Research 

LitNet Akademies 11(3):372-401 

South Africa, like many other countries in the world, is experiencing a short supply of teachers in the quest to provide quality education to all. Early childhood education (ECE) is affected more severely by this; and it is generally recognised that there is a serious shortage of well-trained, qualified teachers at this level, especially black teachers. A survey of the provision of teachers in the foundation phase has indicated that the training of these teachers by higher education institutions does not come anywhere near meeting provincial and national needs. This can in part be ascribed to how training of black teachers took place during the apartheid era, where they needed only standard 8 (current grade 10) and then a further two-year course to obtain a Lower Primary Certificate to enter the education system. The training of African language-speaking foundation phase teachers is consequently particularly problematic, especially when mother-tongue instruction in the context of early childhood education is considered.