University makes indigenous language mandatory for all students

A well knowned university in South Africa will make learning the Zulu language compulsory for all students students starting next year, the first time the country’s higher education sector has ever made such a move to impose the teaching of an indigenous African language.

 The University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban called the measure a “watershed” moment in its history, requiring students to be at least bilingual in order to obtain their degrees, regardless of their field of study.

 The university explained that the decision would encourage “social cohesion” and promote “nation-building and [bring] diverse languages together” in a country still divided by race and culture.

 “At a university where more than 60 percent of students are Zulu-speaking, the institution has an obligation to ensure linguistic choices result in effective learning solutions. … Language should serve to bring diverse learning communities together and promote social cohesion,” the university's Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Renuka Vithal said in a statement.

 “You can come through the schooling system without learning any of the indigenous African languages,” Vithal told reporters. “It is surprising that this is still the case, nearly 20 years after apartheid ended.”

 She added that since Zulu is the most widely spoken language in the country (based on results of the 2011 Census), it makes sense for all South Africans to learn the tongue.

 On average, almost half (48 percent) of first-year students enrolled at the university speak Zulu at home.

 In the province of KwaZulu-Natal, about 80 percent of the people speak Zulu, Agence France Presse noted. South Africa’s Mercury newspaper quoted Prof. Leon de Stadler, the director of the Stellenbosch University’s Language Centre, who said that multilingualism is essential in a truly democratic society.

 But he did not endorse making learning Zulu compulsory.

 “It is not always practical or affordable but, even worse, it can create a lot of negative attitude regarding language promotion and language teaching,” he said.