I have written many articles about the injustices in education in pre-apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa. I always believe that we should be open to new and constructive ideas in education.
Our present education system would be so much better if those in authority admitted their mistakes and moved on. However, the history of education in SA indicates the opposite, creating unnecessary problems in education.
The apartheid years divided the people of SA and laid the basis for an inferior SA educational system.
Each “racial” group was given its own education system, with the “white” group receiving the most funding for education. Since 1994, we have had a national system of basic education, yet there are still nine provincial education departments, each with its own minister of education. We also have private schools.
Teachers in present day SA, as well as in apartheid SA, faced many uphill battles, including a lack of physical facilities, large numbers of pupils, a lack of sporting facilities, a lack of security, a shortage of teachers, and more.
In March 2020, the world and SA faced the Covid-19 crisis. Many sane decisions were made around the world to combat this pandemic. Schools around the world closed, and measures were taken for pupils to receive education at home.
However, the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) decided to demand that schools in the province return as soon as possible. It acted as if it were an expert in combating this disease.
Although most schools in the Western Cape opposed this opening of schools, the WCED went ahead. Eventually, the national government closed schools, and schools only returned in August/September 2020. Heathfield High in Cape Town recommended its parents keep the pupils at home until it was safe to send them back to school. However, principal Wesley Neumann was charged with disobeying the WCED.
What should have been a simple exercise of management speaking to the school and solving the matter amicably turned into a larger issue. In May last year the WCED fired Neumann. For the past year, he has been fighting for his reinstatement at the Education Labour Relations Council.
My advice to the present leaders in the WCED is to make a bold decision to reinstate Neumann. If they do this, the appointment of the new education MEC and head of education in the Western Cape will show that the WCED is big enough to correct its mistakes and is prepared for progress in the educational system. If this is done, they will also show their seriousness about correcting other important matters in education.
* Brian Isaacs.
* The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.
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