Language management at Stellenbosch University: where are we at?

16 November 2015

A statement on language implementation at Stellenbosch University by the Rector's Management Team (RMT) on 12 November 2015 has met with wide-spread and diverse reaction from various stakeholders. On 15 November 2015 the Executive Committee of Council accepted a motion related to this statement by Management.

From comments in email messages, on social media and in the traditional media it has emerged that the current position and the way forward need some clarification. A clear distinction should be made between a) language implementation and b) changes to the Language Policy of the University.

Students will be able to study in English and Afrikaans at Stellenbosch University in 2016, as indicated in the language specifications in the faculty yearbooks (calendars), but with priority given to implementing additional support mechanisms to ensure that students are not excluded as a result of Afrikaans.

Statements related to the 'fall of Afrikaans and the rise of English' are an over-simplification of language implementation at the University. Afrikaans will not be diluted as a result of the expansion of the English offering, and students who prefer to study in English will be supported to do so.

Equally, the fact that the Language Policy cannot be changed before the end of 2015 due to statutory directives, should not be seen as an instrument to disadvantage English-speaking students.

The objective of the accelerated implementation of the Language Plan, with a specific focus on parallel-medium teaching (PMO), is to ensure that no student is excluded from a clear understanding of the academic offering due to language. This will entail making available with immediate effect (from 2016) more parallel-medium classes (separate Afrikaans and English classes), and other support mechanisms that will ensure that no student is excluded for learning and teaching because of Afrikaans or English. 

This acceleration does not require changes to the current Language Policy, as expanding both the Afrikaans and the English offering is aligned with the Policy which was approved in November 2014. Initially the objective was to have a 75% offering in both English and Afrikaans by 2020, but this year has shown that the interests of our students necessitate a drastic acceleration of improved language implementation mechanisms.

The statement by the Stellenbosch University Management Team has been issued as a discussion document to indicate their support for measures to improve the learning experience for students who do not have an academic literacy in Afrikaans. Management's statement is not a policy document. The Statute of the University determines that only Council can change the Language Policy after a process of consultation and with concurrence of Senate.

The fact that the Language Policy cannot be changed before the end of 2015 does not mean that the implementation measures described above cannot proceed. Management ensures that the Language Plan is aligned with the Language Policy, and is responsible for its implementation. It is a Management prerogative to expand on the approved minimum offering.

The statement by Management has not been officially tabled in any university forum, but it expresses Management's points of departure after discussions with various student groupings since May 2015. It is also not accurate that Management has retracted this statement.

It remains a discussion document containing points of departure for engaging with various stakeholders, including Senate and Council Management is fully aware that some points of departure in this statement may require changes to the current Language Policy and the Language Plan, and Management is committed to follow due process to table such proposals at the required statutory bodies before submitting to Council in 2016.  

The motion accepted by the Executive Committee of the University Council on 15 November 2015, reaffirms the status of the Management statement as a discussion document; it also confirms the statutory process needed to affect changes to the Language Policy; and it confirms that the approved language specifications will be applicable in 2016.

Statement issued by Stellenbosch University, 16 November 2015