Please scroll down for the Afrikaans statement.
English and Afrikaans soundbites by DA National Spokesperson, Jan de Villiers MP.
The DA has always and will always defend the rights of schools to determine their own language policy as enshrined in law.
It is unfortunate that there has been a deliberate distortion in reporting that former Model C schools are being targeted by the Minister of Basic Education. This could not be further from the truth.
The DA does not and will not support any government having the power to unilaterally determine school language policy.
In Parliament yesterday, the Minister did not comment on former Model C schools. An official from the department stated that there are former model C schools in densely populated urban centers where provinces have started implementation support work in those areas because community language profiles are shifting, not because schools are being targeted.
These schools are not being compelled to adopt any specific language. They are being supported, where parents and school governing bodies themselves have indicated evolving language needs.
The DA defends the rights of school governing bodies – led by parents- to determine language policy; in line with the law.
The DA is committed to advancing mother tongue education to ALL communities. That is why we support Minister Gwarube’s advancement of mother tongue based bilingual education. The DA will continue to advance the language rights of all communities, as rights are not a zero sum game.
We will continue to champion school language policy that places learner needs at the centre and not politics.
DA sal taalregte in skole beskerm
Die DA het nog altyd en sal altyd die reg van skole verdedig om hul eie taalbeleid te bepaal soos in die wet vervat.
Dit is jammer dat daar doelbewuste verdraaiing in verslaggewing was dat voormalige Model C-skole deur die Minister van Basiese Onderwys geteiken word. Dit kan nie verder van die waarheid af wees nie.
Die DA ondersteun nie en sal nooit enige regering ondersteun om die mag te hê om eensydig taalbeleid in skole te bepaal nie.
Gister in die Parlement het die Minister nie kommentaar gelewer oor voormalige Model C-skole nie. ’n Amptenaar van die departement het gesê daar is voormalige Model C-skole in digbevolkte stedelike sentrums waar provinsies ondersteuningswerk begin het omdat gemeenskap-taalprofiele verander. Nie omdat skole geteiken word nie.
Hierdie skole word nie gedwing om ’n spesifieke taal aan te neem nie. Hulle word ondersteun waar ouers en skoolbeheerliggame self aandui dat taalbehoeftes verander.
Die DA verdedig die regte van skoolbeheerliggame – gelei deur ouers – om taalbeleid te bepaal, in ooreenstemming met die wet.
Die DA is daartoe verbind om moedertaalonderwys in ALLE gemeenskappe te bevorder. Daarom ondersteun ons Minister Gwarube se bevordering van moedertaalgebaseerde tweetalige onderwys. Die DA sal voortgaan om die taalregte van alle gemeenskappe te bevorder.
Ons sal voortgaan om skole se taalbeleid te ondersteun wat leerderbehoeftes sentraal stel, en nie politiek nie.