Fight for better education goes on

JUNE 16 2016 marks the fourth decade since the revolt by the youth in 1976 against “Bantu Education”. South Africans and the youth, in particular, are steadfast in observing this memorable day in the sad history of the education of the African child.

The turning point in the education of the African child was the passing of the Bantu Education Act in 1954, which introduced Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in black schools and was to certify the inferiority of the African child’s education.

The speech by the then minister of native affairs, Hendrik Verwoerd, is worth noting. He said: “There is no place for a black man in the European community above the level of certain forms of labour. What is the use of teaching a Bantu child mathematics when it cannot use it in practice?”

There have been demonstrations against “Bantu education” since 1954, and this led to the revolt in 1976 against the use of Afrikaans and the system.

Fast forward to 2016, and the challenges of black children’s education have not necessarily vanished.

They are still struggling with mathematics. Black teachers of mathematics and physical science are still in short supply.

The current regime has done a tremendous job in reversing the evil deeds of apartheid. But the challenges of our youth dropping out of school and the high level of the use of drugs and substances are reversing these gains.

Not only did the apartheid regime engineer the inferiority of academic education for the African child, it went as far as occupational space.

There were certain trades which were exclusively accessible to whites only.

The fight for a better and quality education is ongoing. Thobani kaMajwabana Mhlongo Pretoria