The Department will host the Mother Tongue Based Bilingual Education (MTbBE) Roadshow this morning , 17 March 2026 at the Church on the Hill in the Mbombela Local Municipality from 10H00.
The roadshow brings together primary school principals from the Bohlabela and Ehlanzeni Districts, who will participate in engagements aimed at strengthening the implementation of Mother Tongue Based Bilingual Education in the early grades.
This initiative forms part of the Department’s broader commitment to improving foundational literacy and numeracy, while ensuring that learners develop strong cognitive and language skills through learning in their home language.
The purpose of the roadshow is to deepen understanding among school leaders on the transformative role of mother tongue instruction in the Foundation Phase, while also providing practical strategies and academic insights that support effective classroom implementation.
Research continues to affirm that learners who are grounded in their home language during the early years of schooling are more confident, more engaged, and better positioned to acquire additional languages and complex knowledge as they progress through the education system.
It serve as a platform to inspire school leadership to champion language-inclusive education, recognizing that language is not only a medium of instruction but also a powerful carrier of identity, culture, and heritage.
The Department has partnered with leading institutions of higher learning and national education stakeholders.
The roadshow will feature distinguished speakers and thought leaders, including Leketi Makalela, Professor of Literacy and Multilingual Education at the University of the Witwatersrand and Director of the Hub for Multilingual Education and Literacies (HUMEL) as well as Nombulelo Mbude-Mehana, Deputy Director-General for Special Programmes at the Department of Basic Education (South Africa).
Their participation underscores the importance of collaboration between government, academia, and education practitioners in advancing innovative approaches that strengthen teaching and learning outcomes.
Through this roadshow, the Mpumalanga Department of Education aims to empower principals as instructional leaders, capable of driving the successful implementation of Mother Tongue Based Bilingual Education in their schools.
By investing in language-responsive teaching approaches, the Department continues to build a strong foundation for quality education, improved learner performance, and inclusive learning environments across the province.
The Department remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring that every child in Mpumalanga learns with confidence, dignity and understanding, beginning with the language that first nurtures their thinking and expression.
A Department at work for all!