Language Policy - New West Secondary School

According to the South Schools Act No. 84 of 1996, Section 6, the following stipulation will apply to New West Secondary School:

1. A learner in a public school shall have the right to instruction in the language of his/her choice where this is reasonably practicable.
2. The Governing Body of New West Secondary School, a public school, may determine the language policy of the school subject to:

• The National Policy determined by the Minister under the National Education Policy Act;
  

• The Provincial Policy determined by the member of the Executive Council,
  

provided that no form of racial discrimination may be practised in exercising its policy.

New West Secondary School will have only one language of instruction, namely ENGLISH. English will be used for teaching, learning and in testing (assessments). English has been chosen as the only language of instruction for the following reasons:

1. It is the language preference of the majority of the pupils and parents at this school.
2. Other schools in the vicinity also use English as the only medium of instruction.
3. Teachers at New West Secondary School are competent and qualified to teach in English.
4. It is reasonably practicable to teach in English only.

Pupils will have a choice between Afrikaans First Additional Language and IsiZulu First Additional Language as their second compulsory language. Assessments in these languages will be used for promotion of learners as per Departmental and National Senior Certificate (Matriculation) Examination requirements. Afrikaans (Second Language) is being offered because:

1. this school has competent and qualified teachers to teach the language;
2. pupils enrolled at the school from the primary schools  have studied the language; and,
3. historically, Afrikaans was a compulsory second language until the promulgation of new education legislation.