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#YouthMonth: Celebrating youth empowerment (Naledi Filita)

23 June 2023 | Story Naledi Filita | Photo Supplied

The University of the Free State (UFS) is celebrating Youth Month by showcasing the positive influence of the institution on career development. As part of this initiative, we are sharing the stories of UFS alumni who are now working at the university.

Naledi Filita, nGAP Lecturer in the Department of Languages in Education, shares her UFS journey:

Q: Year of graduation from the UFS:

A: 2016, 2018, and 2021.

Q: Qualification obtained from the UFS:

A: Bachelor of Education, Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Curriculum Studies), and Master of Education (Curriculum Studies).

Q: Date of joining the UFS as a staff member:

A: 2021.

Q: Initial job title and current job title:

A: Lecturer.

Q: How did the UFS prepare you for the professional world?

A: I started my career as a teacher in 2015 and was later appointed to my current job. The UFS has equipped me with the knowledge and skills that enabled me to be competent in my field in various contexts. My journey as a UFS student equipped me with crucial skills, such as critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and organisational skills.

Q: What are your thoughts on transitioning from a UFS alumnus to a staff member?

A: It has been a wonderful experience so far. I was once a student teacher at this university. Due to my experiences, being able to instil knowledge and skills in student teachers is something that I am passionate about. I am grateful for the developmental opportunities and support that I receive as a young researcher.

News Archive

Judgement in the Supreme Court of Appeal about UFS Language Policy

2016-11-17

The University of the Free State (UFS) is pleased with the judgment handed down in the Supreme Court of Appeal this morning, relating to the university’s appeal against the implementation order granted on 12 September 2016 by the Full Bench of the Free State High Court. The implementation order barred the UFS from implementing its new Language Policy in 2017, pending the outcome of the appeal of the review application.

The Supreme Court of Appeal held that the application brought by AfriForum and Solidarity failed on a legal and factual level, and was misconceived. The court accordingly upheld the appeal by the UFS against the implementation order, setting aside the order, and directing that AfriForum and Solidarity pay the legal costs of the UFS in respect of both the High Court and Supreme Court of Appeal proceedings pertaining to implementation.

The effect of today’s judgment is that the UFS may proceed to implement the new Language Policy in its pilot programme next year, pending the appeal of the review application which will only be heard early in 2017.

In March 2016, the Senate and then Council adopted with overwhelming majority a new Language Policy that strives to achieve multilingualism. The new policy entails English as primary medium of instruction, but with the introduction of a tutorial system in Afrikaans and progressively in Sesotho to support students’ learning in their first and second year of study.

The policy will be piloted in 2017 with first-year students in three faculties: Law, Health Sciences, and the Humanities. In these faculties, the majority of students indicated their preference to be taught in English. The Afrikaans-English policy will be maintained in the rest of the faculties in 2017 and phased out according to an implementation plan as from 2018.

Current registered students will be able to complete their studies in the language they selected upon registration.

Released by:
Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Brand Management)
Telephone: +27 51 401 2584 | +27 83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27 51 444 6393

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