MEMBERS STATEMENT

HONOURABLE MNTOMUHLE KHAWULA

SHADOW MEC FOR EDUCATION

KWAZULU NATAL: 23 JANUARY 2011

IFP: AXING OF AFRICAN LANGUAGES IN SOME FORMER MODEL C PRIMARY SCHOOLS IS LIKE RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

THE Inkatha Freedom Party in KwaZulu Natal has criticized the move to oust African languages as the first additional language for grades 1 to 3 in order to accommodate Afrikaans in the new Curriculum (see Sunday Times report).

"Exclusion of African languages (isiZulu and isiXhosa) in some former Model C Primary schools is systematically discriminating and singling out certain racial groups," said Honourable Mntomuhle Khawula, Shadow MEC for Education.

The IFP has called for immediate action from the Minister of Education, Angie Motshekga to correct these wrongs. The IFP has also pleaded with the schools opposing the teaching of African Languages in lower grades to consider the importance of multi-lingualism in the different societies.

"The Curriculum should respond to the needs of society. Our Country has 11 official languages and they all should be used in and out of school. If a curriculum does not respond to the needs of society then its formation is as good as irrelevant," said Khawula.

The IFP is warning against language violation saying this will cause divisions and problems for learners who struggle to grasp other languages. IFP also feels that in order for any language to be well developed in terms of teaching methodology it should be fully practiced.

"We cannot sideline our African languages because not only is it an insult to those who speak it but it's reviving the struggle of languages like it happened many years ago with Bantu education, we need to find a curriculum that will accommodate each and every language," said Khawula.

Issued by the IFP, January 23 2012

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