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16 May 2022
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Story Lacea Loader
The academic programme on the Qwaqwa Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) will mostly continue online for this week, and students will be informed by their faculties about the revised schedule as well as arrangements regarding tests and assessments scheduled for this week on the campus.
This decision came after about 100 students blocked the entrance to the campus on the morning of 16 May 2022 and were dispersed by members of the South African Police Service (SAPS). This was followed by the stoning of some of the staff cottages from outside the periphery fence as the police again dispersed students. The students’ action was preceded by a night vigil at the main gate of the campus on 15 May 2022 by a group of about 200 students demanding that private accommodation payments be made to them and not to their chosen landlords.
The university management condemns today’s destructive behaviour by the students in the strongest terms – especially after the campus experienced violent protest action and arson this year, which affected the academic programme negatively.
The campus remains open; the university's Protection Services is on high alert and is closely monitoring the situation on campus in cooperation with the SAPS.
Released by:
Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Marketing)
Telephone: +27 51 401 2584 | +27 83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
UFS Sign Language expert appointed to a national government committee
2010-05-13
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| Photo: Mangaliso Radebe |
The National Department of Basic Education has appointed the Head of the Department of Afro-Asiatic Studies, Sign Language and Language Practice at the University of the Free State (UFS), Mr Philemon Akach, to serve in its Curriculum Management Team.
“It is my pleasure to inform you that you have been appointed as a member of the Curriculum Management Team to manage the development of Sign Language as a subject to be listed in the National Curriculum Statement Grades R-12,” the Minister of Basic Education, Mrs Angie Motshekga, wrote in her letter to Mr Akach.
“I am excited, after mulling over this, saying that maybe this time around it may just work because, from experience, I can sensitise the other committee members on how to build in an implementation strategy right from the beginning,” said Mr Akach.
“Over the last 12 years we have implemented the proposed part of the curriculum for tertiary institutions at this university, so our input will be a practical one. We have not only theoretically proven it can be done but have developed multimedia teaching materials as a legacy to sustain the course as a permanent feature at this level. I will share this with the management to implement what is already working.”
He was a Director of Sign Language and Interpreting Development with the Deaf Federation of South Africa for three years (1996-1998). During that time he directed the development of the South African Sign Language (SASL) curriculum as a school subject from Grades 0-12, as well as SASL as a second language, and a proposal to tertiary institutions on what they should take note of, should they considered introducing SASL as an academic course. All of these were handed over to the Department of Education in 1997.
“Committees are a good tool to write proposals but if there is no policing of the implementation, not much seems to work,” he said.
Media Release:
Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt@ufs.ac.za
12 May 2010