This language issue, coupled with other issues like HIV/AIDS, poor support from home, low socio-economic circumstances, etc, has massive consequences for the youth of South Africa in the yearly decrease in the matric pass rate. The state is thus acting unconstitutionally in not providing such material as, according to Section 6(2) of the Constitution it is supposed to вЂtake practical and positive measures to elevate the status and advance the use of вЂ™ and also вЂEveryone has the right to receive education in the official language or languages of their choice in public educational institutions where that education is reasonably practicableвЂ™ (Section 29(2) of the Constitution). Thus, even if parents want home language education for their children, it is available neither in the curriculum material, nor as a language to take matric examinations in. Following the negative connotations of mother-tongue education in Bantu Education, the enormous costs and time needed to translate the syllabuses and develop the African languages to academic standards and lastly, the pressure to change the education system as soon as possible, it was inevitable that English as a language of learning and teaching would be utilised as a quick and cost-effective solution. Equal education needed to be given to all in the new democratic country. One of the first things that had to change after 1994 was the education policy. A more recent study done by the Pan South African Language Bureau (PANSALB) in 2000 shows that only 7,6% of parents thought вЂit is more important that learners learn in English than in other languagesвЂ™.

On the contrary, as early as 1993 studies showed that only 22% of African parents wanted their children to receive their education through English (Heugh, 2000:16). According to Heugh (2000:20) there is, however, вЂno scientific evidence to support the myth that the majority of parents want straight for only EnglishвЂ™ education.

This has been one of the main arguments against home-language education in South Africa. It is not surprising that many parents want to give their children a better chance by throwing them in at the deep end and wanting them to learn English in such a drastic way in school by having their whole education through English, especially if the child is not in an environment laden with English stimuli. Teaching English to African-language speakers, who form the biggest percentage of the lowest economic class, would thus be an important tool for economic growth.

In this case, English is the language of economic activities, parliament, tertiary education, science and technology (The English Academy, 2009:1) it has become the language of status and economic power. But is it really to the childвЂ™s advantage in the longer term? Does a fluency in English measure up to scientifically proven better cognitive development through home-language education?ДЇor many people in South Africa, English has become the language that is used for the public impersonal domain, which can be seen as both a вЂconcrete settingвЂ™ and вЂthe general activity conventionally associated with the settingвЂ™ (Jeffery and Meshtrie, 2010:4).

Having oneвЂ™s education in English will definitely give a learner ample time to become fluent in English. It follows that a solid knowledge of English opens definite social and economic doors for South African learners. In a diverse country with 11 official languages, English acts as an important lingua franca in commerce both within the country as well as in international contacts. PGCE student, Stellenbosch University(2010)ДЄccording to the 2001 Census (Statistics South Africa, 2001:5), English is the home language of only 8,2% of South Africans.

Translation south african to english