Education News – Jace Harr
“Language instruction is a political matter worldwide, but particularly in South Africa. The country has 11 official languages, according to Times Live, with English as the dominant language of business and politics. Indigenous languages are often not available in schools, which to many is a continuation of the imperialism that has defined the country for its recent history. The government agency responsible for promoting the use of native languages, the Pan South African Language Board, is historically and consistently underfunded. A spokesperson for South Africa’s education department said that the Chinese government would be providing teacher training support. China has been encouraging the expansion of Mandarin in Africa, writes Lily Kuo of Quartz, with scholarships to study in China and government-funded language and culture schools, known as Confucius Institutes, across the continent. The stated goal is to strengthen economic ties with the country. China has been South Africa’s largest trading partner since 2009.”(more)