SADTU slams introduction of Mandarin
The Basic Education Department's decision to have Mandarin included as an elective language in public schools as of next year has been met with criticism from Sadtu.
Sadtu says government should not be imposing a foreign language on schools and learners when South Africa has a host of its own indigenous languages that can be taught.
The Basic Education Department believes the Chinese language will strengthen relations with China which is South Africa's trading largest partner.
The union's Nomusa Cembi says the move by the department is misguided.
''We said we haven't done much to ensure that our indigenous languages are taught well in our schools and now the introduction of this language in order to ensure they have economic relations with China makes it look like it's another form of colonisation,'' she said.
(File photo: Gallo Images)