[lg policy] South Africa: Compulsory African language policy for schools in 2017

Thu Jun 16 18:53:59 UTC 2016

Compulsory African language policy for schools in 2017
By Staff Writer <http://businesstech.co.za/news/author/staff-writer/>June
15, 201662 Comments
<http://businesstech.co.za/news/general/126997/compulsory-african-language-policy-for-schools-in-2017/#disqus_thread>
[image: Share on LinkedIn]
[image: Compulsory African language policy for schools in 2017]
449
shares
[image: mobile facebook] [image: mobile twitter]
<https://twitter.com/intent/tweet/?text=Compulsory+African+language+policy+for+schools+in+2017%20http://businesstech.co.za/news/general/126997/compulsory-african-language-policy-for-schools-in-2017/&via=businesstechSA>
[image:
mobile googleplus] [image: mobile email]
<?subject=Compulsory%20African%20language%20policy%20for%20schools%20in%202017&body=Gauteng%20schools%20will%20be%20spearheading%20a%20new%20language%20policy%20in%202017%20that%20will%20make%20it%20compulsory%20for%20all%20grade%201%20pupils%20to%20take%20an%20African%20language%20as%20a%20second%20additional%20language%20subject.%0A%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fbusinesstech.co.za%2Fnews%2Fgeneral%2F126997%2Fcompulsory-african-language-policy-for-schools-in-2017%2F>
<a href='
http://display.mybroadband.co.za/31/www/delivery/ck.php?n=ababad32&amp;cb=INSERT_RANDOM_NUMBER_HERE'
target='_blank'><img src='
http://display.mybroadband.co.za/31/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=617&amp;cb=INSERT_RANDOM_NUMBER_HERE&amp;n=ababad32'
border='0' alt='' /></a>

Gauteng schools will be spearheading a new language policy in 2017 that
will make it compulsory for all grade 1 pupils to take an African language
as a second additional language subject, according to a report by The New
Age <http://www.thenewage.co.za/new-language-policy-2017/>.

Afrikaans would still form part of the languages available, the report
said, but as there are now three language subjects, other African languages
beyond English and Afrikaans must be taken.

According to the Gauteng education department, the policy, called the
Incremental
Introduction of the African Languages
<http://www.education.gov.za/Portals/0/Documents/Reports/IIAL%20Policy%20September%202013.pdf?ver=2014-04-09-162048-000>
(IIAL), is still being finalised, but will ultimately help pupils in basic
education have a more positive attitude towards school.

In 2017, the policy will be trialed at 12 schools in Gauteng, where 16
teachers have been allocated. Once the trial is over, a budget will be made
available for a full roll-out, the New Age reported.

Under the IIAL, from grade 1 to grade 3, pupils will now have five
compulsory subjects:

   1. Home language
   2. First additional language
   3. Second additional language
   4. Mathematics
   5. Life skills

These subjects will be carried through to grade 12 (with Life Skills
becoming Life Orientation from grade 7, onwards).

In grades 1-9, learners must pass the third required official language at
first additional language level at achievement level 3 (40-49%).

In the FET Phase, the third required official language must be passed at
level 2 (30-39%) provided that the official language at home language level
has been passed at level 3 (40-49%), the department said.

It has been proposed that an additional 2 hours of instruction time per
week be added to pupils in grade 1 and 2 to make room for the new languages
– and additional 3 hours for grade 3.

For the intermediate and senior phases, an additional 5 hours per week
should be added, taking the average school day up from 5.5 hours a day to
6.5 hours a day.

One of the biggest criticisms and challenges faced by the second additional
language policy is the lack of skilled teachers available to take on all of
South Africa’s official languages.

Aside from localising classes (teaching the dominant additional language of
the area), the department also proposed two other solutions:

In a cosmopolitan area wherein all languages are found, schools may be
designated to offer specific languages. There would be dominant languages
side to side with minority languages.

In instances where there are very few learners for particular languages
scattered across a phase, the multi-grade model can be ideal. Learners from
different grades can be brought into one class and taught by one teacher.
More on language

*Dysfunctional education system is apartheid’s fault: Education MEC
<http://businesstech.co.za/news/lifestyle/125459/dysfunctional-education-system-is-apartheids-fault-education-mec/>*

*Stellenbosch University ordered to teach in Afrikaans
<http://businesstech.co.za/news/lifestyle/116402/stellenbosch-university-ordered-to-teach-in-afrikaans/>*

*These are the most spoken languages in South Africa
<http://businesstech.co.za/news/general/104497/the-most-spoken-languages-in-south-africa/>*

http://businesstech.co.za/news/general/126997/compulsory-african-language-policy-for-schools-in-2017/

-- 
**************************************
N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its
members
and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or
sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who
disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write
directly to the original sender of any offensive message.  A copy of this
may be forwarded to this list as well.  (H. Schiffman, Moderator)

For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to
https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/
listinfo/lgpolicy-list
*******************************************
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lgpolicy-list/attachments/20160616/92aa7959/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
_______________________________________________
This message came to you by way of the lgpolicy-list mailing list
lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu
To manage your subscription unsubscribe, or arrange digest format: https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/lgpolicy-list