Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
A decade of educational issues
Education stories have dominated headlines for the past 10 years, with a focus on transformation, safety and student activism. Weekend Argus takes a look at some of the key issues affecting education since 2000
#FEESMUSTFALL
The #FeesMustFall student movement which began in 2015 sparked global outrage.
The country-wide protests began in opposition to the increase of tuition fees at South Africa universities.
The movement was birthed at Joburg’s Wits University and later stretched to higher education institutions across the country.
It was marked by violent protests and clashes with police and campus security, which brought campuses to a complete standstill.
The protests had a brief pause when Minister of Higher Education and Training Blade Nzimande announced there would be no fees increase for the 2016 academic year.
The following year, Nzimande then announce a capped increase of 8% in tuition fees.
The movement marked a key moment in the country’s academic history, while many #FeesMustFall student activists were arrested and others died.
In 2015, #TransformWits, which was aimed at responding to financial exclusion at Wits, culminated in what would eventually become the #FeesMustFall movement.
In that same year, #RhodesMustFall, which started at Rhodes University, was a catalyst for protests across the country against statues representing colonial and apartheid symbols on campuses premises, including the statue of Cecil John Rhodes to be removed at UCT.
This was followed by Open Stellenbosch at Stellenbosch University, a movement aimed at “purging the oppressive remnants of apartheid” at the institution.
Further student protests continued at the Durban University of Technology amid allegations that results were being withheld due to outstanding tuition fees.
Protests against financial exclusion also took place at Cape Peninsula University of Technology campuses, while in November 2015 protests at the UWC saw facilities being vandalised and violent conflicts between police and students.
#FeesMustFall continued all the way into 2016 and 2017 across all universities, with key features being transformation through the decolonisation
of the curriculum.
BISHOPS SCANDAL
News that a teacher at Bishops Diocesan College in Rondebosch allegedly had sex with pupils at the school over a six-year period sent shock waves throughout the country when the story broke in October.
Last week, Bishops said it had reported former teacher Fiona Viotti to the police for her alleged sexual misconduct with at least five pupils since 2013. Attorneys Francois van Zyl and Graeme Dorrington produced a detailed report which is now in the hands of the police.
However, Viottil couldn’t face disciplinary charges from the school due to the fact that she had already resigned from her position when the allegations emerged. During the investigation, the 32-year-old history teacher and water polo coach was admitted to a psychiatric clinic.
HAIR STORIES
Issues around hair policies in schools have come under severe scrutiny too.
In 2016, Pretoria Girls High’s policy disallowed for black girls to have afros.
The school’s policy demanded that black girls should straighten their hair, which led to protests at the school and on social media under the hashtag #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh.
At the time, Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi apologised to the affected pupils for the “traumatic and humiliating experience of racial abuse and victimisation” they were subjected to.
Similar incidents occurred in the Western Cape at San Souci Girls’ High School in Claremont and Malibu High School in Blue Downs.
In 2016, San Souci pupils protested against the enforcement of discriminatory hair policies, which saw the school scrapping the rule, while in 2019, Malibu High was asked by the Western Cape Education Department to review its hair policy following an incident where black girls were sent home due to their “untidy” hair.
STABBINGS
More than 10 incidents of stabbing took place in schools this year.
Two pupils were stabbed by fellow pupils in Lentegeur High School in Mitchells Plain.
In June, Daniel Makhwela, 16, was stabbed to death by fellow pupil Muhammed Mwela at Forest High School in Johannesburg.
In 2015, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga approved the National School Safety Framework which was developed to provide an all-inclusive strategy to guide the national department in co-ordinated efforts to address the violence.
#LUISTER
In August 2015, students from Stellenbosch University released a documentary which revealed their experiences of racism at the institution.
The documentary titled Luister went viral on social media and debate soon began about the alleged ongoing racism at the university.
It consisted of interviews from 32 students and a lecturer, with students detailing their experiences of alleged racial abuse, discrimination and exclusion.
The doccie was a response by UCT student Dan Corder who discovered that his friend, a black student at Maties, was facing disciplinary charges for participating in a protest.
The protest was led by Open Stellenbosch, a student activism movement that opposed the university’s language policy.
To date, the video has 406 278 views on YouTube.
CAPS, CURRICULUM CHANGE
In 2012, a new syllabus was introduced to replace the existing Outcomes Based Education.
The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Satement (Caps) syllabus is supported by a range of teacher-geared policies to advance the principles of social transformation, human rights, inclusivity and social justice, among others.
But since Caps specifies the curriculum, a higher workload (compared to OBE) has resulted in many teachers being unable to finish teaching the lessons in class which has translated into more homework for pupils.
BLACKHEATH TAXI CRASH
In August 2010, Jacob Humphreys, a school transport driver collided with a train, resulting in the deaths of 10 children – aged between seven and 16.
Humphreys was found guilty on 10 counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder and was sentenced to 20 years in prison for driving through a closed boom at the Buttskop Level Crossing in Blackheath.
Humphreys later appealed his sentence at the Supreme Court of Appeal, where the charges were changed to culpable homicide and his sentence was brought down to eight years.
He was released last August.