Education is the key to growing a society and eventually the economy.
We inherited an education system profoundly shaped by social, political and economic inequalities of a ‘race’, class, gender, institutional, and geographical nature. Recognising this, our Constitution declared the right of all ‘to a basic education’ (Republic of South Africa, 1996). It also committed us to the assertion of the values of human dignity, the achievement of equality, and the advancement of non‐sexism and non‐racialism and the human rights and freedoms that the Bill of Rights proclaims; and to ‘respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights’ embodied in the Bill of Rights.
The 1995 White Paper on Education and Training entrusted the state to ‘advance and protect’ citizens so that they ‘have the opportunity to develop their capabilities and potential’. It also directed the state to ‘redress of educational inequalities among those sections of our people who have suffered particular disadvantages’ and the principle of ‘equity’ so that all citizens have ‘the same quality of learning opportunities’ (DoE, 1995: 21‐22).
The South African Schools Act asserted that a new schooling system will ‘redress past injustices in schooling provision, provide an education of progressively high quality for all learners,…advance the democratic transformation of society,…and) contribute to the eradication of poverty and the economic well‐being of society’ (Republic of South Africa, 1996).
Yet the reality is that South Africa continues to be one of the most unequal societies on earth in terms of disparities in wealth, income, opportunities, and living conditions.
There is an undeniable and powerful link between social disadvantage and equity of access, opportunity and outcomes and achievement in schooling and education. Currently 60% of African children in South Africa come from families that earn less than R 800 a month; conversely 60% of white children are from families whose income is more than R 6 000 per month. The consequences of this have to be and are indeed manifest in differential school performance and achievement.
Met dit besef ons dat mense wat ongeletterd en onkundig is bydra tot die agteruitgang van ons omgewing en opvoeding is dus noodsaaklik. As deel van hierdie kursus se gemeenskap interaksie fokus ons op 'n skool in 'n landelike gebied. Hier word skole met skryfbehoeftes voorsien wat presies die helfte van die skooljaar hou en hierna is die leerlinge en ouers self verantwoordelik. Dit is 'n plaasgemeenskap en die koste van skryfbehoeftes maak dit onmoontlik vir ouers om dit te bekostig. Elsenburg NHB studente gaan poog om hierdie skool en kinders se status op te hef deur ten minste 1 potlood, 1 uitveër, 1 liniaal en 1 boek te skenk.
Jou taak is om met ten minste 1 persoon oor die status van opvoedkunde in die landelike gebiede te gesels en sy/haar bydrae tot die projek (vir )skryfbehoeftes te vra. Hierdie gesprek moet nie met 'n Elsenburg student wees nie en die skriftelike opsomming hiervan te same met die skryfbehoeftes is wat jou 'n punt sal verseker.
With this we realise that people who are illiterate and ignorant contribute to the degradation of our environment and education is therefor important. As part of this course's community involvement project, we will focus on a school in a rural area. Here, schools are supplied with stationary that last for exactly half of the school year and the rest of the year the children and parents are liable. It is a farming community and the cost of stationary makes it impossible for them to afford it. Elsenburg NHB students will attempt to uplift the status of these children by sponsoring at least 1 pencil, 1 rubber, 1 ruler and1 book.
Your assignment is to talk to at least one person about the status of education in the rural areas and request his/her contribution (for stationary) towards the project. This talk should not be with an Elsenburg student and your conversation with the person and the written summary with your stationary is what will grant you a mark.
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