Tackling language policy could make all the difference in improving pupils’ performance and producing the skilled labour that our country needs, as pupils perform better when they understand instruction because it’s taught in their home language.

Pupils who have access to physical educational resources, such as books and computers at home, tend to perform better in science than those who don’t.

This has been proved by a great deal of international research.

It’s true in South Africa, too, but our research has found that less tangible factors also play a role in pupils’ science achievement.

These factors include parental education levels, parental involvement in homework – and, crucially, home language.

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