Stellenbosch

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Stellenbosch's language policy under fire again
September 21, 2005, 12:45


The University of Stellenbosch's language policy is under fire again.
Earlier this year the ANC youth league on the campus criticised the
university's predominant use of Afrikaans, saying it is used to exclude
non-Afrikaans speaking students. Now Afrikaans academics are criticising
the institution for implementing its language policy following a decision
by the faculty of Arts to teach in both Afrikaans and English on an equal
basis. The Arts faculty has been applying this policy to its first and
second year curricula, but now it' been expanded to the third year.

Herman Giliomee, a political commentator, says the dual medium policy
introduced at the University of Pretoria 10 years ago led to the demise of
Afrikaans as a tuition language in its Arts Faculty. He fears it will also
happen at Stellenbosch. The University of Stellenbosch says their language
policy was created to promote Afrikaans as a tuition language within a
multilingual context. Hennie Kotz, the Dean in the faculty of arts, says
in this instance they have a 50% division which is 50% Afrikaans and 50%
English and all the class notes are bilingual and students can answer
their tests in either Afrikaans or English. The student's representatives'
council says the implementation of the policy in the faculty has worked
well thus far. It says it will act if Afrikaans is sidelined as a tuition
language.


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