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<h3 id="gmail-DailyNewsHeadline">NWU following in footsteps of UFS and UP – Pieter Groenewald</h3>
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Pieter Groenewald |
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13 March 2018
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FF Plus leader says leaked plan aims is to systematically phase out Afrikaans in courses
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<p><b>NWU following in the footsteps of UFS and UP concerning Afrikaans</b></p>
<p><span size="2"><i>12 March 2018</i></span></p>
<p><span size="2">The North West University (NWU) is following in the
footsteps of the University of the Free State (UFS) and the University
of Pretoria (UP) with regard to their language policy on Afrikaans. The
vice-chancellor Prof Dan Kgwadi is being hypocritical by trying to
reassure NWU alumni that the university’s language policy will remain
multilingual. That is exactly the same assurance that the UFS and the UP
gave their alumni.</span></p>
<p><span size="2">The modus operandi is clear: the language policy of
the NWU’s new statute, which was adopted in March 2017, provides that
the language policy “must be flexible and functional, and must redress
language imbalances of the past and promote multilingualism, access,
integration and a sense of belonging.”</span></p>
<p><span size="2">When it comes to the practical application of the
policy, it means that amended language policies will be implemented.
Documents that were leaked indicate that the plan is to systematically
phase out Afrikaans in courses and that a transition is intended, after
which no first-year-level classes will be presented in Afrikaans by the
year 2021. This is exactly the same route that Kovsies (UFS) and Tuks
(UP) followed.</span></p>
<p><span size="2">The so-called consultation process is no more than a
smokescreen, just like with the colours of the NWU. The greater majority
were opposed to the purple and in favour of the maroon, but then the
purple was simply implemented.</span></p>
<p><span size="2">Afrikaans-speaking students have a constitutional
right to receive their education in Afrikaans, but their right is being
violated and even ignored by the Constitutional Court, like in the case
of Kovsies. Keeping one out of the 38 university campuses in the country
predominantly Afrikaans certainly is not asking too much.</span></p>
<p><span size="2">Pres. Ramaphosa’s office has already indicated that he
is willing to meet with me to discuss the issue of land and then I will
also raise this issue of Afrikaans at the NWU.</span></p>
<p><span size="2"><i>Issued by Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus leader, 12 March 2018</i></span></p>
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<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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