Welcome to Talk/Bua, a new forum for all in education. What can you expect from this column? I will talk to different stakeholders in education, raise topical educational issues and create a forum to raise issues and find solutions.
I am an educator and parent. I am the ex-deputy director general of education in Gauteng, before which I worked at the Read Education Trust, the Education Information Centre and the Shoma Educational Trust, where I executive director. I then put together the outreach strategy for Yizo Yizo 2. This was an opportunity to raise the dialogue on literacy, the redeployment of educators, drugs and rape in our schools, and parental involvement. A desire to put education back on the national agenda made me host the first education talk show on SABC 2 – Re a Bua. I met people making a difference against all odds. I am currently managing director of Educational Tutor Services. One of its services is Dial-a-Teacher which is a free tutoring service.
I would like to begin by talking about a learner who touched my life. Nkululeko (not his name), was killed on the morning of June 17 1976. What had happened the day before was still on everybody’s minds. Few of the learners had come to school. Nkululeko’s mother had sent him to school. He was scared to stay and could not get back home as the roads were like war trenches.
He asked if any of the educators had an errand for him to run. He received his instructions gladly, but within four minutes I saw his body strewn on the ground, bleeding. I felt helpless with the casspirs surrounding the school. I thought one of the army personnel had shot him, but as the crowds gathered it was clear a sniper car did the callous, dirty job. I still hurt when I think of all the young people who fell like leaves that winter. To date nobody takes responsibility.
Nkululeko died while they dragged his body to the casppir painted white with a red cross – the ambulance.
Nkululeko loved learning and had a bright future ahead of him. Nkululeko was not in a crowd. He posed no threat. He was shot for being young and black. Many of his classmates have comeback from exile with a good education and some are leading this country. One of our duties as educators is to make the school enviroment safe. I let Nkululeko down. How could we have a system that made us helpless?
I feel that the students taught us something important on June 16 1976. We had become complacent in accepting the regime. From that day on, the struggle was fast tracken.
I have come to understand that each of our learners are individuals and its not just a class or a collective. Driven by the spirit of solidarity, pain and oppression we had a common purpose.
Unemployment, poor facilities in our schools and poor matric results – should these not be the source of out new struggle.
Are we as educators helping our young people to engage on national issues? When I was with the Gauteng Department of Education we had a legislature debate on June 15 1996. It was great to see young people engage on national issues. The Bill of Rights says: “Educators can be agents of change, agents of resistance or agents of hope or a mixture of these”.
As we honoured fallen heroes with the 25th anniversary of June 16 1976 last month, I ask what are we doing differently as educators? If I could face Nkululeko today what could I say?
The culture of learning and teaching, has it changed? You also have stories untold. Maybe education needs a truth commission. The atrocities are psychological and we are still dealing with demotivated educators. Educational transformation is a longer process.
One cannot only blame educators who need to turn old perceptions around. I will continue to be Nkululeko’s voice and tell how we as educators make a major difference in the lives of learners. Are we healping to create a positive and successful nation?
Please feel free to share your thoughts. Educators need to be heard so that the country can share your successes and your frustration. TALK! BUA!
Write to Thandi Chaane, c/o the Teacher TALK/BUA, PO Box 91667 Auckland Park 2006, or email: [email protected]
– The Teacher/M&G Media, Johannesburg, July 2001.