[lg policy] South Africa: Dainfern College Language Policy

[Harold Schiffman]

Dainfern College Language Policy   	
Introduction:

Dainfern College is a complex school comprising both a Preparatory
School and a High School. Situated as it is on the outskirts of
Dainfern Estate inj northern Johannesburg where a number of immigrant
families buy homes, it has a comparatively large ex-pat community.
Nevertheless, Dainfern College remains a South African school and is
bound by the South African Schools Act, which requires it to offer
specific South African languages in its curriculum.

There are international schools in the area that cater specifically
for the needs of immigrant pupils, to which we sometimes refer
applicants as it is not affordable for a school like Dainfern College
to meet the offer required by certain immigrant families, nor is it
our market niche.

Language Offer:

In accordance with the Schools Act, all schools have to offer three
South African languages in their curriculum. South African learners
need to pursue at least TWO of these to school-leaving level in order
to meet the national school-leaving requirements.

At Dainfern College, English is the first language, as it is the
language of instruction. The two additional South African languages on
offer, chosen from the list of eleven official languages, are
Afrikaans and isiZulu.

Pupils start learning both Afrikaans and isiZulu in the Junior
Preparatory phase. From Grade 6 pupils are only expected to study one
additional language and therefore will choose between Afrikaans and
isiZulu at the end of their Grade 5 year.

Immigrant Status:

A learner is classified as an immigrant if:

· S/he comes from a school outside of South Africa and joins the South
African schooling system in Grade 7 or thereafter;

· S/he has been out of the country for a minimum period of two
continuous years; or

· S/he has attended a South African school but has not done any of the
additional languages for a period of two years.

NB: Learners who join Dainfern College in a grade below Grade 7 are
NOT afforded immigrant status. Up to Grade 5 level they will be
required to pass both Afrikaans and isiZulu in order to pass the year,
although initially they will follow an immigrant programme with
separate promotion requirements, depending on individual levels of
achievement. From the beginning of Grade 6, they have to choose either
Afrikaans or isiZulu.

For learners classified as immigrants the following applies:

· Legally, in the GET Phase (Grades 7, 8 and 9), all immigrant pupils
need to pursue either Afrikaans or isiZulu as an additional language
as part of the core subject offer for the phase. This means they have
to attend classes and undergo assessment in one or other of the
additional languages although they do not need to pass the subject to
attain promotion, and can give it up at the end of Grade 9.

· Subject choices for the FET Phase (Grades 10, 11 and 12) are made at
the end of Grade 9, and immigrant pupils are NOT required to pursue a
South African additional language for Matriculation exemption
purposes. They will need to take three compulsory subjects (English,
Life Orientation and Mathematics/Mathematical Literacy) and they may
choose four other subjects from the subject offer at the College.

We trust this gives you a better understanding of our policy. Should
you have any further queries, you are welcome to speak to one of our
Principals.

http://www.dainferncollege.co.za/the-college/dainfern-college-policies/602-dainfern-college-language-policy

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