/2020. Schools will be
monitored during April, May and August.
• The school monitoring visits include an interview with the
principal/deputy principal and the teacher and an observation of
an IIAL lesson.
• Additional monitoring and support will be provided through:
– Quarterly inter-provincial teleconferences
– The National Strategy for Learner Attainment (NSLA)
– Provincial Oversight Visits
– Subject Committee Meetings
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 8. PROJECTIONS
• The 2017-2020 IIAL implementation will continue to target
schools that are currently not offering a previously
marginalised official African language as projected in the
Table below:
Projection of number of schools implementing IIAL in
2017-2020
Year of 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20
Implementation
Total No of 842 1779 2669 3558
Schools
Percentage 24% 50% 75% 100%
Total No of New 937 890 889
Schools
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 8. PROJECTIONS CONT…
Prov Target Languages 2016 IIAL Schools 2017 2018 Target
Schools
No % 50% 75%

IsiZulu, IsiXhosa, Setswana,

GP 682
Sesotho, Sepedi, and Xitsonga
198 29% 341 511.50

KZN 686 IsiZulu, IsiXhosa, Sesotho 309 45% 343 514.50

MP 184 Siswati, IsiZulu, IsiNdebele 4 2% 92 138

EC 508 IsiXhosa and Sesotho 134 26% 254 381

NW 260 Setswana, IsiXhosa and IsiZulu 35 13% 130 195

Sesotho, IsiXhosa, IsiZulu and
FS 147
Setswana
93 63% 73.50 110.25

NC 29 Setswana and IsiXhosa 8 28% 14.50 21.75

Sepedi, Setswana, Tshivenda,
LP 245
and Xitsonga
51 21% 122.50 183.75

WC 817 IsiXhosa 10 1% 408.50 612.75

Total 3 558 842 24% 1 779 2 669

* Mpumalanga piloted IIAL in 41 schools in 2014 and 2015. In 2016, only 4 schools implemented due to budgetary constraints. 18
 9. CHALLENGES AND REMEDIAL MEASURES

Challenges Remedial Measures

Post provisioning • IIAL Bid to the National Treasury
• Provinces to use teacher provisioning model that suit
their context, e.g. itinerant teacher, retired teachers,
teachers from existing staff establishment
Attitude towards • Vigorous advocacy campaigns
African languages • Use of best practices
Distance between • Clustering of schools within a circuit
schools
Budgetary • Partnership with relevant stakeholders
constraints • IIAL dedicated budget from the National Treasury

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 10. RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that
the Portfolio Committee
discusses the progress
report and provide inputs
and guidance.
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