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e-Afrikaner - 18 Februarie 2022

Die staat en die taalbeleid by skole

Kommentaar op die voorstelle in die SA Skolewetsontwerp B2-2022

Die taalbeleid by skole is uitsluitlik 'n skoolbeheerliggaam funksie. Met meer as 80% van skole wat disfunksioneel is, sou dit tog redelik wees om te dink dat die herstel van díe skole 'n prioriteit vir die departement sou wees. Om die magte by ŉ beheerliggaam weg te neem en aan ŉ departement te gee wat reeds hulle agenda duidelik gedemonstreer het is om vir wolf skaapwagter te maak. Die departement en ook provinsiale departemente is eenvoudig nie te vertrou met so ŉ belangrike kwessie nie.

Dit word toenemend duidelik dat die herstel van disfunksionele skole gepaardgaan met harde werk en kreatiewe denke. Dit saam met die nodige politieke wil is egter heeltemal afwesig. Daarom is dit makliker om die werkende en funksionerende skole verder te teiken met ŉ eenvormige taalbeleid en dan die skole verder af te breek. Dit is meestal ook Afrikaanse skole wat as eilande van uitnemendheid en met 'n betrokke ouergemeenskap goed funksioneer en wat in die visier is van die minister, die nasionale departement en veral sekere provinsiale politieke hoofde.

Die Afrikanerbond sal saam met ander organisasies en gemeenskappe werk wat die onsinnige, ondeurdagte en onwerkbare voorstelle van die departement van onderwys sal stuit. Taalimperialisme en verengelsing is NIE die antwoord nie, veral nie in ŉ land met grondwetlike regte wat verleen word aan taal-kultuur- en geloofsgroepe nie.

Die Afrikanerbond is in proses om formele regskundige kommentaar op te stel en enige inset van afdelings, lede en onderwyskundiges is welkom voor einde Februarie 2022. Stuur gerus na kommentaar@abond.co.za Of lewer kommentaar in die fasiliteit onder

Sien die wetsontwerp onder

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Met volle erkenning aan Beeld, Die Burger en Volksblad plaas ons graag die redaksionele kommentaar wat op 16 Februarie geplaas is en wat goed aansluit by die meeste standpunte van Afrikaanse organisasie groeperinge .

Redaksioneel – Sentralisering van taalbeleid verswak onderrig

16 Februarie 2022 (P8)

Die regering probeer sy mislukking, die bou van genoeg skole in dié geval, ongedaan maak met die sentralisering van taal- en toelatingsbeleid by skole.

Die land is onder druk om genoeg skole te kry. Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa het in sy staatsrede gesê dat Suid-Afrika sowat 2 500 skole kort. Maar teen huidige begrotingsiklusse sal dit meer as 70 jaar neem om dit te bou.

Wat hy nagelaat het om te noem, is die talle boekjare die afgelope 25 jaar waarin die staat nie eens daarby uitgekom het om die begrote getal skole te bou nie. Dit weens wanadministrasie, korrupsie en swak regering.

Die maklike uitkoms is eenvoudig om bestaande skoolgeboue te teiken en soveel moontlik leerlinge daar in te prop. Daarom moet Afrikaanse skole se taal klaarblyklik die wyk neem, sodat plek vir onderrig in Engels gemaak kan word vir leerlinge waarvan Engels in baie gevalle reeds die tweede of derde taal is.

Dit is ook insiggewend dat Panyaza Lesufi, Gautengse LUR vir onderwys, ten tyde van die registrasie vir 2022 se skooltoelating gekla het omdat ouers in townships nie meer hul kinders daar wil plaas nie. Dit plaas druk op stedelike skole. Wat hy egter nie besef nie, is dat ouers landwyd die beste moontlik vir hul kinders wil gee. En nie verkwalik kan word as hulle die kinders stuur na die beste moontlike skool binne hul geografiese en finansiële bereik nie. Dit ook omdat die ANC en sy vakbondvennoot Sadou min gedoen het om die situasie in baie townshipskole te verbeter. Boonop het Afrikaanse skole, ook dié in minder gegoede omgewings met min hulpbronne, nog altyd 'n groot bydrae tot goed opgeleide leerlinge gemaak. Toenemend ook oor die kleurgrens heen,soos hul demografie verander het. En is in vele opsigte 'n uitdrukking van die Afrikaanse kultuur en taal - meer konserwatief op sommige plekke en meer verlig op ander. Die afbreek daarvan maak inbreuk op minderheidsregte en verskraal die land se strewe na uitmuntendheid. Die oplossing is nie die afbreek van die beste sodat almal ewe ellendige instellings het nie. Die beste moet as enjinkamers tot voordeel van die hele samelewing gebruik word. Wat dit tot 'n groot mate reeds is.

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Onder volg al die voorgestelde aanpassings in die nuwe wetsontwerp wat oorweeg word. Die wetsontwerp kan onder gelees word.

