The University of Pretoria (UP) has announced that it will phase out Afrikaans as a medium of instruction.
The decision was made in 2016 after an extensive consultation process and recommendation from all the interested parties at the university – students and staff members.
This following the 2015 – 2016 Afrikaans Must Fall student protests. The university convened a transformation panel and it was decided at that stage to make a recommendation regarding the language policy.
Other factors that contributed to the decision were a sharp decline in the number of Afrikaans students who expressed a preference for Afrikaans as a medium of instruction.
In 2016 the university council in concurrence with the senate adopted a new policy to make English the primary language of instruction.
Students who has registered prior to 2019 will still be able to attend classes in Afrikaans, for the programs which were offered in the language at that time.
UP spokesperson Rikus Delport said that the university is ready for a push back.
“Not everyone is going to agree with the decision and it is something that we respect and we need to find a way of facilitating cohesion on the campus and we will continue where possible to encourage people to use official languages. The other official languages will still be used by the support services department.”
The university has been taken to court in which the court ruled in favour for the university to continue with the decision.
Tito Mboweni has also disagreed with the decision in his personal capacity.
I publicly, and in my personal capacity, DISAGREE, with the phasing out of Afrikaans as one of the mediums of teaching at the University of Pretoria. As a country, you are shooting yourselves down. You will regret it in 30 years’ time. pic.twitter.com/qNe43ErSQz
— Tito Mboweni (@tito_mboweni) January 24, 2019
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