Angie Motshekga calls for patience in dealing with Overvaal’s language policy
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga says practical steps need to be taken before English classes can be considered at the Overvaal high school in Vereeniging‚ where tension flared in January during protests against the school’s Afrikaans language policy. She encouraged those demanding the immediate enrolment of black and English-speaking pupils to calmly discuss the matter. "Let’s not go and fight with ourselves on matters that we can resolve because it creates unnecessary tension and animosity‚" Motshekga said on Sunday. The minister was addressing a media briefing following the department’s lekgotla last week. The row erupted after the school refused an instruction by the Gauteng education department to accept 55 English-speaking pupils. The school said it had no capacity to admit the learners‚ and could not set up a parallel stream in the timeframe it was given by the department. Its decision was backed by the High Court in Pretoria. Motshekga emphasised the need to deal wit...
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