The transformation of Black school education in South Africa, 1950-1994: a historical perspective

[摘要] English: The new education dispensation in South Africa has its roots in the turbulent years ineducation. The transformation of Black school education in South Africa led to theactions and counter actions that interrelated to mould a political climate that paved theway for the education where everybody has the right to learn. The National Partygovernment introduced Bantu Education in 1953 and this aroused strong condemnationfrom the Black people who were virtually unanimous in their opposition to it. There wasincessant disorder in education as a result of separate education for Blacks. The BantuEducation Act was passed following the Eiseien Commission of Enquiry whoserecommendations were in line with the principles of Christian National Education.Political developments inter alia, the celebrations of the so anniversary of the Union ofSouth Africa, the declaration of the Union of South Africa as a Republic as well as theSharpeville shooting in 1960, impacted on education.Bantu Education principles were extended to Coloured and Indian education. Segregatededucation for the Coloured and Indian learners was also met with vehement opposition.The National Party government introduced the homeland system to fortify its policy ofsegregated schools and separate economies. The National Party government encouragedthe self governing homelands to opt for independence. Learners from all homelandscould not easily access education in the urban areas; this was even worse for the learnerswhose designated homelands had chosen independence.The insistence of the government that English and Afrikaans must enjoy equal status asthe media of instruction in the Black schools sparked the Soweto learners' riots. TheSouth African society responded differently to the epoch making Soweto learners'upheavals. A militant culture developed among the learners and this led to the formationof national learners' organisations. The learners played a prominent role in educationpolitics whilst the parents' role was relegated to the periphery. The void left by parents ineducation resulted into chaos.There were calls for reforms in education as a result of the intermittent school unrests ofthe 1980s. The reformist programme of the National Party government led to theappointment of the De Lange Commission of Enquiry and the inauguration of the newDepartment of Education and Training for Blacks.The 1983 Constitution of the Republic of South Africa which led to the creation of thetri-cameral parliamentary system also resulted in the formation of the United DemocraticFront by the people who felt that the Black people had been left in the cold by the newConstitution. This ushered in an era of militancy among learners and sporadic riots thatdisrupted education. The education crisis deepened with calls for liberation first, andeducation later. This led to the formation of the National Education Crisis Committee,and its forerunner the Soweto Parents Crisis Committee. There were fresh calls forpeople's education for people's power.As part of its reform programme, the National Party government allowed big businessparticipation in alleviating the challenges that plagued Black education. The AfricanNational Congress (ANC) had been calling for sanctions and disinvestment in an attemptto force the National Party government to relinquish apartheid and segregated education.The Black political parties did not agree on this strategy. It remains debatable whether thesanctions facilitated the demise of apartheid in any significant way.There were attempts to unite different teachers' union by the Congress of South AfricanTrade Unions and the ANC, but the mergers proved complicated. The militancy ofemergent teachers' unions undermined discipline and stability in education. Education inSouth Africa was facing a lot of challenges at the dawn of the new political dispensation.

[发布机构] University of the Free State