The following item from the South African paper, , was seen via a recent Google alert.
Language freedom in schools on cards http://www.theherald.co.za/herald/news/n13_01012009.htm Dineo Matomela EDUCATION REPORTER THE statutory body responsible for protecting language rights wants teachers and school governing bodies to stop compromising the freedom of pupils to choose their language of tuition. Pan South African Languages Board (Pansalb) chief executive officer Ntombenhle Nkosi said almost 14 years into the new dispensation, teachers and SGB members at the majority of former Model C schools were imposing English as a first language. "The language and education policies allow for a child to choose a home, first additional and second additional languages of their choice. "However, schools impose languages on pupils. For example, at an English school, pupils are forced to choose English as a first language, Afrikaans as a first additional language and their mother tongue as a second additional language." She said the decision by the teachers and SGB members to compromise the use of mother tongues had a knock-on effect at tertiary institutions. "This has resulted in a poor standard of language use by students at universities." Nkosi won a court battle when the Durban equality court ruled as unfair discrimination the failure by Durban High School to offer proper Zulu lessons to its Zulu-speaking pupils in September. Nkosi, whose son was a pupil at the school, said she wanted all schools to pull up their socks. She added that Pansalb would engage higher education institutions on the language of teaching, funding of African languages and the teaching of indigenous languages in English. Last week Pansalb met Education Minister Naledi Pandor to discuss the department`s undertaking to review legislation regarding language in education policy. The issues included: The status of the implementation of multilingualism at institutions of higher learning. The decline in the teaching and learning of African studies and African languages. The drop in producing African language teachers and lecturers. Nkosi said Pansalb would reinforce its monitoring of the implementation of the Language in Education Policy in schools by also coming up with strategies from officials in the department of education. The education department was also reviewing legislation that dealt with language in education. Next year, a joint language symposium is set to be held by the department and Pansalb to explore more programmes to entrench multilingualism in all layers of education. Copyright © AVUSA Media Ltd **************************** Disclaimer ****************************** Copyright: In accordance with Title 17, United States Code Section 107, this material is distributed without profit for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material posted to this list for purposes that go beyond "fair use," you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Content: The sender does not vouch for the veracity nor the accuracy of the contents of this message, which are the sole responsibility of the copyright owner. Also, the sender does not necessarily agree or disagree with any opinions that are expressed in this message. ********************************************************************** ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AfricanLanguages/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AfricanLanguages/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:africanlanguages-dig...@yahoogroups.com mailto:africanlanguages-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: africanlanguages-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
