<div dir="ltr"><h2>Open Stellenbosch students set sights on language policy</h2>
<div class="">by <a href="http://www.bdlive.co.za/opinion/staffprofiles/2012/08/02/bekezela-phakathi-profile">Bekezela Phakathi</a>, 05 April 2016, 05:57</div>
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<img src="http://www.bdlive.co.za/incoming/2015/09/02/stellenbosch-september-1-2015/ALTERNATES/crop_400x250/Stellenbosch+September+1++2015" alt="Students hold placards at a protest against alleged racism on campus brought to light by a documentary, Luister (Listen), in Stellenbosch on Tuesday. Picture: AFP PHOTO/RODGER BOSCH " height="250px" width="400px">
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PROTEST: Stellenbosch students march last year against
language policy and racial inequality at the university. Picture: AFP
PHOTO/RODGER BOSCH </div>
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<div class=""><p>STUDENT activist group Open Stellenbosch is
to approach the Equality Court to challenge the University of
Stellenbosch’s "discriminatory" language policy.</p><p>On Monday Open
Stellenbosch spokesman Majaletje Mathura said: "The university has
regressed and things are worse now following the granting of the
AfriForum interdict (by the Western Cape High Court).</p><p>"The
majority of students are having to attend extra classes, which is a
major inconvenience.… We are left with no choice but to approach the
Equality Court to challenge the language policy, which discriminates
against most students and academics."</p><p>The university, which aims
to increase its black, coloured and Indian student numbers to more than
15,000 in the next five years, has a student body of 30,000 — 62% of
whom are white, 18% coloured, 17% black and 3% Indian, according to this
year’s preliminary figures.</p><p>The institution uses both English and
Afrikaans as mediums of instruction at undergraduate level, while
English is the main language of instruction at postgraduate level.</p><p>Critics
charge the language policy, which was the subject of an AfriForum Youth
court battle with the university last month, is vague. They cite as
problematic the fact that it states "Afrikaans and English are applied
in various usage configurations", while "parallel-medium teaching and
real-time educational interpretation are used as preferred options where
practically feasible and affordable".</p><p>Open Stellenbosch says the
policy neglects those who cannot understand Afrikaans because the
quality of the university’s interpretation services is poor.</p><p>Mr Mathura said proposed new language guidelines, which were opened to comment last month, were little changed.</p><p>"It
(the proposed policy) seeks to maintain Afrikaans as a medium of
instruction, but the key principle — which most university stakeholders
agree on — is that English should be the primary medium, with extensive
support for Afrikaans and isiXhosa," he told Business Day.</p><p>The
high court granted AfriForum Youth an interdict last month, ordering the
institution to implement its interim language policy that accords
parity to Afrikaans and English.</p><p>Last month, university management said a push to give English and Afrikaans equal status had added pressure on academic staff.</p><p>Johan
Hattingh, the university’s dean of arts and social sciences, said
Stellenbosch wanted to be "100%" accessible to students not academically
literate in Afrikaans and all module content covered in lectures would
also be available in English.</p><p>"Most departments will return to the
conventional T-modules, with the proviso that this will be implemented
with the utmost circumspection to ensure that no student is excluded on
the basis of language of tuition," said Prof Hattingh in a communiqué to
students.</p><p><a href="http://www.bdlive.co.za/national/education/2016/04/05/open-stellenbosch-students-set-sights-on-language-policy">http://www.bdlive.co.za/national/education/2016/04/05/open-stellenbosch-students-set-sights-on-language-policy</a><br></p></div><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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