In 1976 Black South African children took to the streets to add one of the most telling chapters in the evolution towards a free South Africa. This should instruct all that never underestimate the power possessed by these young souls, whether for now or in the future. A mentality and social consciousness is being constructed in their minds whose future outcomes may become catastrophic to the country.
THE ILLUSION OF CHOICE
The notion of human rights, ostensibly enshrined as a cornerstone of freedom, is being subverted in the context of education, especially in many rural South African areas.
Despite the constitutional guarantee of the right to education, the reality on the ground reveals a stark disparity between rhetoric and reality. Children are being compelled to abandon their local schools, situated mere kilometres away from their homes, in pursuit of educational opportunities elsewhere, often under circumstances that border on the traumatic.
They, invariably, are forced to wake up, some way earlier than 05h00 in the morning. Like bags of potatoes, approximately after 06h00 they are cramped into overloaded old mostly unroadworthy canopied bakkies, driven for a number of kilometres, collecting other desperate learners in other villages and ultimately the overloaded vehicle reaches the school. This is not an exaggeration and should not be confused with the Donald Trump imaginary fear of a non existent white genocide in South Africa. There’s no child genocide but a deadly bomb is on the verge of exploding with regards to learners transportation and lack of access to local education.
A LEGACY OF INEQUALITY
This phenomenon is not merely an aberration, but rather a symptom of a broader systemic failure. The system was inherited from the apartheid constructed local educational facilities and infrastructure.
The legacy of apartheid-era spatial planning and education policies continues to cast its long shadow, perpetuating inequalities in resource allocation and infrastructure development. Local schools, particularly in rural and disadvantaged areas, are left to languish with some of their infrastructure crumbling, their resources depleted and some buildings abandoned. Their communities are in a destructive mode of silence that fuels the mishap .
THE HUMAN COST
The consequences are devastating. Learners are forced to embark on fatiguing daily journeys, traversing vast distances in unsafe and unsanitary conditions, often at the behest of profit-driven transport operators. The emotional and psychological toll of these experiences is palpable, with learners exhibiting signs of stress and disengagement.
Is this the price that has to be paid for education?
The commodification of education, it seems, has become the dominant paradigm, with learners treated as mere pawns in a game of educational one-upmanship.
Philosopher, Jean Comaroff, notes that the language of rights has become a hidden language of exclusion, where the rights of some are prioritised over the rights of others. Rights need to be reclaimed fully to ensure that they are used to promote a common good. See should not allow a scenario where rights are used to deprive others of their rights. Yes learners ought to get the best education buy does that mean communities must turn a blind eye and not fix their degrading local facilities working hand in glove with government?
A CALL TO ACTION
The solution lies not in simplistic calls for “better” transportation or “more” resources, but rather in a fundamental reimagining of the educational landscape. It demands a commitment to social responsibility, empathy, and a recognition that true freedom lies not in unbridled autonomy, but in the mindful consideration of the greater good.
Can we, as a society, summon the courage to challenge the status quo and demand a better future for our children? Can we transcend the narrow interests of individualism and work towards a vision of education that prioritises the needs of the many, rather than the privileges of a few?
What is obvious, as reflected above, is that the right to education in South Africa is under threat as it is being compromised by systemic inequalities and the prioritization of individual interests over collective good.
Bias Towards Local Schools
Local schools are underutilized, while learners are forced to travel long distances, often in unsafe conditions. Improving local school infrastructure and resources is crucial to addressing the current crisis.
This is not an attempt to call for the discontinuation of the use of some school transport but that should be done in a safe and reliable way. Yes the transportation business is booming, but young lives (in their majority) are being sacrificed and risked. Letting this mess in the transportation for learners to continue will leave a life long burden on families and leave a permanent scar on the multitudes of affected innocent,, rural based school kids.
Community Based Education
Promoting community-based education initiatives can help rebuild local schools and foster a sense of community ownership. Holding authorities accountable for providing quality education is essential to ensuring that the rights of learners are protected.
Deal with Complicity
The complicity of parents and authorities in the current state of affairs is striking.
Are they unaware of the risks to which they are exposing these children? Or are they simply willing to sacrifice their children’s well-being on the altar of perceived educational excellence?
The answer, disturbingly, may lie in the fact that the pursuit of individual interests has become the overriding consideration, with the collective good relegated to the periphery. Let the nation’s goals and the livelihood of these children priority.
Allowing Rural School Closures
Parents and local communities bear responsibility for allowing local schools to be closed and their children to be transported to distant schools.
In many cases, parents are coerced into making decisions that prioritise perceived educational quality over their children’s safety and well-being. However, this coercion is often a result of systemic pressures and lack of alternatives. Parents should be empowered to demand better education in their local communities, rather than being forced to seek alternatives elsewhere.
School Governing Bodies (SGBs) have a critical role to play in ensuring the quality and accessibility of education in their communities. However, many SGBs are failing to effectively govern and advocate for their schools, leading to closures and neglect. SGBs must be capacitated and held accountable for prioritizing the needs of their learners and communities.
Monitoring by the Department of Education
The Department of Education has a constitutional obligation to ensure that every child has access to quality education. However, the department’s monitoring and oversight mechanisms need to be improved because currently schools seem to operate with impunity and neglecting the needs of vulnerable learners. The department must be held accountable for its shortfalls to address these systemic issues.
Social Workers and Psychologists
The treatment of learners in this system is a child protection issue that requires the involvement of social workers and psychologists. These professionals can provide critical support and advocacy for learners, as well as monitor their well-being and safety. The lack of involvement of these professionals is a stark omission that must be addressed urgently.
A SYSTEMIC FAILURE
This is not merely a critique of individual actions, but rather an indictment of a system that prioritises abstract notions of “choice” over the fundamental human rights of children. The South African Bill of Rights guarantees the right to education, but what kind of education, and at what cost? The state’s failure to ensure safe and accessible education for all learners is a betrayal of its constitutional obligations.
That non-fee paying schools bully parents by withholding performance reports for the kids and that is a clear disregard for the legal prescriptions on paper. Should a rural family take a school to court before the latter realises that they are breaking the law? Should a school marvel at watching hundreds and thousands of disoriented kids stepping off these overloaded canopied bakkies? Are we waiting for a tragedy before someone does something about this? Are traffic cops waiting to be given a special instruction to deal with road law breaking using the lives of innocent children?
Authorities must intervene.
IT’S ALL IN OUR HANDS
The path forward requires a multifaceted approach that addresses the historical, social, and economic factors perpetuating inequality in education. By working together, we can create a more just and equitable education system that truly serves the needs of all learners.
Zikomo.