Language: Department steps in

2003-01-15 18:30

Pretoria - Dozens of pupils allegedly shown the door on language grounds at four mainly Afrikaans schools in Limpopo have since been admitted after the intervention of the provincial education department.

"Language cannot be used as a barrier," said department head Harry Nengwekhulu on Wednesday.

"A school must first admit pupils and then decide on its language policy. A school cannot impose a language on anyone."

"Any school that attempts to bar a learner, we will take away their right to admit learners - even if that school is English or black, if it tries to discriminate, we will intervene."

Despite discussions with schools last year, the department has learnt that school governing bodies were refusing to admit certain pupils, citing their home languages. Some schools also set limits to the number of pupils they could admit - much to the department's ire.

The schools were Hoërskool Piet Potgieter in Mokopane (formerly Potgietersrus), Hoërskool Hans Strijdom in Mookgopong (formerly Naaboomspruit), Laërskool Eugene N Marais also in Mookgopong, and Hoërskool Frans du Toit in Ba-Phalaborwa, Nengwekhulu said.

On Tuesday, he ordered senior departmental officials to visit those schools and make sure they admitted all who applied.

"According to the reports I got, they stayed there until 18:00 yesterday (Tuesday) to make sure every pupil was helped. Everything is OK now."

Intake limited

Nengwekhulu said one of the schools tried to limit its intake of Grade 8 pupils to 35. In the end, they had to admit about 100.

"We told them they must admit as many as they can accommodate. If they need extra teachers, we will provide them."

At least one of the schools, Hoërskool Piet Potgieter, expressed concern that admitting too many English pupils would undermine the Afrikaans language, he added.

Nengwekhulu said about 30 pupils refused admission to Hoërskool Hans Strijdom would be admitted by Thursday.

According to policy, primary schools had to admit pupils from their area, while high schools should admit pupils from local primary schools, he explained.

"Parents should not have to pay money to travel long distances when there are public schools nearby," Nengwekhulu said.

Afrikaner Eenheidsbeweging

The Afrikaner Eenheidsbeweging expressed dismay at the department's intervention.

"At this stage, there is no concrete proof that these schools unfairly discriminated in the admission of pupils," said party leader Cassie Aucamp.

"It increasingly seems that departments of education negate the important issue of language when it comes to pupil admissions."

The department, Aucamp said, should prepare itself for defeat in court actions that might arise from its actions.

Department accused of force

Paul Colditz, chairperson of the Federation of Governing Bodies of SA Schools (Fedsas), accused the department of trying to force schools into changing their character.

He denied that any pupils were refused admission.

"What the department is attempting to do, in conflict with the SA Schools Act and national language policy, is to force them in an unlawful manner to do away with their language policies."

He said there was "no question" of any unfair discrimination.

"Rather, it is the department which is acting unlawfully and irregularly."

- SAPA