Historic switch to English for Maties

Stellenbosch University drops Afrikaans as main language

SOUTH Africa’s University of Stellenbosch has adopted English as the main language on campus, it said yesterday, a historic move after students rebelled against using Afrikaans in education, a language they identify with apartheid.

Tensions at the campus, where then-professor Hendrik Verwoerd helped to define the racial ideology that he later turned into the national apartheid policy, boiled over in September as students demanded to be taught in English. “The primary language of communication and administration at Stellenbosch University will be English, with Afrikaans and IsiXhosa as additional languages,” the university said.

The university’s demographics have changed since apartheid ended in 1994 and now reflect a multicultural and multilingual campus rather than a predominantly whites-only student body speaking mainly Afrikaans.

But the institution persisted in staunchly defending its Afrikaans language policy.

Black, coloured and Asian students make up a third of the university’s population compared with only a few individuals in 1990.

In bid to accommodate the influx of students who did not have Afrikaans as a first language, the university instituted a dual-language medium featuring some classes in English and Afrikaans.

“At Stellenbosch University we intend using language in a way that is oriented towards engagement with knowledge in a diverse society and to ensure equitable access to learning and teaching opportunities for all students,” the university said.

The protests were led by student activists among the “born frees” – those born after 1994, with no direct experience of white-minority rule.

Student pressure group Open Stellenbosch has been protesting against the language policy for the better part of the year arguing that it “safeguards Afrikaner culture” and excludes most black students.

In September‚ the university’s language task team recommended Afrikaans and English should have equal status as mediums of teaching.

But the statement from the rector’s management team said English should be the main language.

“The primary language of communication and administration at Stellenbosch University will be English‚ with Afrikaans and isiXhosa as additional languages.

“The additional languages may not be used to exclude anyone from full participation at the University. This implies that all communication at Stellenbosch University will be in at least English‚ including meetings‚ official documents ‚and services at reception desks and the call centre‚” the statement read.

Open Stellenbosch said yesterday the new language policy was a “significant victory in this struggle for access to education and social justice in this country”. — BDLive-Reuters