New school slated for lack of diversity
A NEW private school in Paarl, expected to open next year, has come under attack for its lack of diversity among its teaching staff.
Green School South Africa, a private school covering kindergarten, primary school (Grades 1-5) and middle school (Grades 6-8) has only one person of colour among its teaching staff.
Green School SA co-founder, Alba Brandt, said they were disappointed in the lack of diversity from applicants when advertising for their first intake of teachers.
“Some of the possible reasons could be that we’re a very new school and teachers matching the criteria we’re looking for might view a new school as potentially risky,” said Brandt. “Having staff of diverse races, cultures, faiths and gender is exactly what we strive for, as it represents a global reality that our students should be exposed to. We hope that our next intake of teachers will achieve this.”
However, racial justice expert Edwin Cleophas said the under-representation of people of colour added fuel to the narrative that white people were more competent.
“Fair representation could contribute to a more equitable society and possibly serve as a catalyst to providing a blueprint for the empowerment of people of colour.
“What that means is that when more people of colour are trusted in positions of power and significance, we can move to a space where it becomes the norm, which is something we need to see,” said Cleophas.
“We can’t allow schools, especially newly opened schools, to have a teacher body that’s 99% white in a country that is over 90% black. The dignity and importance of providing a society that is representative of the black majority in this country is not a request, it’s a demand, one that can’t be ignored as it holds the power to influence how our future generations should look.”
Professor in the faculty of Education at Stellenbosch University, Nuraan Davids, said racial diversity in schools was critical and inclusion and articulation of different lives and perspectives stood to benefit all.
“Racial diversity implies cultural, religious and the ethnic diversity and provides points of resonance for learners, who might find themselves in the minority group,” Davids said.