Nearly
two decades after Indian languages were removed from the official curriculum in
South African
state
schools, Hindi, Tamil, Gujarati, Telugu and Urdu are to be reinstated following
pleas by a representative group of the country's 1.4 million citizens of Indian
origin.
The languages will at first be offered as an optional third language
for learners only in KwaZulu-Natal province, where about 70 per cent of the Indian-origin
population resides. The provincial Head
of the Education Department Nkosinathi Sishi confirmed in a circular to schools
that they could offer what it refers to as Eastern languages, because Arabic is
also offered alongside the Indian languages.
Although
some schools have been running classes in Indian languages, it had not been part
of the official government-approved curriculum. Now classes will be recognised
as official subjects up to matric level, the final year of the schooling system
in the country. But the subjects will only be offered at schools where the
number of learners makes it a viable option to hire specialist teachers in the
language concerned.