A busy single mom battling with isiXhosa frets over her son’s education

As someone who battled to converse with my peers who attended predominantly black schools and were taught in isiXhosa, I never wanted my son to go through the same struggles.

It is embarrassing for a young adult whose mother tongue is isiXhosa to have to ask a fellow Xhosa speaker to translate something they have said.

I’ve struggled with this linguistic gap all my life.

I have lived in one of Nelson Mandela Bay’s townships and attended what are known as “coloured” schools, meaning my languages of education have always been English and Afrikaans.

My proficiency in speaking isiXhosa remains limited.

When my son had to choose a second language to take on at school, it was either Afrikaans or isiXhosa. We went with the latter.

He is now in grade 7, and I have to admit his schoolwork is proving to be quite a challenge for both of us.

Make no mistake, this child probably reads 10 books a year in addition to his required books at school.

He loves reading, he loves exploring new words through those pages and literally gets excited every time he comes across a new universe.

But I believe I have let him down by not introducing him to the books of black South African authors — specifically Xhosa authors.

I have picked up through his work and test results that he often does not fully comprehend what he has read.

He can read the words but, without looking them up, he struggles to spell and find meaning behind certain of them.

This shortcoming is all too familiar and is highlighted in the report of the 2030 Reading Panel chaired by former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

I have spoken to a number of teachers and principals who have attributed pupils’ generally poor comprehension levels to a lack of parental support and the fact that many children come from single households.

I am a single mother, and I work extremely irregular hours and so I’ve been left wondering if I’ve set my child up for failure.

I can’t always be there for him and sometimes I’m too tired even when I’m home.

I’m not the only one whose child is struggling. A lot of my friends who are isiXhosa speakers, whose children attend former Model C schools, are in the same boat.

Recently, a Xhosa teacher told parents about the importance of exposing our children to our traditional customs because culture plays a huge part in the Xhosa language.

When they practise culture, they speak the language, internalise it and find meaning behind the words.

It was suggested that I introduce my son to Nal’ibali, (isiXhosa for “here’s the story”), the national reading campaign which has isiXhosa books catering for children up to the age of 12.

Though the books might be a bit elementary for someone who is proficient in English novels, I believe they would be highly beneficial — both for me and my son.

Then the day might come when I can actually help him with his isiXhosa assignments and to study for tests.

This special report into the state of literacy, a collaborative effort by The Herald, Sowetan and Daily Dispatch, was made possible by the Henry Nxumalo Foundation