​2 July 2021

The revision of Stellenbosch University's (SU) Language Policy (2016) reached its halfway mark by the end of June 2021 with the completion of the first comprehensive round of consultation on the first draft of the revised policy. SU's preparations for the release of the second draft of the revised Language Policy (2016) for the second public participation phase commencing towards the end of July 2021 are progressing well.

Since the release of the first draft in March 2021, external stakeholders, staff and students have had the opportunity to participate in a public participation process, followed by internal consultation with various groups, committees, faculty boards and statutory bodies, including the Institutional Forum, Senate and Council.

AFRIKAANS AS INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE

At its meeting on 21 June 2021 Council accepted the following motion related to the classification of indigenous languages by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET): “SU has taken note with concern of the Department of Higher Education and Training's classification in the Language Policy Framework for Public Higher Education Institutions. SU supports the view that Afrikaans and the Khoe and San languages are indigenous languages. Council requests SU's management to take appropriate steps to engage with the DHET to address this issue."

In its comprehensive feedback on the DHET's draft revised Language Policy for Higher Education (2017), Stellenbosch University strongly supported the position that Afrikaans is an indigenous language of South Africa. Universities were not given an opportunity to comment on the final version of the Language Policy Framework for Public Higher Education Institutions published in November 2020. SU also brought the matter to the attention of Universities South Africa (USAf) as it is not known whether any of the other South African universities have had the opportunity to consider the practical and cost implications of the new policy framework.

CONTEXT DOCUMENT

During the first public participation process, several participants requested access to information and statistics that the Language Policy Revision Task Team considered while drafting the revised policy.  The Context document for the revision of the Language Policy (2016) provides a broad overview of the process and timeline; the international and national higher education context, the Stellenbosch University context; the implementation costs of various language scenarios and the Rectorate's perspective of multilingualism and the SU Language Policy (2016). The context document also contains links to the relevant supporting documents.

SECOND OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT 

Internal and external stakeholders will be invited to participate in the second public participation process running from late July until the middle of August 2021, followed by further internal consultation. Progress reports will be tabled at the Institutional Forum, Senate and Council at scheduled meetings in September with another opportunity for input. The third and final draft of the revised Language Policy (2016) will be tabled for approval at the Council meeting on 2 December 2021.