Language of learning and teaching of the school differs

Teachers in South Africa have a great challenge accommodating learners with different home languages in their classes. There are eleven official languages in the country. Teachers often have learners in their class who have a language of learning and teaching (LoLT) which is their second or third language. This causes the learner to not fully understand the lessons offered in class. The issue of the LoLT in South Africa is often also influenced by other factors like the parents’ choice of school for their children. Parents often migrate due to different factors. They might be isiZulu or Afrikaans-speaking at home but now they live in a district where the LoLT is Setswana and not isiZulu or Afrikaans. All these factors make it very difficult for teachers to teach learners with different language backgrounds in one class (Nel & Muller, 2010:635-650).

A major linguistic problem in South Africa is that there is mother-tongue teaching in the Foundation Phase but from Grade 4 to Grade 12 all teaching is done in Afrikaans or English, depending on the LoLT of the school (Nel & Muller, 2010:635-650). In the province where the research was conducted about 90% of learners’ home language is Setswana and thus it is the LoLT in the Foundation Phase.

As the larger part of the district where the research was conducted is very rural, most learners do not hear or speak much English outside their school environment. This becomes a problem when the learners reach Grade 4 and English becomes the LoLT. When they reach Grade 4, their vocabulary and knowledge of English are very limited. As the learners do not understand the teachers when they speak English, many teachers tend to switch from English to Setswana in class. The situation seldom improves after learners’ grade fourth school year. This does not assist the learners as they need to write examinations in English up to Grade 12. The learners learn an inferior English and struggle to express themselves. It is quite common in this district that learners who managed to pass the Foundation Phase develop learning barriers starting in Grade 4, when the LoLT changes to English or Afrikaans. Since English is not used in the communities of the district, many teachers, other professionals and businessmen also use a poor quality English with incorrect pronunciations (Nel & Muller, 2010:635-650).

There are other parents who insist on placing their children in schools where the LoLT is English as they see it as an international language. They do not take their child’s ability or emotional stress into consideration, and whether he or she is proficient or not in the LoLT of the specific school. There is no support or stimulation at home and many parents do not know and understand what their children learn at school.

The question was asked during the focus group: “Is there anything that you would like to change to improve the functionality of the full-service school?” This question led to respondents airing their views about the language of learning and teaching at their schools which hampered the functionality of the school.

P16 (focus group 4 at a school where English is the LoLT) said: “Yes, I’ll only take learners in this school that can speak English or Afrikaans. I have a learner when I speak to him, he looks at me, and as if he is dumb. I don’t know what this child want[s] in this school. He can barely say a word in English, there must be a school that can cater for them cause here hmm” (teacher sighed). The participant spoke in an agitated voice and did not complete her sentence. The researcher could only conclude that the teacher had a lack of kindness for learners who have barriers to the LoLT.

The same question was asked at other FSSs. P2 (focus group 1, where Setswana is the LoLT in the Foundation Phase) said: “This child cannot speak one word of the Setswana language. He does not understand.” P4 (focus group 1),“We’ve all learners with another home language and they don’t understand us. It frustrates us”.

This teacher was annoyed with the particular learner as she could not complete the task given to all the learners in the class. P3 (focus group 1),“I’m frustrated; I will be in trouble when the curriculum is monitored by the HOD or curriculum specialist”. P4 (focus group 1),

“They will not ask or understand that the learner does not understand Setswana. I will be in BIG, BIG, trouble”. P2 (focus group 1), “The learner must just go to another school!!” It is thus clear that the LoLT could be a problem for both the learners and their teachers.

6.6.2.2 Knowledge of learners’ diverse cultures and religions

During the history of South Africa before 1994 there was a very distinct separation between people of different races, religions, languages and cultures. The separation was

so deeply instilled that many people grew up to believe that those who did not share their beliefs, culture or language were either wrong, uneducated or even barbaric. It is a difficult transformation for all citizens of South Africa to reformulate their own perceptions from the past to new and more humane perceptions of the realities of the country.

Learners in schools come from different racial, socio-economic and religious backgrounds. This shows the reality of religious differences. Teachers have learners from different church denominations such as Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and Rastafarians. Teachers have their own religious background and due to the separation of the previous dispensation in the country, some of them do not have much knowledge or acceptance of religions other than their own. They struggle to accept norms other than their own. Principals have a great task to give guidance in this regard and to adapt school policies to accommodate all religions.

With regard to religion some of the respondents were very outspoken about learners who belong to denominations other than their own. P4 (focus group 1) said for instance “Don’t know why a person must struggle with these different types of learners! Now I must struggle with this child having to carry their religious beliefs. Do I look like a pastor?” P3 (focus group 1) shouted: “Why does this boy need to attend mosque on a Friday? He is leaving school every Friday. It becomes my problem as he’s always behind with his work. I have to assist him to catch up with his work. I refuse; I do not want to do it.” The South African Council for Educators (SACE) expects teachers to act professionally and abide by the code of ethics for professional teachers, as teachers have to “acknowledge the uniqueness, individuality, and specific needs of each learner, guiding and encouraging each to realize his or her potentialities” (SACE, 2008:12-13). Although SACE expects teachers to have compassion for their learners, it came out clearly during the focus group interviews and informal observations that some of the teachers do not respect differences in learners. Their prejudices stop them from gaining information about learners in their classes and in the process they disadvantage the learners and themselves.

Some respondents also expressed their opinions about diverse cultures and race. It seemed to the researcher that this also influenced some teachers’ opinions about their learners with barriers to learning. As P3 (focus group 1) exclaimed: “My opinion is, I do not still want learners from neighbouring schools to come to this FSS. It will worsen our

situation as teachers here. It’s difficult!” They felt they did not want additional work by assisting learners or guiding teachers from neighbouring schools. The FSSs have more resources and are supposed to be better equipped to share their expertise with neighbouring schools (Department of Basic Education, 2010:18). It could mean extra work. They did not see that sharing responsibility with other teachers could assist them to understand a problem better and to develop as teachers themselves.

In the past many people felt that others should adapt to the way things were done without exemptions. In the new dispensation of human rights, people find it difficult to accommodate differences which force them to make changes in their own set ways and think of how others can be accommodated effectively (Doebbler, 2006:110).