[lg policy] South Africa: Cash woes stall language project

[Harold Schiffman]

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  Cash woes stall language project

February 25 2014 at 01:04pm


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Related Stories

   - African languages pilot project
defended<http://www.iol.co.za:80/capetimes/african-languages-pilot-project-defended-1.1652381>

Durban -

Schools in KwaZulu-Natal where Grade 1 pupils were meant to be learning a
third, African language this year have confirmed that they are still
waiting for teachers and workbooks to arrive.

They have cited the provincial Education Department's perpetual cash woes
as the reason for the delay.

The schools were meant to start offering Zulu lessons three weeks ago as
part of a pilot project, but the Basic Education Department's much-vaunted
African language policy has yet to get off the ground in the 15 pilot
schools in Chatsworth, Phoenix and Pietermaritzburg.

Both the national and provincial education departments have, however,
downplayed the problems in the face of fierce criticism from teachers'
unions.

The National Professional Teachers' Organisation of SA said yesterday that
while it embraced and supported the intention of the policy, the delays in
getting the pilot project off the ground were a consequence of the "undue
haste" in implementing it.

The National Teachers Union branded the pilot project a "failure", and the
SA Democratic Teachers Union argued that the national department's poor
planning was indicative of it not taking indigenous languages seriously.

But Basic Education Department spokesman Elijah Mahlangu said the
department was not perturbed because the purpose of a pilot phase was to
identify the pitfalls.

Mahlangu said the teaching of a third, African language was proceeding
smoothly in the 41 pilot schools in Mpumalanga, 97 pilot schools in the
Eastern Cape, 10 in the North West and 12 in Gauteng.

Mahlangu said that Free State and KZN had not been able to implement the
pilot as initially planned because of budget constraints.

Last November, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga published the
much-talked-about draft policy for public comment in the Government
Gazette. The document stated that she would have to appeal to the National
Treasury for more money to be able to fund the salaries of extra teachers,
and for textbooks, workbooks and readers in each of the languages.

Next year's Grade 1 class will be the first to have its school day
lengthened, to make space for a second, but first additional language. Its
timetable would then include the teaching of a home language, two first
additional languages, maths and life skills.

As The Mercury reported in May, the policy aims to foster multilingualism
and promote social cohesion, and Afrikaans has been included on the list of
African languages.

KZN Education Department spokesman Muzi Mahlambi said the department ought
to be "commended" for opting to pilot the policy before the full-scale
implementation next year.

"When a project is piloted it seeks to check the readiness of
implementation in terms of the ground personnel (officials and teachers),
engagement and buy-in of the stakeholders and the public opinion. The
challenges and comments that have been experienced thus far can only help
us to improve the pilot project and sharpen our implementation in the near
future," Mahlambi said. - The Mercury

http://www.iol.co.za/mercury/cash-woes-stall-language-project-1.1652479#.Uw4UeoXh3qU


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