What does Afrikaans medium school mean?
The South African Minister of Bantu Education and Development, MC Botha, issued a decree in 1974 that made the use of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in Black schools compulsory from Standard 5 onwards [from the last year of primary school to the last year of high school].
When did Afrikaans stop being the medium of instruction?
When not taught in English, Afrikaners were schooled in Dutch, a language equally foreign to them by the early 19th century. They did not win the right to be taught in Afrikaans until 1925, since which time English and Afrikaans have been officially on equal footing.
What is the Afrikaans medium decree?
In 1974, South Africa passed the Afrikaans Medium Decree forcing all black schools to use Afrikaans and English as the languages of instruction. Afrikaans was used for mathematics, arithmetic, and social studies while English was used for general science and applied subjects.
Is Afrikaans a compulsory subject?
‘Afrikaans is not compulsory as additional language – you can’t force learners’
Why the Soweto Uprising took place?
massive uprising known as the Soweto Rebellion, which began as a protest against the government’s insistence that the Afrikaans language be used as the medium of instruction in Soweto’s high schools. Years of violence and repression followed.
Why do we remember June 16th?
Youth Day commemorates the Soweto Uprising, which took place on 16 June 1976, where thousands of students were ambushed by the apartheid regime. On Youth Day, South Africans pay tribute to the lives of these students and recognises the role of the youth in the liberation of South Africa from the apartheid regime.
What language family is Afrikaans?
Indo-European Germanic West Germanic
| Afrikaans | |
|---|---|
| Native to | South Africa, Namibia |
| Ethnicity | Afrikaners Basters Cape Coloureds Cape Malay Griqua |
| Native speakers | 7.2 million (2016) 10.3 million L2 speakers in South Africa (2002) |
| Language family | Indo-European Germanic West Germanic Weser-Rhine Germanic Low Franconian Dutch (Hollandic dialect) Afrikaans |
Was the Soweto Uprising successful?
Most of the bloodshed had abated by the end of 1976, when the death toll had stood at more than 600. The continued clashes in Soweto caused economic instability. The South African rand devalued fast, and the government was plunged into a crisis.
Why do we still learn Afrikaans?
Afrikaans is rather interesting due to it being a South African language with Dutch roots. Native speakers of Afrikaans take pride in the language and view it as a symbol of their unique culture. The language even has its own monument in Western Cape Province, South Africa.
Why is Afrikaans important in schools?
Many school teachers also tell of how their students prefer to take Afrikaans as their additional language, rather than their own home language or another African language that might be closer to their home language. The reason they opt for Afrikaans is that there are more resources available.
When did Afrikaans become a medium of instruction?
The Afrikaans Medium Decree. The South African Minister of Bantu Education and Development, MC Botha, issued a decree in 1974 that made the use of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in black schools compulsory from Standard 5 onwards [from the last year of primary school to the last year of high school].
When was the first Afrikaans school established in South Africa?
The school’s founding on 28 January 1920 marked the establishment of the first purely Afrikaans -medium high school in South Africa.The event predated the official recognition of the Afrikaans language by five years.
When did Afrikaans become a compulsory language in South Africa?
The South African Minister of Bantu Education and Development, MC Botha, issued a decree in 1974 that made the use of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in Black schools compulsory from Standard 5 onwards [from the last year of primary school to the last year of high school].
Why are Afrikaans schools being denied access to Gauteng?
Gauteng has a long history of battles between African parents and Afrikaans-medium schools over admissions. Just at the beginning of this year, African parents were up in arms when Hoërskool Overvaal in Vereeniging denied 55 of their children access though the school was right outside their doorstep.