Parent writes about school’s decision to phase out IsiXhosa.
With reference to the article on Midrand Reporter, week ending 25 September, The Gauteng Department of Education said IsiXhosa is being phased out of Tsosoloso Ya Africa Secondary School from Grade 8 to Grade 12 due to a shortage of teachers who can tutor pupils in this language. One of the parents, David Lucas writes in response to the article:
“I wrote to the Department of Education regarding the issue but I feel the decision taken by the department is unfair. Affected pupils and their parents were not notified of the alleged intention to phase out the IsiXhosa language at the school. The principal should have made an effort to contact parents of the affected pupils and hear the parents’ concerns and suggestions on the issue. The department claims to have met with ‘community structures’ but many of them do not have pupils at the school who will be affected by this decision.
I still expect a letter or a meeting from the school informing parents of the affected pupils of what was discussed in the meeting on 21 September. I feel that this decision is a violation of the pupils’ right to learn isiXhosa. The department can not unilaterally decide this without any alternative measures being put in place for the affected pupils to learn a language of their choice.”
