Hear our cry, for we are the future

CHILDREN make up 35% of the South African population, and according to the Child Gauge (2018) in 2017, 11.2 million children between the ages of 7 and 17 were found to have attended some form of educational facility.

This figure constitutes 98% of the country’s children. Given these numbers, our issues as children should be taken seriously.

With the outbreak of Covid-19, the government, parents and caregivers should act in our best interests. This pandemic has exposed the inequalities that have existed in our country for a very long time.

Inequalities that exist in the education system have been exposed. In most cases, provinces that are better resourced have produced top matric results.

Most of us have no access to things like smartphones, data, television, and other gadgets, or access to textbooks to self-educate. Other families do not even have access to clean and/or running water and electricity. So, the outbreak of Covid-19 has denied us access to education.

Vulnerable children, particularly from rural areas and townships, will suffer the most because of these inequalities. In the end, we will be expected to write the same exam papers as the ones who were able to study online.

In response to the current situation we recommend the following:

Equal access to learning for all children – or online learning stops during lockdown.

Provide gadgets like tablets where there is a need – rural areas should be prioritised. Assist learners with data.

Work with civil society organisations and learners in developing strategies in education.

Hear our voices. We depend on you. We are the future, and the future starts small. Consider our feelings, reach out to us. You are our hope, and we will be your hope too. Help us, and we will help you too.

Who am I?

I am a child – a little flower

I am a precious smile

NSUKU VALENTINE SHIVAMBU | A 17-year-old

child rights activist from Alexandra