1. Does South Africa’s Education System face a crisis?
It was our first lecture at the University of Stellenbosch and a group of us, ages 18–25, were
asked to create a timeline of South African history. Apart from the awkward silence, there was a
nonchalant, almost bored atmosphere in the room. The relevance of the task seemed lost to my
peers (all South Africans). Such a large group of bright young people, so lost to inertia had to be
symptomatic of a much larger problem: they were disconnected from their own histories and
futures. I knew that I was experiencing a moment among casualties of the South African
Education System.
You have to look at history as an evolution of society, Jean Chrétien
South Africa’s history provides a wealth of lessons, both personal as well as global. Like any
lesson, the content has to be studied critically, drawing forth the spirit of the past and examining
it. Like most countries, South Africa is a melting pot of cultures. However, unlike most countries,
it has been dominated by a minority population through oppressive means. As other countries
were ridding themselves of the ugly badge of colonialism and racial segregation in the late 40’s,
South Africa institutionalized inequality in such an efficient way that the shockwaves still rock
the nation today. Services were distributed unevenly and to this day, follow the same trend
regardless of the laws in place for a more balanced society. In a country where, for over a
century, the black majority was trained to give only service to a small minority, the habits formed
are harder to break than people realized. Adding to that, in an even bigger picture, the
education system, a factory in itself, producing workers for a 20th
century industrial economy,
not a 21st
century, innovative, living community. With these two pillars of conditioning in mind,
any kind of identity was lost. We see this in the steady and dramatic decline of the living
standards of the black majority with the exception of a few, more privileged non-whites who tend
to adopt the pervasive western culture, shunning black cultural norms and in the process,
decidedly pitting themselves against themselves.
To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity, Nelson Mandela
Education, being a fundamental human right, is the key to empowerment and individual
freedom. Like any process, education needs to be fluid with the ability to adapt to global shifts
and economic requirements. Unfortunately, South Africa has a system that is bogged down in a
mire of inequality, poor resource utilisation and a lack of relevance. In my experience, educators
are either unwilling or unable (or both) to dedicate their time to the long-term goal of Active
Citizenry in line with National Development. As pillars of authority, educators are in a prime
position to pass on attitudes and mind-sets to children who more frequently than not, come from
disadvantaged homes. This feedback loop can propagate a community that prioritises hard work
and development over instant gratification, the critical work ethic necessary to overcome current
states of being. Resources are being diverted toward approaches that have no bearing on the
needs of a society that is crumbling slowly. Furthermore, the lack of transparency and
accountability of the resources proves the awareness of guilt amongst the perpetrators.
Nicholas Spaull, who is affiliated with the University of Stellenbosch, gave an enlightening
presentation, detailing the extent to which the Education System is in dire need of a nationwide
intervention. Unsurprisingly, data pointed to a dramatic gap between a large, failing majority and
a small, above average minority. Once again, bringing into focus poor service output to
socioeconomically disadvantaged communities in South Africa. Townships and rural areas,
without access to beneficial services, send waves of young, unemployable people into even
worse states of poverty in cities that have no way of supporting the influx.

2. If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor, Desmond
Tutu
Being a Zimbabwean, I have a unique opportunity to observe young South African’s battle to
find their place in a constantly changing system. These young men and women come from a
long line of dedicated freedom fighters with admirable tenacity and patience. Why then, one
may wonder, is South Africa swiftly becoming a haven for petty criminals, a continued example
of how not to operate as a country? Juxtaposed against the controversial history and present of
Zimbabwe, South Africa has a head start toward a stable, diverse economy that utilizes all of
her resources, including her vast interwoven network of galvanised citizens who are able to act
with pride in their nation if they choose to. For this paradigm to take hold, each individual has to
understand that the system applies to them on an individual level, as well as on a national scale.
Whether it necessitates a monthly compulsory community meeting to discuss current policy or
visits from popular government officials to underprivileged homes to establish a sense of
concern and connectedness. Current ideologies centre on typical millennial social constructs
and these include some of the worst: instant gratification being at the forefront of almost any
decisive action, an almost narcissistic interpretation of the world, as well as some of the best -
an optimistic view of the endless number of possibilities and a social view directed toward
diversity, sharing and individuality. With this in mind, we can see that the potential for forging a
new path is just an “aha moment” away. Instead of resting on excellent, well written national
development plans, South Africa must engage her residents in collective action to embrace and
sacrifice to raise each pupil to his/her highest potential achievement. However, pride in country
cannot give rise to populistic pride, as seen in the tragic xenophobic attacks the country has
experienced. Active citizenship comes in many forms and in this time, people have the ability
but not yet the realization that they have the chance to make small changes that ripple
throughout the system. With something as small as beginning a school day with a pledge of
allegiance or restoring the dignity of being an educator in the eyes of society by popularizing this
career choice (with the aid of nationally broadcasted media for example) and creating intrinsic
value attached to this status, the magnitude of these actions could change the course of any
self-destructive entity.
I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any
national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts, Abraham Lincoln
Reviewing statistics and analysing the data is a progressive step toward understanding the
situation but a more human approach is necessary for everyone to fully grasp the extent to
which a failure of the system will affect them. This in itself is proof that broken links in the chain
of education from basic to high school exist and must be rooted out before more harm is done.
When each citizen can look at the statement “The South African Education System faces a
crisis” and not panic but instead, see an opportunity then the true future and full potential of
South Africa will commence.