To amend— ● the South African Schools Act, 1996, to insert and amend certain definitions;

to provide that attendance of grade R is compulsory;
to amend the penalty provision in the case where the parent of a learner, or any other person, without just cause, prevents a learner who is subject to compulsory attendance from attending school, and to create an offence in respect of the interruption, disruption or hindrance of school activities;
to enhance the authority of the Head of Department in relation to the admission of a learner to a public school, after consultation with the governing body of the school;
to provide that the governing body of a public school must submit the admission and language policies of the public school to the Head of Department for approval;
to provide that the South African Sign Language has the status of an official language for purposes of learning at a public school, and that the Head of Department may direct a public school to adopt more than one language of instruction, where it is practicable to do so, and that, if the Head of Department issues such a directive, he or she must take all necessary steps to ensure that the public school receives the necessary resources to enable it to provide adequate tuition in the additional language of instruction;
to provide the Minister with the authority to appoint a person, an organisation or a group of persons to advise on curriculum and assessment-related matters;
to provide that the code of conduct of a public school must take into account the diverse cultural beliefs, religious observances and medical circumstances of learners at the school and to provide for the inclusion of an exemption clause in the code of conduct and for disciplinary proceedings to be dealt with in an age appropriate manner and in the best interests of the learner;
to refine the provisions relating to the possession of drugs on school premises or during school activities and to provide for conditions under which liquor may be possessed, sold or consumed on school premises or during school activities;
to refine the provisions relating to suspension and expulsion from public school by inserting a definition of serious misconduct;
to provide for the prohibition of corporal punishment at school activities and at hostels accommodating learners of a school;
to prohibit initiation practices during school activities;
to provide for the designation of a public school as a public school with a specialised focus on talent;
to further regulate the merger of public schools;
to provide for the reasonable use of the facilities of a school for education-related activities without the charging of a fee or tariff;
to provide for centralised procurement of identified learning and teaching support material for public schools;
to further regulate the withdrawal of the functions of governing bodies;
to provide that it is the Minister, and not the Member of the Executive Council, who must make certain determinations in regard to the composition, needs;
to provide for the membership of a governing body of a public school that provides education with a specialised focus on talent, sports and performing or creative arts;
to provide that the Head of Department may, on reasonable grounds, dissolve a governing body that has ceased to perform its functions;
to provide that a member of a governing body must declare a direct or indirect personal interest that he or she or his or her family member may have in the recruitment or employment of staff at a public school, or in the procurement of goods and services for a public school, and that the member of the governing body must recuse himself or herself from a meeting of the governing body under such circumstances;
to provide further clarity regarding the prohibition of the remuneration of members of governing bodies;
to provide that it is the Minister, and not the Member of the Executive Council, who must make certain determinations in regard to the election of members of governing bodies of public schools;
to provide that, where reasonably practicable, only a parent member of a governing body who is not employed by the public school may serve as chairperson of the finance committee;
to make a technical amendment in regard to the status of learners serving on governing bodies of public schools;
to extend and refine the provisions relating to the closure of a public school;
to provide that lease agreements relating to a school’s immovable property must be submitted to the Member of the Executive Council for approval and that, in the case of a lease for a period not exceeding 12 months, the approval of the Member of the Executive Council is not required;
to further regulate and refine matters relating to the budget of a public school; to further regulate the circumstances under which a governing body may pay additional remuneration, or give any other financial benefit or benefit in kind, to a state employee;
to provide that, where the parent of a learner applies for exemption from the payment of school fees and information cannot be obtained from the other parent of the learner, the parent may submit documentary evidence in the form of an affidavit or court order in relation to the other parent;
to provide for financial record-keeping by the governing body of a public school, for the drawing up of financial statements, and for the presentation of these to a general meeting of parents;
to extend the powers of the Head of Department to conduct an investigation into the financial affairs of a public school and to provide that the governing body of a public school must submit quarterly reports on all income and expenditure to the Head of Department;
to increase the penalty provision in the case where a person establishes or maintains an independent school and fails to register it;
to empower the Member of the Executive Council to determine conditions when granting a subsidy to an independent school and to provide for financial reporting, by such subsidised independent schools;
to further regulate home education;
to create an offence where a parent supplies a public school with false or misleading information or forged documents when applying for the admission of a learner or for exemption from the payment of school fees;
to provide for a dispute resolution mechanism in the event of a dispute between the Head of Department or the Member of the Executive Council and a governing body;
to further regulate the liability of the State for delictual or contractual damages; to extend the power of the Minister to make regulations and to provide for offences to be created in regulations made by the Minister;
to amend the Preamble; and to provide for matters incidental thereto;
and the Employment of Educators Act, 1998, so as to amend certain definitions; to exclude further education and training centres, adult basic education centres and institutions, from the ambit of the Act;
to prohibit an educator from conducting business with the State and to create an offence in relation thereto; to extend the powers of the Minister to make regulations; and to provide for matters incidental thereto.