[lg policy] South Africa: New language policy on the cards for schools

[Harold Schiffman]

 New language policy on the cards for schools
  South Africa
Tuesday 21 May 2013 - 9:54 AM

<http://dm62zza9c93u.cloudfront.net/styles/overlay_image_1280_or_1024/s3/00022891.jpg?itok=w_Z55zkq>
 The Basic Education Department says primary school children in government
schools will have to learn an indigenous African language from next year.
Picture: eNCA
    As of next year, Grade-R and Grade-1 pupils at public schools will HAVE
to learn an African language. Currently, some schools offer indigenous
languages - but it's not compulsory. eNCA

JOHANNESBURG - The Basic Education Department is implementing a programme
where primary school children in government schools will have to learn an
indigenous African language.

The department said it is ready to implement the policy from next year
following public consultation and will begin with Grade R and Grade 1
pupils.

This means pupils who only speak English and Afrikaans will have to learn
to speak an African language.

According to department spokesman Panyaza Lisufi, they started planning the
programme three years ago.

“Social cohesion is the reason we have started the programme. You can’t
have South Africans having a translator between them when speaking," said
Lisufi.

"It is for unity in our country.”

Last week, the University of KZN announced that all first-year students
will have to study isiZulu as part of their degrees.
Despite concerns from educational experts, the department insists
implementation won’t be a problem as there are enough African-language
teachers.

"Parents will choose which language to take in the school -- in KZN it
could be isiZulu and in the Eastern Cape isiXhosa," said Lisufi.

"However, Gauteng would have more difficulty as there are many languages
and that is where intervention by parents comes in."
-eNCA

http://www.enca.com/south-africa/indigenous-african-languages-sa-schools


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