South Africa and South African Education

South Africa and its Education

South Africa as one of the most famous and impactive countries in the continent of Africa has also brought great attentions to the world. I can still remember in 2010, the 19^th world cup held by the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) was taken place in South Africa, and that the first time I’ve ever known about South Africa. Enthusiastic, passionate, and also hospital is the first image that South Africa brought to me though World Cup. I am an outgoing person, and all the enthusiastic things attract me a lot. So, since the 19^th world cup, I have a deep affection for that beautiful land in the continent of Africa which named South Africa.

South Africa is a multi-ethnic society encompassing a wide variety of cultures, languages, and religions. On the other hand, the beautiful natural scenes in South Africa is also astonishing, I can still remember there are tons of wildlife animals are galloping on the wide grasslands; the amazing sunrise and sunset make people want to stay there forever. The pluralistic makeup is reflected in the constitution's recognition of 11 official languages, which is among the highest number of any country in the world. Two of these languages are of European origin: Afrikaans developed from Dutch and serves as the first language of most white and colored South Africans; English reflects the legacy of British colonialism and is commonly used in public and commercial life, though it is fourth-ranked as a spoken first language. The country is one of the few in Africa never to have had a coup d'état, and regular elections have been held for almost a century. However, the vast majority of black South Africans were not enfranchised until 1994. During the 20th century, the black majority sought to recover its rights from the dominant white minority, with this struggle playing a large role in the country's recent history and politics. The National Party imposed apartheid in 1948, institutionalizing previous racial segregation. After a long and sometimes violent struggle by the African National Congress and other anti-apartheid activists both inside and outside the country, discriminatory laws began to be repealed or abolished from 1990 onwards. Obviously, this was one of the greatest revolutions that South Africa has, and in my personal view, the discrimination should be absolutely eliminated, and this world does not need any bias, prejudice, or any other unfair discriminations.

The background of education in South Africa is impressive to me, and I do learn a lot and get to know more about the different education system around the world. Education in South Africa began very early in the 1800’s. The earliest schools established in South Africa was under the Dutch Reformed Church in Cape Colony, and it’s also known as Cape of Good Hope. Basic math and literacy skills were taught. The language was a huge conflict amongst the South Africans in the 1800’s, they complained that the English language was irrelevant to their culture and values. From 1900’s, the British started taking over after victory in the South African War. The British instilled the English language and British culture into the education system. Again to overcome this invasion of the English language, the South African Churches formed an education program that South African schools should follow. From the early 1900’s until 1997, not only was language an issue but the race was also a big issue in the education system. Most African schools were run by missionaries and the white schools were ran by teachers from Canada, UK, and Australia. In 1953, the Bandu Education Act was passed and it caused a big problem. Under the act, African students had to learn things that the government wanted them to learn so that they can move on and work in factories also with the Bandu Education Act it cut out the minimal state funding that the African schools had. Therefore, cutting out learning time for students in African schools because they would only be able to attend school for just three hours a day. The act was very racist that it basically meant that the African students have to learn and adjust to white culture since they were being run by a white economy and society. In 1997, the Curriculum 2005 policy was formed. Which is the South African’s version of outcome-based education, which is an educational theory that focuses on an educational system that involves setting goals and accomplishing them by the time you finish your education. "The Curriculum 2005 promises all students a high-quality education that would prepare them for life.” According to (Horn, 2014, para. 5).

There are 23 public universities in total, of which 11 are general, 6 of them technological and the 6 left are comprehensive. Universities offer basic formative degrees such as Bachelor of Arts & Bachelor of Science, and professional undergraduate degrees such as Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. At postgraduate level, universities offer honors degrees and an array of masters and doctoral degrees. Technological universities offer mainly vocational or career‐focused undergraduate diplomas, and a Bachelor of Technology, which serves as a limited qualification for diploma graduates. They offer a limited number of masters and doctoral programs. Comprehensive universities offer programs for both theoretically oriented and vocationally oriented diplomas and degrees. One of the most renowned accomplishments was by Nelson Mandela. Mandela studied law at the University of Fort Hare and the University of Witwatersrand. He became president of South Africa in 1994 and served in office until 1999. He received a Nobel Peace Prize for ending the apartheid policies that were ingrained in the South African society. Before desegregation in 1994, segregation divided universities for the black majority and the white minority. He has been recognized for bringing about unity in South Africa after many decades.

The education in South Africa is comparatively lagged behind other developed countries such as America and the UK. But I do believe that the educational systems in South Africa is doing good jobs and is improving by the efforts of both governments and people, so let’s just look forward to seeing a brighter future and prospect of South African education.