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<h1>English gets the nod from Maties Senate</h1>
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November 28 2015 at 11:52am <br>
By Weekend Argus Reporter
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<img src="http://www.iol.co.za/polopoly_fs/copy-of-ca-p6-main-open-stellenbosch-done-1.1906671%21/image/478966201.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300/478966201.jpg" alt="Copy of ca p6 MAIN Open Stellenbosch done" title="" class="">
<span class="">INDEPENDENT MEDIA</span>
<span class="">Open Stellenbosch members stage a march at Stellenbosch University. File photo: David Ritchie</span>
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<p>Cape Town - The majority of Stellenbosch University’s Senate members
on Friday approved plans to have classes taught in English next year at
the traditionally Afrikaans language educational institution. </p>
<p>The university’s Student Representative Council said in a statement that it was “pleased” at this decision. </p>
<p>The SRC said “Senate has approved the recommendations made by the rector’s management team on November 12”. </p>
<p>“This motion by the Senate clearly solidifies campus support for inclusivity,” </p>
<p>They also called on the university council “to see this stance by
Senate as a convincing factor in their decisions regarding the future of
language policy at SU”. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>If Stellenbosch University’s language policy proposals are approved,
students will be able to study in English and Afrikaans next year. </p>
<p>This follows a months-long campaign by the Open Stellenbosch movement which has campaigned for access to education in English. </p>
<p>Open Stellenbosch has argued that offering the majority of the
university’s classes in Afrikaans and not other languages meant that
access to education had been limited. </p>
<p>In response, the university announced recently that it wanted English
as the primary teaching and communication language from as early as
January. </p>
<p>The university’s changed language policy awaits approval by its Council at the end of this month. </p>
<p>If passed, English would become the lingua franca of meetings at
residences as well as of administration, including meetings, official
documents and services at reception desks. </p>
<p>Afrikaans advocacy groups like AfriForum and the FW de Klerk Foundation have expressed dismay at the language shift. <br></p><p><a href="http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/english-gets-the-nod-from-maties-senate-1.1952053#.VlnNhOKU2-c">http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/english-gets-the-nod-from-maties-senate-1.1952053#.VlnNhOKU2-c</a><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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