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<h1 class="">Stellies 'unlikely' to change language policy next year</h1>
<span id="spnDate" class="">2015-11-16 15:20</span>
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<p class="">Genevieve Quintal, News24</p>
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<img id="image" title="Protesting Stellenbosch University students (Tammy Petersen, News24)" src="http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/765/c0bbd7b60cb94fd5b210f2312ae353fb.jpg" alt="Protesting Stellenbosch University students (Tammy Petersen, News24)">
<p class="">Protesting Stellenbosch University students (Tammy Petersen, News24)</p>
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<div class=""><h5 id="Relatedheader" class="">Related Links</h5></div>
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<p>Johannesburg - It is unlikely that the language of tuition at Stellenbosch University will be changed to English next year.</p><p>This
is after the university's executive committee said in a statement that
the language implementation plan for next year had already been
approved. It also said the minimum offering in each language would
remain in place.</p><p>"Any possible future changes in the language
policy/plan shall follow the statutory route," the executive committee
of the university's council said in a statement.</p><p>"This includes
wide consultation with all stakeholders with the resultant consolidated
document presented to the IF [Institutional Forum] and Senate (via
various faculty boards) for their respective inputs."</p><p>The final document would be presented to the council for discussion, alteration or ratification.</p><p>Last week the rector's management team submitted a proposal for the University of Stellenbosch's new <a href="http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/english-to-be-main-language-of-instruction-at-stellenbosch-university-20151113">language policy</a>.</p><p>It suggested that all learning at the institution be done in English.</p><p>The
university's Exco on Monday reiterated that the current management's
document represented a perspective that was based on "their experience
of events and consultation with student bodies".</p><p>It said it was a discussion document and not a policy statement.</p><p>There were mixed reactions to the proposal.</p><p>The Democratic Alliance said it had some concerns about the proposed language policy.</p><p>"The
change would see English made the primary language of instruction, and
this appears to be in contravention of the constitutional principle that
every person has the right to be taught in the official language of
their choice, where reasonably practicable," DA MP Belinda Bozzoli said
in a statement.</p><p>"The constitutional rights of Afrikaans-speaking
students, therefore, need to be upheld while those of other students of
different backgrounds are also met. That is what inclusiveness means in a
multicultural society."</p><p>The DA was also concerned about the
consultation process, claiming that it was narrow and may not have taken
all views into consideration.</p><p>Bozzoli said the party noted that
the SA Students Congress was consulted but the Democratic Alliance
Student organisation was not.</p><p>"Students and academic staff with a
wide variety of opinions surely need to be consulted, including many
whose views may not accord with those of any political party or
movement," she said.</p><p>The <a href="http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/stellenbosch-language-decision-anc-happy-ff-plus-not-20151115">African National Congress</a> welcomed the proposal while the Freedom Front Plus called it "short-sighted".</p><p>The office of the ANC Chief Whip said the proposed language policy change was a step in the right direction.</p><p>"It
is important to us that such a change is happening at Stellenbosch
University, which has for years been regarded as an enclave of white
Afrikaner nationalism where racial discrimination, exclusionary policies
and resistance to transformation [are the norm]."</p><p>FF Plus leader Pieter Mulder said Afrikaans was the majority language in the Western Cape where the university was based.</p><p>"Afrikaans'
6.8 million speakers is the third largest language in South Africa
after Zulu (11.5 million) and Xhosa (8.1 million)," he said. <br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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