Indian languages to be official subjects in S African schools

• Five Indian languages were again started in South African Schools, which were discontinued in 1994. 
• These languages are : 

1. Hindi,
2. Tamil,
3. Gujrati,
4. Marathi,
5. Urdu.

• These languages were offered as official subjects in schools of South Africa until 1994. These languages will be offered to students as optional third language.
• In this regard the circular was issued to schools in South Africa on 20th March 2014.
• These languages first will be offered as an optional third language for learners only in KwaZulu-Natal province where about 70 percent of the Indian-origin population inhabit.
• Further these five Indian languages along with Arabic language will be offered as official subjects up to matric level (final year of schooling) in South Africa.
• However, these languages as official subjects will only be offered at schools where the number of learners makes it a viable option to hire specialist teachers in the language concerned.
• The five Indian languages Hindi, Tamil, Gujarati, Telugu and Urdu alongside Arabic are referred as Eastern languages.