Call to recognise sign language

AS THE world yesterday observed International Mother Language Day, a teacher at a local school for the deaf used the opportunity to emphasise the call for sign language to be recognised as an official language in South Africa.

Speaking to The Mercury at a municipal event held in KwaMashu to commemorate the day, teacher Asha UdithKhelawan said recognising sign language as an official language would make communication between the deaf and the hearing easier.

“Sign language is very important as a medium of communication for the deaf. About 1 million people in South Africa are deaf, so it has to be recognised.”

Udith-Khelawan, a teacher at VN Naik School for the deaf in Newlands, said sign language was the mother tongue of her deaf pupils.

“It’s important for them to be able to communicate and get involved.” International Mother Language Day is intended to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.

In keeping with this year’s theme of “Towards sustainable futures through multilingual education,” the Inanda, Ntuzuma and Kwamashu area-based management yesterday distributed science and maths dictionaries and user guides that explain difficult concepts in Zulu to schools in the area.

Meanwhile the president of the South African Hindu Dharma Sabha, Ram Maharaj, also called for Eastern languages to be included in the school curriculum.

In a letter to Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga, Maharaj requested that Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Gujerati, Sanskrit, Arabic and Urdu be included in the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (Caps) policy and taught within the national time allocation.

Speaking on behalf of the Sabha, he proposed that Eastern languages also be offered at a second additional language level.

“Eastern languages rank among the most highly-spoken languages in the world including the business world.”

Yesterday, the department was unavailable for comment on whether it would consider the suggestion.