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Educational language policy and the indigenous languages of Namibia

This article discusses the various trends in the development of language 
policy in Namibia, in a Situation marked by a diverse population. With a 
population of approximately 1.6 million people, Namibia has over 28 languages and dialects belonging to Bantu, Khoisan and Germanic language 
families. Three phases are considered. Firstly, the arrival ofthe missionary 
groups and the role they played in the codification of the mother tongues. 
This phase included Steps taken during the German colonial rule 
(1884-1915) to support missionary efforts to use Namibian languages for 
basic education in a Situation characterized by a lack ofteaching materials 
and qualified teachers. The second phase covers South African mandated 
rule that lasted from 1915 to independence in 1990. During this period 
apartheidpolicies ofracial and ethnic Separation led to the Bantu Education 
Act of 1953 which emphasized the development of indigenous languages as 
school subjects andmedia ofinstruction up to theprimary level of education. 
English and Afrikaans became official languages with greater emphasis on 
Afrikaans, while English, Afrikaans and German were proclaimed national 
languages. The indigenous languages were relegated to the Status oftribal/ 
ethnic languages with no socio-economicpower or mobility. At independence 
in 1990, English was declared the official language and the main language 
of educational instruction from the fourth year of primary school up to 
university. Indigenous languages are to be used as media of instruction up 
to the third year of education and as subjects throughout the education 
system. The various policies are discussed from the perspective ofthe extent 
to which they encouraged or hampered the development of Namibian languages as resourcesfor the enhancement ofthe Namibian identity, education 
culture, and the modernization process.