MTBBE - What is bi/multilingual education?

MTbBE focuses on language use, decoloniality and translanguaging perspectives using the Home Language of learners as resources. It’s an overarching framework that English and Afrikaans learners use from ECD to Higher Education, giving them an advantage over African language learners.  MTbBE is an equalizer for all children in the system. 

It is not a focus on one language; it is an intentional focus on using the language resources that children bring from home to school as a basis to learn, while learning other languages. This is the distinct difference between Mother Tongue Education and Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education. The aim is bilingualism. Mother Tongue education is not a silver bullet, it is not a magic nor automatic. For MTbBE to succeed, it needs deliberate, conscious and consistent support.