Statement on the Stellenbosch University Language Policy for 2016
The Department of Higher Education and Training has taken note of the historic move made by Stellenbosch University to amend its language policy, allowing all learning at the University to take place in English from January 2016.
This is indeed a progressive step towards ensuring that the doors of the University are open to all students who qualify for admission and that the University’s resources cater for students from a range of cultural backgrounds. This policy change will have a profound effect on transformation at Stellenbosch University and is a welcome step into the future. As recent student protests have exposed, many black students experienced the language policy at Stellenbosch University as a tool for excluding them. This is a right step towards stopping exclusionary practices and changing attitudes against historically disadvantaged groups.
Although Afrikaans is the main language spoken in the Stellenbosch area and one of the official languages in the country, the University is a national institution, and attracts students from across the country. The change to the language policy will improve the standing of Stellenbosch University as a valued national asset, inclusive of all South Africans. The language policy of any institution is a critical part of facilitating greater access to higher education for students who have been previously disadvantaged, and plays an important role in student success rates. This visionary move will have a positive effect on the social and academic cultures of Stellenbosch University.
As the University has noted, the sustainability of Afrikaans as a medium of academic expression and communication can be ensured through a range of strategies, including the adoption of parallel and dual language medium options. The University has committed to the continued development of both Afrikaans and isiXhosa as academic languages. The new language policy will on the one hand allow the University to continue to cater for the needs of Afrikaans language speakers and on the other hand, ensure that the language of instruction is not a barrier to student access and success.
The Department encourages all universities in the country to develop strategies and plans that are geared towards ensuring that language is not a barrier to learning on any campus. Universities should seek to promote multilingualism and the creation of receptive institutional cultures, which embrace linguistic diversity within campuses. All students should be able to study in an environment where they feel affirmed and empowered to realise their full academic and intellectual potential. The Department is supportive of efforts to improve university language policies to promote academic development and student learning.
We celebrate this important policy change for Stellenbosch University and encourage all universities to continue working progressively towards creating truly inclusive academic and social environments.
Statement issued by Khaye Nkwanyana Director: Media Liaison Officer, Department of Higher Education and Training, 16 November 2015
