- Target:
- Department of Education / RSA Government
- Region:
- South Africa
16 June 1976 marked a dawn of an era where the attestation of languages, particularly Afrikaans in schools, was laid down. 36 years later we, black South Africans, find ourselves in the very same position - a position that still disadvantages the black majority of this country by positioning English and Afrikaans as the dominant languages in the national school curriculum.
As reported by the Sunday Times (22/01/2012 - "Xhosa, Zulu being axed at state schools") state schools are "scrapping" African languages and forcing pupils to study Afrikaans as their alternate second language. Particularly in the Western Cape province.
This cannot go unchallenged and necessitates resistance as well as a call to rally behind African languages in schools.
We, the undersigned, call on South Africa's Department of Education and ANC-led Government to launch a full probe on the removal of African languages in state schools.
We further call on department officials, civil and political organisations, society in general, teachers and their respective unions to call for the removal of Afrikaans as a mandatory second language choice in schools. Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Venda or Tsonga should, at the least, be the mandatory second language options for learners over and above Afrikaans.
In other words the second language school option should be selected from the aforementioned list of African languages first, with Afrikaans being the very last option, if at all offered.
Of further discontent is that the majority of the African languages listed herein are not offered nor used in teaching at both school and tertiary education level. In a country where the majority is black.
An undertaking by the department, together with government as a whole, into this matter needs serious consideration and redress.
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The Bring Back Xhosa and Zulu in Schools petition to Department of Education / RSA Government was written by Unathi Kondile and is in the category Education at GoPetition.