<div dir="ltr"><h1>Revolt at Tuks over Afrikaans</h1><div class=""><span class=""><a href="http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng">news/south-africa/gauteng</a></span><span> / </span><div class=""><div class="">01 June 2016 at 11:26am</div></div></div><span class=""><i>By:</i><span> </span><b>Virgilatte Gwangwa</b></span><p>Pretoria
- Afrikaans speakers at the University of Pretoria will be protected at
all costs. So vowed AfriForum Youth, as Tuks mulled over the adoption
of English as the official language for lectures, tutorials and
assessments.</p><p>The civil rights organisation on Tuesday declared it
would go to any lengths, including approaching the Constitutional Court,
to protect the rights of Afrikaans students at the university.</p><p>AfriForum blasted the university and accused it of being obsessed with English instead of promoting other official languages.</p><p>Spokesman
Henrico Barnard said the adoption of English as the medium of
instruction would not only exclude Afrikaans-speaking students, but
result in huge financial implications.</p><p>“The Afrikaans community
contributes approximately R1.1 billion to the coffers of the
university,” Barnard said. The state only contributed about R678
million, he said.</p><p>The possible adoption of the proposed language
policy recommended by the transformation lekgotla last weekend would
lead to academic impoverishment, he added.</p><p>“The cost of losing
non-English-speaking students and donors, and courses that students
would fail or discontinue because of language problems, will cripple the
institution,” Barnard said.</p><p>AfriForum walked out of the lekgotla
that adopted the proposal that English be the only medium of instruction
for lectures, tutorials and assessments.</p><p>The university had
brought together different student movements to discuss, among others
issues, the Tuks language policy. Submissions were made and the
English-only policy proposal adopted. AfriForum representatives,
however, staged a walk-out.</p><p>“We walked out of the lekgotla after
being repeatedly denied the right to voice our opinion on the issues
raised,” AfriForum youth leader Marthinus Jacobs said. “All attempts
from our side to participate in the lekgotla constructively were
negated.”</p><p>But SRC head Thabo Shigange begged to differ and said
AfriForum leaders stayed on until the proposal was made - at that moment
they walked out. “We objected after an agreement had already been
reached on the proposed policy.”</p><p>Shigange said AfriForum had been
given the chance to voice its opinion. “The fact that AfriForum objected
indicates that it did indeed get a chance to say something.”</p><p>However,
Jacobs accused the institution of short-sightedness in its obsession
with English. It should rather promote the expansion of all official
languages, such as Sepedi, as a language of tuition, he said.</p><p>“We
condemn and disregard the proposed policy as it takes away students'
constitutional right to be taught in their mother tongue.”</p><p>Jacobs
said AfriForum would prepare its own presentation on the language policy
and submit it to the independent transformation panel of the university
council, since it could not do so during the lekgotla.</p><p>The panel was set up to advise on transformation, including language policy and institutional culture.</p><p>Alana
Bailey, deputy head of AfriForum, said Tuks, like other universities,
seemed to succumb to ideological pressure and anarchist threats of
violence. This was not what an institution that highly regarded academic
freedom and excellence should do, she said.</p><p>University
spokeswoman Anna-Retha Bouwer confirmed that AfriForum could still make
its submission after missing the opportunity at the lekgotla.</p><p>Bouwer
said all registered students and movements, such as the EFF Student
Command, DA Students Organisation and AfriForum Youth, had been invited
to make submissions to the panel.</p><p>“It is too soon to discuss any group of students being disadvantaged by the adoption of the policy.</p><p>“The
implementation of the policy will still be debated. A consultation
process is ongoing and various considerations and transitional
strategies are being taken into account,” she added.</p><p>The recommendation adopted by the lekgotla has to be passed by the Senate on June 2 before a council sitting of June 30.</p><p>But
AfriForum said it would not take the policy’s progression lying down.
“If it gets adopted and made official we will institute legal action,”
said Jacobs.</p><p>“We are willing to escalate the case of every
citizen’s constitutional right to mother tongue education to the highest
court in South Africa.”</p><p><a href="mailto:virgilatte.gwangwa@inl.com">virgilatte.gwangwa@inl.com</a></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><a href="http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng/revolt-at-tuks-over-afrikaans-2029058">http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng/revolt-at-tuks-over-afrikaans-2029058</a><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="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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