Row over school history attack

ANC presidential hopeful Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has opened a hornet’s nest after lashing out at former Model C schools, accusing them of feeding pupils anti-ANC information, including that the party is corrupt.

Dlamini Zuma made these comments during a visit to Zamdela in the Free State. She said it was not surprising that pupils at former Model C schools thought the ANC was corrupt and useless, because this was what they were being taught at school.

The response to her accusations was immediate. Tim Gordon, national chief executive of the Governing Body Foundation, said Dlamini Zuma’s comments were “completely uncalled for”.

“Her comments were irresponsible. It is not fair to take a broad swipe at schools, not to mention that it’s not true … it’s just cheap party politicking.

“There is no policy at schools to teach such things. Possibly in some forums, such as debate teams and life orientation, politics will come up, but there is no directive that politics be taught in such a manner,” he said.

But KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC Mthandeni Dlungwana said they shared Dlamini Zuma’s views on former Model C schools.

Dlungwana’s spokesman, Kwazi Mthethwa, said the education system had to be transformed.

He said Dlungwana was taking steps to address the matter. Last Thursday Dlungwana signed an agreement that would see the movie Kalushi being distributed at schools. The movie is about Struggle hero Solomon Mahlangu, who was hanged on April 6, 1979.

Mthethwa said: “We have been teaching European and US history at the expense of our African heroes and heroines. There is a lot that we are doing to transform education.

“Our learners must be taught the true reflection of our history.”

Education expert Professor Ruksana Osman, the dean of the Faculty of Humanities at Wits University, said the government should not be pushing party views.

“The state should not meddle in what is taught in schools. The job of schools is to ensure children learn to respect the rights and views of all,” said Osman.

“The role of teachers is to encourage pupils to have a multiplicity of views,” she said.

“Schools cannot be places where the government intervenes along party lines. This will be detrimental to our young democracy and to our children, who represent our future.”