Cape Town - It is a disgrace that Afrikaans-speaking children cannot be accommodated in a Xhosa-speaking school in Du Noon, Cape Town, the Freedom Front Plus said on Wednesday.
“The party's reaction follows reports that Afrikaans parents in Du Noon have had to pay thousands of rands to get their children to school, while a Xhosa-medium school is situated close to them,” spokesman Anton Alberts said in a statement.
Basic education department spokesman Panyaza Lesufi said a school's language of instruction was decided by the school's governing body, not the department.
“Our schools are open to everyone. The decision lies with the parents.”
Alberts said Afrikaans schools across the country were being forced to take in children who spoke other languages.
“Government is not only failing to fulfil its international obligations with regard to minorities in South Africa, but does not even apply their own policies consistently.”
Alberts said if the government was consistent in applying its policies, the Xhosa-medium school would have been forced to become double-medium and allow Afrikaans pupils to be instructed in Afrikaans at the school.
“The FFPlus intends to submit a parliamentary question in which it will ask the Minister of Basic Education (Angie Motshekga) about this discrimination.”
If the minister did not rectify the matter, the FFPlus would report it to the SA Human Rights Commission. - Sapa