A Kariega school, which had repeatedly denied requests for a pupil to be taught in English and not Afrikaans, was forced into action after intervention from both the department of education and a teen activist
On Friday, Daniel Pienaar Technical High School principal Kola du Toit confirmed that the grade 9 pupil, who cannot be named because she is a minor, would be moved over to the English stream today.
“I may not issue statements though the matter was amicably solved,” Du Toit said.
She referred questions to Eastern Cape education spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima.
Mtima said the district had instructed the school to resolve the matter and place the girl accordingly.
The pupil’s family had been battling to have her moved from the Afrikaans stream since 2025 when she first enrolled at the school after passing grade 7 at Laerskool Frans Conradie in Despatch in 2024.
They had argued in an email sent to the school on January 12 that the girl had been enrolled at Frans Conradie when she was five years old because it was the nearest school to where she lived, and that offered aftercare.
The idea was to move her to an English school in grade 8 — just like her cousins.
“It will make it easier for her uncle and aunt to help her as they are Xhosa and English speaking,” the parents said in the email.
Children’s Parliament former speaker Khazimla Adam, who was Woodridge College head girl in 2024, said the matter first came to her attention in 2025.
The Despatch-born activist said it was an injustice that the pupil was deprived of her right to choose her medium of instruction when she enrolled in 2025.
She said the girl’s parents had been hopeful that she would be placed in the English class in 2026 and there would be no need to escalate their concerns.
However, she had been notified recently that the pupil had yet again been put in the Afrikaans class.
“After hearing that the parents [and the school] had had numerous calls, emails and meetings and nothing changed, we decided to notify the department of education to step in as they have the authority … to step into school matters and policies that are not in line with the constitution,” Adam said.
About two minutes after Du Toit was contacted for comment, she responded that the matter had been resolved.
Adam said she was also advised by Du Toit in an email that the pupil would be placed in the English class.
“It is amazing news to know that the constitutional rights of the pupil have been protected,” Adam said.
Attempts to get comment from the pupil’s parents were unsuccessful.
Adam sent a letter, on behalf of the girl’s parents, to Nelson Mandela Bay education district officials, the school and Du Toit on January 15.
According to her letter, the girl’s parents enrolled her at Daniel Pienaar because the school offered both English and Afrikaans as mediums of instruction.
“This was favourable to the parents of the child as they desired for her to continue her studies using English as a medium of instruction,” Adam wrote.
But after being accepted, the parents discovered that the girl had been placed in the Afrikaans class — doing all her subjects in Afrikaans.
“The parents then appealed and requested the school to place her in the English class, but nothing came to fruition.”
Adams wrote that though dissatisfied with this outcome, the parents accepted it knowing that in 2026 she would swap to the English class.
“The school yet again denied the child to choose which language she desired to be taught in.
“The school principal referred to the language policy which, according to her, says children coming from Afrikaans primary schools should continue with Afrikaans as the medium of instruction.
“This is a gross violation of the child’s right to choose [her] medium of instruction provided by the school.
“Both Afrikaans and English classes are available at [Daniel Pienaar] but the principal [allegedly] bluntly denied her.”
Adam said it was her observation that this was a gross infringement of Section 29(2) of the constitution, which states the right to receive education in the official language or languages of choice in public education institutions.
“If the department of education upholds the constitution and is for the best interest of the child, then the school’s policy cannot contradict the national policy framework.
“And this further confirms that the school cannot deny the pupils the right to choose the medium of instruction they want, therefore the school should always align with the constitution.
“However, according to the case above, when there is a dispute against the school, the department has the power to decide not the school.”
The Herald
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