/ 17 May 2005

Language issue hijacks education debate

Jeers and cries of disbelief greeted a remark by Minister of Education Naledi Pandor in the National Assembly on Tuesday that the government is not against any language in South Africa. Pandor told MPs the time has come to ''make the learning of an African indigenous language compulsory in our schools''.

Jeers and cries of disbelief greeted a remark by Minister of Education Naledi Pandor in the National Assembly on Tuesday that the government is not against any language in South Africa.

Cries of ”Except Afrikaans” and ”I don’t believe it”, among others, were heard from opposition benches, prompting presiding chairperson Geoff Doidge to call for order and an end to what he called disruptive ”continuous interjections”.

Pandor, opening debate in the House on her department’s Budget vote, told MPs the time has come to ”make the learning of an African indigenous language compulsory in our schools”.

”This approach confirms that the government is not against any language in our country. All languages must be promoted and allowed to thrive.

”There is no campaign against single-medium Afrikaans schools. There is no anti-Afrikaans campaign.

”There is a campaign to ensure that all our children have school places,” she said, to loud applause from African National Congress MPs.

Compulsory language

Earlier, Pandor referred to a front-page report in the Sunday Times, which stated English as a subject will soon no longer be a compulsory language in South African schools.

A proposed new education system will make English and Afrikaans optional, and offer pupils the choice of studying any two of the country’s official languages, it stated.

Pandor said the report suggested children will no longer be able to learn English.

”That is not the intention of the policy. It opens up the possibility of developing the other official languages into languages of teaching and learning.

”In the past, before 1998, pupils were locked into a system that privileged Afrikaans and English for those in search of a matric endorsement.

”That will now no longer be the case, and all languages will now be equally available as subject choices,” she said to applause from government benches.

On the introduction of a new curriculum in South African public schools, she said this will start next year in a ”phased” manner.

”The inadequate levels of preparedness that were identified in [a recent] readiness review have led us to develop detailed plans and actions that allow for a smooth transition to the new curriculum.”

Draft requirements of a new further education training (FET) policy — which will affect university entrance requirements — will be published for comment within ”the next few weeks”.

”We will also develop and communicate detailed assessment requirements for each subject in grades 10, 11 and 12,” Pandor said.

‘No-fee schools’

On school fees, she said ”no-fee schools” will come into existence next year.

”The marginalisation of poor learners in schools because of their parents’ inability to pay school fees will come to an end,” she declared.

Fee exemptions will continue to be provided in fee-based public schools.

Pandor singled out for criticism certain school governing bodies that ”have made public schools their personal property”.

Acknowledging that the majority of the 200 000 individuals who serve on these bodies perform a dedicated service, she warned of those who ”sadly … ruin the good work”.

Referring to school governing bodies and language, she said some of these bodies ”tend to be very selective in opening the door to some and keeping it closed to others”.

Returning later to her language theme, Pandor said language in education cannot be seen solely as being about English or Afrikaans. However, this should not be read as an intention to neglect the relevance of acquiring competence in English.

”Our endeavour must be to ensure that the future history of indigenous languages, those spoken by the majority of black people in South Africa … move from the margins into the centre stage of education,” she said. — Sapa