Critical Blog Reflection: The Call of South Africa
With my time in South Africa coming to an end, it has allowed me to reflect upon the experiences with education and communication. The children we interacted with in the townships we went to were black or colored. With our course, we were given the opportunity to spend time at two different educational centers, the crèche in Zwelihle and Ekukhanyisweni Primary School. At the crèche, the children were preschool-aged and did not know English. This, however, did not stop use from interacting and communicating. One of the best ways to communicate with each other was through playing. Simple things like drawing with chalk or playing tag connected us in a special way. The language barrier may have prevented a certain interaction between the children and I, but we were still able to communicate through our actions and expressions. Smiles and happiness are able to transcend language. It amazed me every time we saw kids at the schools and townships how happy they were even though they had so little.
One aspect of life some kids may or may not have was education. Education in South Africa is compulsory at the primary school level, from ages 7-15. After grade 7, children can either continue onto secondary education or not attend school any more. Primary school teaches children basic literacy and numeracy (“Education”). Even though education is required by law, children in townships may not be attending school for various reasons, and there may not be people there to enforce the compulsory education in certain areas of the country.
However, even with the public school system, education is far from being equal and accessible. With the Bantu Education Act of 1953, it formally segregated education. The law brought African schooling under government control, and thus extended apartheid to the education system (“Bantu Education”). Although the apartheid system was dismantled in 1994, there are still negative repercussions of this discriminatory system that many black and colored children face. Schools are still unequal in places due to the quality of teachers, quality of supplies, and access to materials.
One of the big issues with the disparities in the education system is that education is a way of advancement and moving away from the post-apartheid lifestyle. Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” By finishing through grade 12, it raises the probability of finding a job to 67%. Receiving higher education—post-secondary education—improves chances of finding a job to 86% (“This Graph”). From different discussions in class and even some of the research presentations, I have learned that jobs are a potential way to help improve the economy of South Africa. Unemployment in South Africa is currently at 27.1%, which is the highest in 13 years (“South African”). Because the unemployment is so high in townships and among blacks and coloreds, it is just perpetuating the cycle of poverty. Having an informed proletariat can and will drive change in a country.
With these experiences, it has called into question how I see and value education. Growing up, education was just a given. There was not a question of whether I would or would not go to elementary, middle, or high school. It’s shocking to see that in South Africa, although 86% of 16-to 18-year-olds are in school, only 5% complete grade 12 by age 18, the expected age of completion (“This Graph”). I am incredibly grateful for growing up in an area where the public school system was good, and even more grateful for the opportunity for higher education at Elon. I believe that many Americans don’t necessarily think about the opportunities that are provided with education. From 2003 to 2013, the number of American students in public elementary and secondary schools increased from 48.5 million to 50 million, with this number projected to continue to increase (“The Condition”). Some families in South Africa and in townships have to decide whether to send their children to school or to buy food and pay rent. It’s a tough decision that was very eye-opening.
One thing I noticed about the education system is that the teachers call the children enrolled “learners” versus “students.” I like this because I think that there is so much to school besides being students of the curriculum. Children learn a lot through the socialization and interaction with the other students. The more children can learn, not necessarily just from school books, it can help them in life.
After the experiences with the kids in the townships and at the education centers, it makes me think whether education is the solution to South Africa’s problems. How does the education system change so that it is equal, and who will be the people to make such changes? The ANC has been in power as long as democracy has existed in South Africa, and therefore has been in control of the education system since the end of apartheid. Many of the comments on different articles on South African education attack the ANC for staying in control and not addressing the issues at hand. One comment that stood out was “education can kill the ANC, therefore its [sic] a pretty good idea to dumb down the voters” (“This Graph”). Is the ANC perpetuating the educational problems of SA or not? It is hard to understand all the political ramifications of a country by spending just a few weeks in country, but it has been enough time for different problems to reveal themselves. Education is not a simple problem that can be solved overnight, but it needs to be and should be addressed so that the children of South Africa can have a better and brighter future.
Sources:
“Bantu Education.” South Africa: Overcoming Apartheid. Michigan State University, n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2017.
“The Condition of Education – Participation in Education – Elementary/Secondary – Racial/Ethnic Enrollment in Public Schools – Indicator May (2016).” NCES. National Center for Education Statistics, May 2016. Web. 24 Jan. 2017.
“Education Database – Countries.” Education Database – Countries. N.p., 2012. Web. 24 Jan. 2017.
“This Graph Shows Just How Bad South Africa Is at Education.” Business Tech. IABSA, 3 June 2015. Web. 23 Jan. 2017.
“South African Unemployment Rate Hits 13-year High.” BusinessTech. IABSA, 22 Nov. 2016. Web. 24 Jan. 2017.
