What happened when a South African school switched from English to bilingual science tests
A case study in a Cape Town primary school shows that teaching science in both the students' home language and English leads to better academic outcomes. The research suggests that bilingual education models are effective and supported by parents.
Why it matters
This finding challenges traditional monolingual education policies in post-colonial contexts, offering a potential pathway to improve literacy and comprehension in multilingual societies.
Rufaro Makaya/Pexels What happened when a South African school switched from English to bilingual science tests Published: August 18, 2026 11:04am EDT https://theconversation.com/what-happened-when-a-south-african-school-switched-from-english-to-bilingual-science-tests-289528 https://theconversation.com/what-happened-when-a-south-african-school-switched-from-english-to-bilingual-science-tests-289528 Link copied Share article Share article
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South African no-fee primary schools use African languages as well as English for teaching and testing. Before 2025, children started learning in their home language in the first three years and then switched to English in Grade 4 (aged 10 and 11). Now, bilingual education is extending gradually into the upper primary grades.
South Africa’s public basic education system serves roughly 12.7 million learners . Eighty percent of these learn through a language that is not their home language.
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