[lg policy] South Africa: Boost for indigenous languages

[Harold Schiffman]

Boost for indigenous languages
Oct 8, 2012 | Msindisi Fengu | 10 comments
THE BHISHO administration in Eastern Cape is in the process of pushing
through legislation that will allow parents to challenge former Model
C schools to accept indigenous languages.


A white paper is being drafted to formulate a bill to be sent out for
public comment. If passed, the bill will mean that former Model C
schools will have to accept languages such as isiXhosa or any other
indigenous language if a parent takes the school governing bodyto
court. The provincial government plans to have the bill ready by the
end of the current financial year. This was revealed by a senior
official in the department of sports, recreation, arts and culture
(Dsrac).

Government authorities said at the Eastern Cape education department
language and mathematics indaba last Thursday that some former Model C
schools in the province were resistant to allow isiXhosa as a first
additional language.Education MEC Mandla Makupula said senior
officials in his department fear to intervene into language policy
matters at former Model C schools. Dsrac assistant manager in the
language section, Mcoseleli Dukisa, said: "The Language Act is being
formed ... and a white paper is planned to be in place at least by the
end of the year and then a bill can be sent out for public comment."

He said those Model C schools that resisted compliance with the act
would be prosecuted.Dukisa said there was no such legislation in the
province at the moment. He said this meant that there was no piece of
legislation to support Ayanda Duma's case other than the South African
Schools' Act.

Duma, a mother of two, took Gonubie Primary School to court over a
language policy dispute.Duma went to court to force the school to make
isiXhosa a first additional language. Pan South African Language Board
provincial senior language practitioner Lukhanyo Sigonyela confirmed
that the province was lagging behind in forming the legislation. The
Western Cape is the only province having passed the act.

Sigonyela said parents were being forced by principals, even at rural
schools, to accept English as the home language or language of
instruction. "Principals, who are middle-class and have their children
studying at former Model C schools, are elevating the use of English
at rural schools to the detriment of children." Eastern Cape education
department language policy manager Naledi Mbudeshale said the act had
nothing to do with the department, "but would allow parents to
challenge schools".

http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2012/10/08/boost-for-indigenous-languages

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