seen on AllAfrica.com at http://allafrica.com/stories/200503150358.html (and
also on ILAT). DZO
Pandor Receives Report On Indigenous Languages
BuaNews (Pretoria) http://www.gcis.gov.za/ March 15, 2005 Posted to the web March 15, 2005
Mahlatsi Mgidi Pretoria
Education Minister Naledi Pandor has received a framework report on the development of indigenous African languages for use in higher education.
The report was put together by specialists in higher education and was led by
Professor Njabulo Ndebele, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Town.
When conducting research, the team looked at the country's historical and legislative contexts that nurtured language growth.
Departmental spokesperson Tommy Makhode said the language policy for higher education promulgated in November 2002 was committed to the long-term development of indigenous African languages as mediums of teaching and learning.
He explained that the report expressed a view that "a crisis is looming in the
country regarding the preservation, maintenance and associated identity of
indigenous African languages.
"The anticipated crisis is attributed to the preference for English instead of
African languages in formal communication in the private and public sectors as
well as in general social practice."
The report also points to the declining numbers of students who wish to study
African languages, which has resulted in the closing down of African language
departments in a number of higher education institutions.
The report has since recommended the establishment of "a well-coordinated, long-range national plan to provide adequate resources and support for indigenous African languages" to prevent further decline of indigenous languages.
This could be achieved if the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) and the
Department of Arts and Culture's National Language Services (NLS) were
supported, maintained and monitored.
"The report makes a point that the objective to develop official indigenous
languages as mediums of instruction in higher education requires systemic under
girding by the entire schooling system and the enhanced public and social use
of these languages in the daily lives of South Africans," Mr Makhode explained
further.
The report will be available on the department's website after the minister had
analysed it.
Meanwhile, the department has received a R150 million donation from the European
Union for Higher Education HIV and AIDS Programme (HEAIDS) that will be
implemented over the next four years starting this year.
HEAIDS is the higher education sector's response to HIV and AIDS designed to enable institutions to prevent and manage the pandemic.
The programme will support learning and knowledge development and will among other things ensure the institutions addressed the pandemic and that teacher education faculties and personnel departments identified their roles in the fight against the disease.
The programme will also help with initiatives aimed at prevention, behavioural
change, care and support, gender, curriculum integration, knowledge generation
in the sector and the population as a whole.
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