AfriForum considers legal action after students are denied exam papers in Afrikaans

AfriForum is considering taking legal action against the Agricultural Campus of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) after students were denied receiving and writing their exam in Afrikaans.

Carien Bloem, Head of Education Campaigns at AfriForum explains that the students have been studying and writing exams in Afrikaans for the past three years. Now, in their final exams, they are not allowed to complete their tests in Afrikaans. The students are also unhappy that they were not informed about the language change in time. They feel that the change will have a negative impact on their results, since they are used to studying and writing in Afrikaans and not in English. The students emphasize that they are unable to express themselves well in their second language.

Both AfriForum and the students sent a letter to Dr Prins Nevhutalu, the Vice Chancellor of CPUT, demanding an explanation for the decision to change the language in which the exams must be written, and defending their right to write in their first language.

If the letter goes unanswered and feedback is not received soon, AfriForum and the students will have no other choice but to take legal action against CPUT.

Statement issued by Carien Bloem, Head:  Education Campaigns, AfriForum, August 26 2014

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter