The centenary celebration of Afrikaans as official language is also a celebration of multilingualism in South Africa. At 100 years old, Afrikaans is one of the youngest official languages in the world.

          “Afrikaans is a unique language due to its diverse origins as well as the diversity of its users. There is of course no denying that Afrikaans benefited from apartheid legislation. However, the way in which Afrikaans kept growing and remained relevant over the past 30 years is proof of its resilience,” says Dr Jaco Deacon, CEO of the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools (FEDSAS).

          In the education sector Afrikaans is a model for other language groups. The value of mother tongue education, especially at primary school level, cannot be overstated. “Children perform significantly better when they learn foundational concepts in their native language. Afrikaans is highly evolved as language of instruction. This can serve as a template for the goal of making mother-tongue education a reality in South Africa.”

          FEDSAS’s membership represents the diversity of South Africa, and the organisation aims to make resources available in as many languages as possible. “Our popular publication FEDSAS Pocket Statutes: Schools: Law and Governance was recently updated, and FEDSAS is dedicating the updated Afrikaans version to the centenary celebrations. The Afrikaans version, FEDSAS Sakpaswette: Skoolbeheer en die Reg, is only available at FEDSAS.”

          Deacon says while Afrikaans is the focus of this week’s celebrations, FEDSAS continues to make legislation, policy, regulations and resources available and accessible to school governing bodies across the board. “The publication A practical guide to school governance is available in 11 of the 12 official languages. It is also available in Afrikaans Braille,” says Deacon.

          Legal terminology is often a challenge in school governance. By providing access in different languages, FEDSAS is contributing to multilingualism while also equipping school governors with resources to maintain and promote quality education in our schools.