The Education for Africans in South Africa

Abstract

The history of the African people of modern South Africa is the history of struggle against racial oppression. This struggle has manifested itself in various forms in different eras. But it remains a struggle for fundamental human rights, for justice and freedom; and, it will not cease until the achievement of these aims. The current, highly volatile situation inside the country is testimony to this fact. What is the current situation? How did it come about? Where will it lead? Perhaps many people will feel that these are not the questions to raise when one deals with the educational system. But in the South African case they are very pertinent questions. Let me then refer briefly to what I mean, then go on to a consideration of the education of Africans. On June 16, 1976, demonstrations erupted in South Africa. These demonstrations were initially against the use of Afrikaans (the Boer language) in African schools in Soweto. Thus, the manpower, in terms both of leadership and followers, was drawn essentially from the student population. But the population, generally, and other non-student youth in particular (code-named hooligans or 'tsotsis' by the government and its police), quickly joined the demonstrations, in Soweto and elsewhere. After three days of the demonstrations, the Vorster regime had cold-bloodedly massacred hundreds of unarmed people, chiefly students, and arrested thousands. The armed forces of the country had been alerted-(another code-name for deployed). Why would a demonstration, initiated by students over an educational issue explode with such ferocity in so short a time? The answer to this question must be found in its general form in the fact that in every society the major institutional structures reflect the needs and are