AfriForum welcomes Fochville High settlement as victory for mother tongue education

AfriForum has welcomed the settlement reached between the Gauteng Department of Education and Fochville High, in terms of which single medium Afrikaans education will be allowed to continue at the school. AfriForum said this was a victory for the right of learners to be educated in their mother tongue.  The school and parent body were supported in their legal struggle by AfriForum and the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools (FEDSAS).

According to Alana Bailey, Deputy CEO at AfriForum, the settlement which was made a order of the court, hopefully closed the last chapter on a struggle dating from 2012.  At the time the Gauteng Department of Education forced FochvilleHigh to accommodate learners who required education in English, even though other schools in the vicinity did provide such education.

It was virtually impossible for the school to accommodate the learners due to a lack of space and facilities for the children.  "The Department of Education did not hesitate to abuse the children and use them as pawns in their ideological struggle against Afrikaans.  Everyone at Fochville High did exceptionally well to ensure that the children were in no way disadvantaged - they deserve praise for that," said Bailey.

AfriForum regards this incident as yet another example of a denial of the rights of learners to be educated in their mother tongues and the intent of government to force English onto the country as the only medium of instruction.  A similar example is Vela Langa Primary in Upington. The school was supported by the human rights organisation Section 27 in February of this year in its successful legal action after its medium of instruction was unilaterally changed to English only.

"It is a matter of grave concern that the state is still using tax money to drive unsuccessful legal campaigns against communities which want education in their own languages," Bailey said.  "The Department has to acknowledge the right of learners to mother tongue education and the advantages thereof."

Statement issued by Alana Bailey, Deputy CEO, AfriForum, June 25 2014

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