Author: Jane Viedge

Author

Jane Viedge

Two contrasting educational programmes in Makhanda shed light on how to get Xhosa-speaking children to read for meaning in a country with a literacy crisis. Archive photo: Steve Kretzmann

Featured, Literacy & Numeracy, Makhanda, Policy

Makhanda shows the way with home-language literacy

by Jane Viedge 20 July 2026 0

MAKHANDA: The extent of South Africa’s literacy crisis has been laid bare with the Department of Basic Education’s new early learning reading benchmarks, covering... Read more.

Read right: Archie Mbolekwa Primary School teacher, Hlakanipha Archie Mbolekwa Primary School teacher, Hlakanipha Gxekwa, received support from Funda Wande to implement daily phonics lessons, guided reading, and writing routines.

Literacy & Numeracy, Makhanda, News, School Life

Why mother-tongue education is failing our children

by Jane Viedge, Rod Amner 24 December 2025 0

MAKANDA: In Makhanda, children taught in English outperform those taught in their ‘mother tongue’ by more than two to one. The data doesn’t prove mother-tongue... Read more.