Operation Take Back

I am one of those who were not very privileged growing up. The schools at which I went were all of the lowest standards, in terms of academic support and development.

Having began my education Queenstown, Eastern Cape, I did not pay much attention to such details as the quality of education I was receiving and quality of teaching offered but I have always treasured it because of a couple of reasons. One of those was that we were very poor at home and I had hoped that through my education, change will come.

I then moved to Mpumalanga to continue with my primary schooling there and again I found myself in a school similar to the one I went to in the Eastern Cape; not enough textbooks, shortage of specialised teachers, poor infrastructure etc, and again my hope lived on that one day my poor little family shall see a brighter day. Working hard to achieve this goal, I succeeded quickly in proceeding to secondary school, where a dismal infrastructure and the lack of resources was a constant pain for learners and teachers.

I observed with wonder the science learners struggle to make sense of an experiment because they have none of the apparatus required for the success of the experiment. I was among many who shared a Biology textbook with more than two other learners which meant that one had only a day or so to grasp the chapter taught in class before the other learner will take the book. I painfully observed, as Student Representative Council (SRC) Chairperson when I was in matric, the pain with which many struggled forward, studying for the final exams in this fashion.

It has been six years now since I passed my matric and having observed from my immediate area and those closer, without fear I will say that not much has changed.

However, I find peace in learning that not all is lost; young people can still have the quality education we all wish to have. The problem of textbooks that hit the country recently, surprisingly, has received more attention now than ever before; one would almost think other factors are at play here. One feels that the whole thing has been contaminated with politics and political agendas designed to serve a certain interest.

But that is not for me to say. I am only trying to see if political dynamics are so cruel that a future of a bright youth would be sacrificed in the hopes of political gain. It is time that those of us who care about education to stand up and put an end to this. I am pleased by the work of Equal Education and I hope many more NGO's will take a stance and act on this. Education must not be a political matter. The Zimbabweans have not always enjoyed the best of political environments yet their education is never sacrificed in the midst.
This is the time to remember the efforts of Haile Selassie I, Julius Nyerere and Nelson Mandela.
Speak out and let's mobilise against those who sacrifice our children's education to safe-guard their own interests.

Let's take back the education systems we so treasure and redefine what schooling means in South Africa.

Let's talk about this.