This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-34807291
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| South Africa's Stellenbosch University aims to drop Afrikaans after protests | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| An elite South African university wants to drop Afrikaans as the language of instruction and teach in English. | |
| Stellenbosch University management has taken the decision in the wake of a viral video about the challenges and racism faced by black students. | |
| It detailed how some struggled with lessons in Afrikaans, one of the main languages spoken by the white minority. | It detailed how some struggled with lessons in Afrikaans, one of the main languages spoken by the white minority. |
| A student movement that campaigned for change said: "The doors of learning and culture shall be opened to all." | A student movement that campaigned for change said: "The doors of learning and culture shall be opened to all." |
| A post on the Open Stellenbosch campaign group's Facebook page added: "The Language Policy Has Fallen", a reference to the nationwide protests last month over tuition fees which used the hashtag #feesmustfall. | A post on the Open Stellenbosch campaign group's Facebook page added: "The Language Policy Has Fallen", a reference to the nationwide protests last month over tuition fees which used the hashtag #feesmustfall. |
| It is part of a movement to "decolonise" higher education sparked earlier this year when a student emptied a bucket of excrement over the statue of British imperialist Cecil John Rhodes at the University of Cape Town's campus. | It is part of a movement to "decolonise" higher education sparked earlier this year when a student emptied a bucket of excrement over the statue of British imperialist Cecil John Rhodes at the University of Cape Town's campus. |
| "Language should be used in a way that is oriented towards engagement with knowledge in a diverse society and to ensure equitable access to learning and teaching opportunities for all students," Stellenbosch University management said in a statement, adding that the change would take place from next year. | "Language should be used in a way that is oriented towards engagement with knowledge in a diverse society and to ensure equitable access to learning and teaching opportunities for all students," Stellenbosch University management said in a statement, adding that the change would take place from next year. |
| "Since English is the common language in South Africa, all learning should be facilitated in at least English to ensure no exclusion due to language. | "Since English is the common language in South Africa, all learning should be facilitated in at least English to ensure no exclusion due to language. |
| "The University remains committed to the further development of Afrikaans and isiXhosa as academic languages." | "The University remains committed to the further development of Afrikaans and isiXhosa as academic languages." |
| It added that in university residences students should use English as the common language. | |
| These recommendations will be put to the university's Council at its meeting on 30 November 2015, where correspondents say it may face fierce opposition but is likely to be passed. | |
| The documentary that went viral was titled "Luister", meaning "Listen" in Afrikaans, and was posted on YouTube in August. | |
| "If you don't speak Afrikaans, you don't belong here," said one interviewee. | |
| Afrikaans is one of South Africa's 11 official languages - spoken by 13.5% of the population - and was developed from the descendants of Dutch, German and French settlers who arrived in the 17th Century. | |
| According to SAinfo, Afrikaans in the most commonly spoken language in the provinces of Northern Cape and Western Cape, where Stellenbosch University is based. |