|
THE right - or not - to speak Xhosa at school drew much attention to the Huguenot High School in Wellington last week when objections about the school rules were aired on SABC2.
It all started with a newsletter addressed to parents: "Huguenot is a double-medium school with Afrikaans and English as tuition languages," the letter stated.
"All our Xhosa-speaking pupils receive their tuition through the medium of English.
"To develop a sense of unity and to prevent any misunderstandings the Governing Body has decided that no pupil may speak Xhosa or communicate in Xhosa while they are in class.
"On the school grounds Xhosa-speakers may not use Xhosa when they are near pupils who do not speak Xhosa.
"The privilege to speak to one another in Xhosa in private will be taken away if any complaints are received from non-Xhosa speakers who, in any way, feel intimidated."
The parent of a Grade 12 learner from Mbekweni said she spoke for others when she voiced her disdain on national television.
Minister André Gaum's office demanded an immediate explanation.
"It was an interpretation problem," deputy principal Louise Grobler said.
"We had a meeting on March 18 after which the newsletter was compiled.
"A shift in emphasis from the wording in the minutes resulted in the message not coming across accurately."
The original wording requested Xhosa speaking pupils not to react in Xhosa when addressed by a teacher or prefect.
"Otherwise learners are welcome to use Xhosa among one another on the school grounds," was the original decision.
The decision originated from repeated complaints from teachers and prefects that the Grade 8 Xhosa learners reacted only in Xhosa when addressed in class or in the rows, to the amusement of their Xhosa co-students.
Since staff and prefects experienced this reaction in a negative light, the matter was explained to the Xhosa speaking parents at a PTA meeting "in the interests of mutual respect and discipline".
Said Grobler: "They did not express any objection to this ruling that Xhosa speaking students be requested to react only in English or Afrikaans when addressed in the school."
During a meeting on Monday night, an explanatory letter was compiled in which the school apologised for the incorrect wording in the newsletter. It will be circulated from today. |