There’s a promising opportunity that you should make the most of: a public inquiry into the right to basic education will be held next month. It’s being conducted by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), motivated by what it describes as ‘the numerous problems currently being experienced” in education, and the ‘constant flow of complaints” it receives about this basic right not being met.
It sets out a clear agenda, to investigate the meaning of the right to basic education; explore the impact of the context in which basic education is delivered; and assess the realisation of the right to basic education in the country.
The SAHRC also defines four areas to focus the inquiry. These are:
- availability (of school resources and infrastructure);
- accessibility (covering issues such as discrimination, and physical and economic barriers to education);
- adaptability (how the education system adapts to the diverse school communities, as well as how it fulfils the vision of inclusive education); and
- acceptability (looking at curricula, teaching methods and other forms and substance of education).
I think this event is promising in a number of ways. For one thing, it’s an overdue opportunity for all of us to get our teeth into the real meaning of this right to ‘basic” education. This slippery word, ‘basic”, has yet to be formally defined, leaving it open to a wide — and dangerous — number of inter-pretations. For example, is being taught under a tree without textbooks, pens or paper a ‘basic” education, and therefore acceptable?
Spelling out what the concept of a ‘basic” right is will help all of us understand what makes for an adequate education. Other aspects will also be hauled out for healthy debate, I’m sure, at the inquiry.
I’m hoping that, in doing so, there will be additional pressure on education leaders to shake up the system to work that much harder on delivering this basic right.
What I’m also looking forward to are the ordinary people who will have a chance to tell their stories in a forum where they will be taken seriously. So often education authorities respond to complaints with a ‘don’t bother me” kind of attitude — if they respond at all. It’s about time that the needs and demands of our citizens — especially those most often disregarded or silenced, such as the poor — are treated with the seriousness they deserve. It’s also about time that the surly bureaucrats who specialise in dodging, obstructing and dismissing those they are paid to serve get a sharp reminder that they have important, urgent work to do.
After the three-day inquiry, the SAHRC will make recommendations on a way forward. While the SAHRC can’t enforce the recommendations, it’s not entirely toothless: the report can be presented at powerful forums such as the National Assembly, and enforcing the law through the courts is also a possibility.
There are several implications for teachers in this exercise as well. As such a vital part of education delivery, there is a good chance that teachers will come in for some criticism. There must be more than a few among the almost 465 000 registered teachers who play their part in denying learners their right to basic education.
But more than this, the inquiry is an opportunity for teachers to speak freely, in the safety of a SAHRC forum, about factors that make their job impossible. There is a very long list of things needed for educators to carry out their part effectively — support from district officials, manage-able class sizes, books, training, safe and decent schools —
You know the list better than I do. And I would encourage all of you to make use of this opportunity to deepen the debate and help find solutions by sharing your problems. Send your written submission to the address below on or before September 23 (you need to include your name and personal details, but you can specify if you want your identity kept confidential).
Submissions may be posted or delivered to: Monique Davis South African Human Rights Commission Private Bag X 2700 Houghton 2041
For more information, contact Monique Davis at Tel: (011) 484 8300 ext 2334/2252, Fax: (011) 484 1360, or e-mail [email protected]