ANC WELCOMES DECISION ON MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION BY UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA

25 January 2019

The African National Congress welcomes the decision by the University of Pretoria to use English as the primary language of instruction. This decision was given impetus by the ruling of the Pretoria High Court on 15 December 2016 when it upheld the independent resolution passed by the University of Pretoria Council to implement a new language policy wherein English would be the primary medium of instruction, a position the ANC is supportive of inline with the transformational agenda of our education system.

The ANC believes that the University has taken a step in the right direction and must continue in its efforts towards transformation in the interest of all students, the community and other members of the University.

This change comes at the back of a history where Afrikaans has enjoyed dominance at the University since September 1932. Afrikaans was the only language of instruction until 1993 when English was introduced. The majority of students at the university prefer English as a medium of instruction, with only a minority preferring Afrikaans as an additional academic language. The ANC believes that our shared values, as enshrined in our Constitution cannot be achieved if language is used as a barrier to accessing education for those who do not speak the language.

The ANC is committed to the development of all our official languages to achieve equal status, to the point where these become the mediums of instruction in institutions of learning.

Afrikaans, alongside all other official languages, shall remain a treasured heritage that must be protected and promoted in all aspects of life and should find expression across the racial and cultural divide.

Statement issued by the African National Congress, 25 January 2019