The Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) will on Thursday meet with the Gauteng MEC for Education, Ms Barbara Creecy, in an endeavour to resolve an alleged language rights violation case at Roosevelt High School in Johannesburg.
This follows media reports that a Grade 11 learner, Luthando Nxasana, was allegedly expelled from class, prevented from writing two mid-year exams or going to the toilet, and forced to spend three school days standing in a foyer for speaking isiXhosa to her classmate on the school premises.
PanSALB welcomes and applauds the initiative by the MEC for requesting that the organisation meet with her to address this matter, as this kind of problem has become common in former model C schools.
PanSALB is concerned that a pattern is emerging in former model C schools where the languages of African majorities are marginalised and underdeveloped in comparison to Afrikaans and particularly English. Learners are being punished if they are found speaking their home languages.
We cannot continue with a situation in which African children are made to leave their African languages at the gates of learning. This shows that the present framework of language policy in our schools presents major challenges. As quickly as possible, we need to expunge language domination from our educational institutions.
“Even if the language of education in school is English, you can’t stop people from speaking their mother tongue to each other,” said the acting CEO of PanSALB, Chris Swepu. He added that school language policies may not contravene the provisions of the constitution. Therefore learners may not be discriminated against on the basis of their languages at school.
The ideals regarding language enshrined in our constitution have to find expression in society. Our schools should create an environment in which children learn how to celebrate and respect our cultural diversity. PanSALB hopes this meeting with the MEC will be a catalyst for a comprehensive approach to address gaps in the South African Schools Act that are currently being exploited to violate our constitution.
The board has received a formal complaint regarding this matter and a further investigation will be conducted to address the problem.
Enquiries:
Sibusiso Nkosi
Tel: 012 341 9638
Cell: 082 855 4436
E-mail: sibusiso@pansalb.org.za
