Should you have an opinion – which you should – you can now cast your vote to say if you agree with the university council’s decision last December that English will be the primary medium of instruction for undergraduate education, as well as in the case of post-graduate education.
AfriForum says in a statement the university should promote multilingualism in order to facilitate student success and build social solidarity.
A study class system will be available especially for Afrikaans, Zulu, Southern Sotho and other languages to facilitate the transition to English instruction while the language of administration will be English.
The statement reads: “The English instruction language policy should be implemented with flexibility and understanding, rather than a flexible rule that does not take the circumstances into consideration. This pursuit is seemingly aimed at not using the above languages on the same level as is the case with English, and therefore not to use or develop these languages as languages of education. This is a clear disregard for anyone else than those who choose to be educated in English (if they had the choice). The new language policy therefore does not contain any acknowledgment of constitutional rights – on the contrary, it is full of contempt for the law.”
The minority rights movement also says the diminution of Afrikaans as language of instruction at the UFS will lead to the marginalisation and eventual discontinuation of Afrikaans at the UFS. “It is essential that you raise your concern in this critical debate about Afrikaans as language of instruction at the UFS.
You have until Friday, 11 March, to partake in the referendum. AfriForum will present the results of the referendum to the UFS, as well as complete comments about the proposed requisitions to the language policy of the UFS. to do so click here.
