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<h3 id="gmail-DailyNewsHeadline">Don't demonise Afrikaans</h3>
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Conrad Steenkamp |
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30 January 2018
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Conrad Steenkamp replies to Panyaza Lesufi's arguments against single-medium Afrikaans schooling
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<p><strong>We need a new consensus on mother tongue education</strong></p>
<p>In his campaign against Afrikaans medium schools, Mr Lesufi, the MEC for Education in Gauteng, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.za/2018/01/19/panyaza-lesufi-language-policies-a-crude-form-of-racism_a_23337830/">presents two arguments</a>
that warrant a response. The first is an argument against Afrikaans as a
racist enterprise, the second a call for multilingualism at schools.
Unfortunately, the first sets the tone of the discussion, to the
detriment of a meaningful engagement of the second.</p>
<p><span></span></p>
<p><b>Afrikaans and “racist identity”</b></p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">Mr Lesufi’s argument against single-medium
Afrikaans schools, begins with a surprisingly liberal argument about
individual rights. Racism, he argues, is based on the notion that one is
“a member of a collective” defined by “race, culture and even
language.” By this logic, schools like Hoërskool Overvaal and others
make themselves guilty of a racist form of identity by the mere fact of
wanting to use Afrikaans-medium instruction.</span><span></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">Having equated racism with identity based on,
among others, language, Mr Lesufi is further able to conclude that
“language policies” are “nothing more than crude forms of racism,” an
attempt to use language for the vilest of racist ends, namely racial
exclusion.</span><span></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">If the notion of language as representing racist
identity is the logic behind the language policy of the Gauteng
Department of Education, then it is unconstitutional. The Constitution
explicitly provides for the rights of “cultural, linguistic and
religious communities”. It even provides for a permanent commission to
protect and promote the rights of these “communities” (or “collectives”
using Mr Lesufi’s term). It also provides for single medium mother
tongue education.</span><span></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">In any event, South Africans across the board use
language, culture, traditions, religion or political philosophy, party,
and identification with the nation to fashion multiple, overlapping and
flexible identities. One can identify as an Afrikaner, Afrikaans, a
KhoiSan, a Zulu traditionalist, or a Presbyterian and simultaneously be a
proud ANC- or DA-voting South African. Demonising those who consider
language or culture a part of their identity literally makes no sense.</span><span></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">It also begs the question as to whether the logic
of “racist identity” would also apply to the tshiVenda school in
Mamelodi, or the isiZulu schools in rural KwaZulu-Natal? What about
mixed-race Afrikaans schools or black or largely white English-only
schools? Are stick-fights at traditional weddings racist by nature or
does the logic of “racist identity” apply only by virtue of the colour
of one’s skin?</span><span></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">There certainly is no place for racism in our
society and action should be taken where schools are misusing language
to achieve racist exclusion. However, one needs more than perceptions or
negative stereotypes to argue that this is indeed what is happening.
Generally, a language policy is not simply an expression of crude
racism, but about parents wanting to ensure that their children get
mother tongue education.</span><span></span></p>
<p><b>Multilingual pedagogies</b></p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">Mr Lesufi also argues in favour of multilingual,
multicultural and multiracial schools, ones that reflect the full
diversity of the country’s population. What this means in practice is
not spelled out, though it seems that he may have certain multilingual
teaching methods in mind. These generally use a “common language”, such
as English, alongside the several other languages understood by the
learners.</span><span></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">Such methods are being used experimentally in
various settings and show potential in multilingual classrooms, the norm
in many schools in urban Gauteng. It is also easy to understand why
they would appeal to a department that wants to integrate classes and
eradicate racial inequalities in education.</span><span></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">However, as with outcomes-based education, these
approaches will require a major upgrade of teacher skills and
capacities. Like outcomes-based education, they harbour great potential
for unintended consequences – like breaking mother tongue education.</span><span></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">Beware of good ideas. It is not easy to manage multilingualism in <strong>any</strong>
institution and the tendency for a strong international language like
English to overwhelm weaker local languages is well known.</span><span></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">Multilingual pedagogies may well be indispensable
in some settings. However, they are not the only method around and there
is no compelling reason to implement them immediately and in all
contexts. There is overwhelming evidence for the effectiveness of
traditional mother tongue education in producing multilingual citizens. </span><span></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">UNESCO explicitly rejects the notion that mother
tongue education is too expensive, that the former colonial languages
like English are superior to the indigenous ones, or that learning in
one’s mother tongue prevents one from learning other languages. They
strongly encourage African governments to embrace mother tongue
education up to the highest level.</span><span></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">We should also not confuse mother tongue education
with monolingualism, as has been done in this debate. Monolingualism is
much rather the consequence of an educational language policy that
favours English over all the indigenous languages. It is one of the
reasons why also so many black children are becoming monolingual English
speakers. The long-term consequences are immense.</span><span></span></p>
<p><b>In conclusion</b></p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">It is easy to understand why many people respond
negatively whenever Afrikaans is mentioned. We are wounded in many ways
and it will take more than just one generation to overcome the pain that
people feel.</span><span></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">Yet, the stereotypes that have been deployed in
the campaign against Afrikaans in Gauteng over the past year or so, do
an injustice to the language and its speakers.</span><span></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">Afrikaans was also a language of the struggle, as
MK veterans from Robben Island and many communities will testify. The
majority of Afrikaans schools are largely coloured. There are even some
black Afrikaans schools and hardly any Afrikaans schools are exclusively
white. Even Hoërskool Overvaal has black learners – happy ones judging
by the way that they have been defending the school.</span><span></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">Demonising Afrikaans schools with stereotypes,
crushing them with mass action and forcing them to accept English is
everything but progressive. It makes life more difficult for the ruling
party, especially in other provinces. Gauteng is not an island and it is
fitting that Minister Angie Motshekga spoke her mind on this matter.</span><span></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">Most speakers of Afrikaans by far reject racism.
They want to be part of South African society and part of the solution
for the many problems that we face. Please talk to us. Let us rather
take the discussion about schools and mother tongue education out of the
courts and the streets. Let us launch an inclusive effort to develop a
new consensus about language and education.</span><span></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">I call on Mr Lesufi to do all in his power to make this possible.</span></p></article>
<br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone: (215) 898-7475<br>Fax: (215) 573-2138 <br><br>Email: <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a> <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div>
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