The importance of home language to strengthen education’s role in transforming society, curriculum studies, and education history was highlighted at the second annual Khotso Nkhatho public lecture.
Dr Boitumelo Moreeng, head of department in the Faculty of Education at the University of the Free State (UFS), presented the lecture.
The Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State, hosted this lecture in honour of Nkhatho for his contribution to the conservation and development of the Sotho language.
In 2021 the institution bestowed an honorary doctorate in Communication and Language Practice on him.
“This annual lecture is very important and relevant, even more so this time,” said Moreeng.
“We are having this lecture just months after the release of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (Pirls) report that reveals South Africa came last among 57 countries in the Reading for Meaning test.
“What is our role then in higher institutions of education – the quality of our programmes and graduates? Responding to current and future challenges, universities for the present and future must be responsive to societal challenges.
“We keep producing teachers, but we keep getting reports about a myriad of education issues. We keep doing research to get personal ratings and recognition, but the system does not show improvement in quality of education.”
