When I think back to my earliest years of schooling, I remember not only the classroom, but the feeling of those lessons. The excitement of recognising my name in print for the very first time. The pride of solving a maths problem about counting oranges at the local shop or market, something I had seen many times in my own community. The comfort of hearing a teacher explain an idea in the language I spoke at home, which in my case was English, words that made learning feel natural and possible. Those moments were more than lessons, they were signposts. They built my confidence, showed me that education was meant for me, and laid a foundation that would guide my choices, my opportunities, and ultimately my future.
Now picture a child sitting in the same classroom, opening a book that carries no trace of their home language, or working through examples that feel far removed from the life they know. For that child, every lesson feels like building on sand. We know that when the ground beneath is unsteady, it would be no surprise when the walls above start crumbling.
In South Africa, these foundational years are both powerful and delicate. They are the years that shape everything that follows. Teachers have long understood what research continues to confirm: the first steps of schooling are not small at all. They set the rhythm for confidence, spark curiosity, and nurture the resilience learners need to keep trying when learning becomes difficult. Recent PIRLS results remind us of the urgency: 81% of South African Grade 4 children cannot read for meaning, placing us among the lowest-performing countries globally. This is not just a statistic; it is a warning that the foundation is failing too many children.
This is why inclusive, and relevant education cannot be seen as optional. It is the difference between a child who grows with confidence and a child who fades into the margins.
At Maskew Miller Learning, we know this from experience. For more than a century, our purpose has been to create resources that do more than teach; they connect, they reflect, they belong. That means stories in isiXhosa, Sepedi, isiZulu, and other home languages that children can take home and read with pride. It means Coding and Robotics problems set in the everyday realities of townships and rural villages, not only in the settings of suburbs and shopping malls. It means recognising every language and culture in South Africa as part of the curriculum, woven in from the start, never treated as an afterthought.
The impact is clear. When children recognise themselves in their learning, they don’t just grasp the content more deeply, they begin to believe differently. They believe that education belongs to them. They believe they have their rightful place in the classroom. They believe they are capable of success. International research echoes this: UNESCO notes that children taught in their mother tongue during the foundation years learn faster, stay in school longer, and perform better across all subjects.
This journey has not been easy. South Africa is still one of the most unequal countries in the world, and our schools reflect that reality every day. But inclusivity is one of the strongest tools we have to close the gap. Every child, no matter where they are born or which language they speak, deserves learning materials that connect with their lives and help them grow.
Take a simple maths exercise. A learner may open a textbook and see a problem about a cable car on Table Mountain. For some, this is familiar, but for many it is distant and hard to picture. The maths becomes more difficult, not because they cannot do it, but because they cannot imagine it. Now imagine the same exercise using examples most learners know such as a bus travelling on a route, or water poured into buckets. The maths is the same, but the meaning becomes clear to everyone. This is the power of inclusive, relevant education.
At Maskew Miller Learning, we have witnessed this truth time and again: children learn best when they see themselves in their lessons. For over a century, we have created materials that reflect South Africa’s many languages, cultures, and lived experiences. Today, we carry that same commitment into the digital age, building tools that make learning more accessible, more personal, and more relevant.
The foundation years are the turning point. They are where inequality is either reinforced or dismantled. When inclusivity sits at the centre, in policy, in classrooms, and in homes, we give children more than lessons. We give them confidence. We give them belonging. We give them the chance to thrive.
At the heart of it all are our children’s voices, their confidence, their futures. When they receive learning that reflects who they are and opens doors to who they can become, they gain more than education. They gain dignity, hope, and the tools to shape a better tomorrow.
That is why at Maskew Miller Learning we remain committed to this work, with care, purpose, and in partnership. Because when every child feels seen and supported, South Africa’s story begins to change, and that change starts in the foundation years.
