Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

Creating mother tongue pride and confidence in rural areas

26 January 2024 | Story Charlene Stanley | Photo Supplied

A unique public speaking competition hosted in the small town of Philippolis has done wonders to not only build confidence in young mother tongue speakers, but to broaden the cultural perspectives of an entire community.

The Philippolis Public Speaking Competition has been hosted by the Unit for Language Facilitation and Empowerment (ULFE) and the Department of Community Engagement (CE) at the University of the Free State (UFS) since 2013. What started as a small competition for learners in this Southern Free State town, has grown into a much-anticipated annual event, drawing participants from schools in neighbouring towns such as Trompsburg, Bethulie, Jagersfontein, Fauresmith, Gariepdam, and Reddersburg.

Talking about heritage

Every year, learners from Grades 6 to 9 are invited to present a speech on a specific heritage-related topic. Participants are encouraged to speak in their mother tongues – which in this region are mainly Afrikaans, Sesotho, Setswana, and isiXhosa.

Interpreters from the UFS ULFE ensure that the audience can follow each speech. For the past few years, deaf learners from the Bartimea School for the Deaf and Blind in Thaba Nchu and Re Tlameleng School for the Deaf in Kimberley have made welcome appearances, assisted by UFS sign language interpreters.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to teach our young people about acknowledging and respecting different opinions – but also to consider perspectives from differently abled individuals,” enthuses Anita Muller, a teacher from Bergmanshoogte Primary School, who has been involved in the competition from the very beginning.

“Learners in rural areas so often believe they don’t have a voice, and that nobody is interested in their opinions,” she continues.

“This competition does wonderful work in building feelings of self-worth and self-confidence. And it is usually a welcome opportunity for our broader community to get together, learn about one another’s cultures, and change perspectives.”

Embracing individuality

Jani de Lange, UFS Lecturer in South African Sign Language and Deaf Studies, and one of the coordinators of the project, says she was excited to note that the master of ceremonies of last year’s competition was a former participant in the very first event.

“This project gives me a sense of pride and reminds me why I am part of the UFS. It has been a real eye-opener to see how important it is for those involved,” she says.

“It encourages our young people to embrace their individuality, as we celebrate the cultures and traditions of all those who participate,” says Mabatho Ntsieng from the Engaged Scholarship Office. She says young people often lose sight of where they come from. By giving them opportunities to research topics linked to their heritage and then present their speech in their mother tongue, they can return to their cultural roots.

“It is wonderful to see how proud these participants are and the impact it has on the schools and the community.”

News Archive

UFS establishes a Postgraduate office

2007-07-18

The University of the Free State (UFS) will establish a postgraduate office that will serve as a one-stop service for the co-ordination of academic support services for postgraduate students.

According to the Director: Research Development at the UFS, Prof Frans Swanepoel, the primary purpose of the Postgraduate Office is to provide co-ordination and support services for postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows, as well as academic staff across the University.

“Guided by values such as intellectual inquiry, innovation, collegiality, integrity and efficiency, the Postgraduate Office will seek to foster a challenging, inclusive and supportive environment for postgraduate teaching, learning, research and scholarship; and will strive to engage students in the vibrant life of a research university”, Prof Swanepoel said.

All sectors of the University, namely students, faculties and staff, stand to benefit from the establishment of this office. Amongst other benefits for these sectors, postgraduate students and postdoctoral research fellows will have their interests promoted in synergy with faculty and departmental facilities. On the other hand, the office will provide a critical resource to the faculties in the form of a single database of postgraduate students, postgraduate topics, supervisors and funding opportunities. Furthermore, it will serve as a useful resource and base for training and information for younger and less experienced staff members.

The establishment of this office will be undertaken in two phases. The first phase will focus on the most critical areas that will make an immediate impact and the second phase on those areas that are not as urgent.

Areas that will be prioritised include the appointment of a manager and co-ordination of stakeholders, the provision of information and communication, useful resources for the UFS, policy administration and monitoring, postgraduate supervisors’ facilitation, recruitment activities, advice and referral, and postgraduate scholarship and bursary management.

The less urgent components of the office will be the development and implementation of academic and professional support programmes, the formation of a research information commons to create an integrated learning environment for postgraduate students, and the development of a postgraduate association or a postgraduate students’ liaison committee to provide a recognised channel of communication between postgraduate students and the University authorities.

The Postgraduate Office will form a vital component of the Directorate Research Development (DRD) at the UFS because of its experience and a noteworthy track record with regard to a facilitative and co-ordinating role that would be essential for the office.

“Establishing the Postgraduate Office as part of the Directorate would give the Centre the necessary links to the research-related issues that are important to most of the postgraduate students at the UFS. Of essential importance will be the linkages with the full spectrum of Strategic Clusters”, Prof Swanepoel explained.

“An important component of the Postgraduate Office will be related to international students and international opportunities for UFS postgraduate students. As the Office for Internationalisation has similarly been placed within the Directorate, the work of the Postgraduate Office will be facilitated by similar placement within the same Directorate”, he concluded.

Media release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt.stg@mail.ufs.ac.za
18 July 2007

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept