[lg policy] South Africa: New African language policy mooted

[Harold Schiffman]

New African language policy mooted
2010-04-22 22:33




Cape Town - Universities should consider making the study of an
African language other than Afrikaans compulsory for certain courses,
Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande said on Thursday. In some
universities, African language departments had become weaker over the
years, and strengthening them should be a "central strategy", he said
in a speech at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. "I'd like
to suggest that universities and professional bodies such as those
representing teachers, doctors and lawyers consider making some study
(perhaps for a year) of an official African language other than
English and Afrikaans compulsory in order to obtain a qualification,"
he said.
"This would not be a first for this country; it was used successfully
in the past to promote Afrikaans among non-Afrikaans speakers." This
would be beneficial to all students, help strengthen African language
departments, and raise the status of African languages, the minister
said.

Rising age of academics

Nzimande, who was speaking at a summit on transformation in higher
education, said an issue that had concerned the sector for over a
decade was the rising average age of academics and the need to sustain
the academic profession. "Despite this concern, we have not made a
great deal of progress," he said. "The average age of South African
academics is over 50 and is not getting any younger..."It is important
that we identify all the reasons for this situation and that we draw
up a comprehensive, medium- to long-term national plan to deal with
it."

Academic council

This would involve persuading larger numbers of young graduates to go
on to post-graduate studies and to take up an academic career. It
would also mean ensuring acceptable salaries and working conditions.
"This will not be easy to do and, I must confess, the job would be
made a lot easier if academics were a better organised constituency
and able to speak more forcefully for themselves."  Nzimande said he
intended to set up a permanent higher education stakeholder council
which would meet once or twice a year. Its purpose would be to
"interrogate various issues" and to keep him informed of the thinking
of major stakeholders in the sector.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/New-African-language-policy-mooted-20100422
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