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Question No. 1278
Ms SP Lebenya-Ntanzi (Inkata Freedom Party) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:
Whether she intends introducing sign language as an official school subject; if not, why not; if so, (a) what is the timeframe for establishing a process to recognise sign language as a school subject and (b) what are the further relevant details?
Reply:
Yes. The Department of Basic Education in cooperation with Pan South African Language Board (PANSALB) has already commenced with the development of sign language to be listed in the national curriculum statement grades R to 12. The first step in the development process is to develop terminology for sign language. The terminology list, once finalised must be verified and authenticated by the National Language Board. PANSALB will assist the Department of Basic Education in this regard.
Furthermore, information must be obtained of the level at which the language subject will be offered. Languages are currently offered at three language levels namely; home, first additional and second additional language levels.
Once sign language has been standardised, a ministerial task team must be established with the aim of determining what expertise is needed and to invite experts in the identified fields of sign language to serve on a subject working group.
It is imperative that all groupings in the aurally impaired community are identified because there must be consensus on what exactly sign language is and whether South African sign language is the only or best option. It is also important that all official languages will be accommodated in the chosen version of sign language. The subject working group will commence with its duty as spelt out in the terms of reference as developed by the Ministerial Committee. The subject working group will develop the following required policy and guideline documents:
* Subject statements which form the national education policy framework and stipulate the learning outcomes, assessment standards and content required for sign language
* Learning programme guidelines to assist teachers with the interpretation of the subject statements, especially with regard to the conduct of school-based assessment and
* Subject assessment guidelines to assist teachers with the composition of the school-based assessment and practical assessment tasks of sign language as outlined in the subject assessment guidelines.
Once the above policy and guideline documents have been developed, they must be published for public comment in the Government Gazette. The above process takes approximately ten months. The implementation date is to a large extent dependent on whether all groupings of the aurally impaired community have agreed to the curriculum.
Other factors that could influence the planned date for implementation are the availability of qualified teachers in sign language and the availability of suitable and acceptable teaching and learning support material. It is imperative that all groupings in the aurally impaired community are identified because there must be consensus on what exactly Sign Language is and whether South African sign language is the only or best option.
It is also important that all official languages will be accommodated in the chosen version of sign language. The subject working group will commence with its duty as spelt out in the Terms of reference as developed by the Ministerial Committee. The subject working group will develop the following required policy and guideline documents:
* Subject statements which form the national education policy framework and stipulate the learning outcomes, assessment standards and content required for sign language
* Learning programme guidelines to assist teachers with the interpretation of the subject statements, especially with regard to the conduct of school-based assessment and
* Subject assessment guidelines to assist teachers with the composition of the school-based assessment and practical assessment tasks of sign language as outlined in the subject assessment guidelines. Once the above policy and guideline documents have been developed, they must be published for public comment in the Government Gazette. Other bodies or organisations to be involved are:
* The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) for the registration of qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF)
* Umalusi, the Council for General and Further Education and Training Quality Assurance as Quality Council, which must develop and implement policy and criteria for the development, registration and publication of qualifications and the quality assurance thereof and
* Higher Education South Africa (HESA), which must consider if a subject qualifies to be regarded as a gateway subject for entrance to a bachelor's degree at a university. Currently there are only 18 of the 29 national senior certificate subjects identified for university admission.
These gateway subjects are listed in paragraph four of the Minimum Admission Requirements for Higher Certificate, Diploma and Bachelor's Degree programmes requiring a national senior certificate (NSC), published in Government Gazette, No, 31231 of 11 July 2008.
If Sign Language is to be developed at home and first additional language level, the implementation thereof should commence at General Education and Training (GET) level before there can be any implementation at Further Education and Training (FET) level. The duration of the national senior certificate qualification which is based on the national curriculum statement grades 10 to 12 is three years namely; grades 10, 11 and 12. A learner must offer all subjects selected, including sign language for all three grades, grades 10 to 12.
In view of this, the implementation of a newly developed subject should be incrementally, starting with grade 10 in January of the year after approval of the subject. Only sign language at second additional language level can be directly implemented at FET level.
The above process takes approximately 10 months. The implementation date is to a large extent dependent on whether all groupings of the aurally impaired community have agreed to the curriculum. Other factors that could influence the planned date for implementation are the availability of qualified teachers in sign language and the availability of suitable and acceptable teaching and learning support material.