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By cutting posts, the government is essentially abandoning its commitment to uplift historically disadvantaged communities and is perpetuating a cycle of poverty and underachievement.
DR NAZLI DOMINGO-SALIE
Education in South Africa has long been a battleground for equity, deeply scarred by Apartheid’s policies and challenged by efforts to redress these inequalities in the post-Apartheid era.
By way of background I recall my own journey, beginning as an 18-year-old teacher in Steenberg, a ‘coloured’ township in the Western Cape. Under Apartheid’s oppressive system, schools operated a platooning system due to overcrowding, with one group attending in the morning and another in the afternoon. Managed by the Coloured Affairs Department, this system significantly compromised education quality.
My teaching career exposed me to the stark disparities between schools in historically disadvantaged areas and those in more affluent communities. My relief teaching experiences took me across a diverse range of schools, from Hanover Park, Athlone and Wynberg to post-1994 former Model C schools and independent institutions such as a leading girls’ school in Claremont.
My initial exposure to a former Model C school was nothing short of eye-opening. After teaching 48 learners packed into a classroom, often sitting right up to the blackboard, I was amazed to find a classroom with only 25 learners. It was spacious, carpeted and equipped with all necessary resources, including specialist teachers for practical subjects. It felt like I had died and gone to ‘education’ heaven. This experience inspired my master’s research, ‘The utilisation of a partnership to provide quality education to a historically disadvantaged primary school in the Western Cape’. It was driven by the hope that all South African schools could one day operate like these well-resourced institutions. Though labelled too ambitious by my supervisor, I naively believed I could prove him wrong.
Apartheid and the educational divide
Under Apartheid, education was used as a tool of oppression. The 1953 Bantu Education Act systematically underfunded black schools, offering inferior resources and a curriculum designed to prepare students for menial labour. In contrast, white schools received generous funding, highly qualified teachers and a curriculum that prepared learners for leadership. This deliberate stratification deepened socio-economic inequalities that persist today, directly contradicting Islamic principles of justice and equality in education.
The end of Apartheid in 1994 sparked hope for a more equitable education system. However, the Apartheid legacy still looms. Schools in historically disadvantaged communities, especially in rural areas and townships, face challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, large class sizes and a lack of qualified teachers. Reflecting on the Quranic verse, ‘Are those who know equal to those who do not know?’ (Quran 39:9), the disparities in education call for an urgent responsibility to advocate for equitable access for all learners.
Fifty years of reform efforts
Over the past fifty years, South Africa has seen various educational reform attempts. The author’s teaching career, spanning this half-century, has given her a unique vantage point on the country’s ongoing struggle for equity. The introduction of Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) in the late 1990s was an ambitious attempt to modernise the curriculum, making it more inclusive. However, the policy struggled in under-resourced schools, leading to its eventual abandonment.
In 2012, the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 outlined a vision for an equitable education system. It emphasised the importance of quality teaching, improved school leadership and better resource allocation to historically disadvantaged schools. Despite these efforts, progress has been slow. Many schools remain underfunded, overcrowded and lacking essential materials, impeding the implementation of NDP goals.
The role of teachers in addressing inequity
Teachers play a critical role in addressing educational inequity. In South Africa, where many learners come from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, teachers are more than educators – they are mentors and counsellors, and often the only stable adult presence in a child’s life.
Cutting 2 407 teaching posts, particularly in disadvantaged communities, would be a regressive move. Larger class sizes mean less individual attention, disproportionately affecting learners already facing barriers. Teachers, left to handle increased workloads with fewer resources, often experience burnout, leading to high turnover rates and declining education quality.
Reducing the number of teachers also contradicts the NDP’s goals, which stress the need for quality teaching to improve educational outcomes. By cutting posts, the government is essentially abandoning its commitment to uplift historically disadvantaged communities and is thus perpetuating a cycle of poverty and underachievement.
Impact on disadvantaged learners
Historically disadvantaged learners in South Africa face multiple challenges, including poverty, food insecurity and limited access to quality educational resources. For many, school is more than a place of learning – it is a refuge from difficult home environments. Teachers provide not just education but also stability, support and motivation.
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Cutting teaching posts will only exacerbate the difficulties these students already face. Larger class sizes will make it harder for teachers to give individualised attention, limiting remedial support and extracurricular activities essential for holistic development. The impact will be felt most acutely by learners in rural areas and townships, where schools are already under-resourced. These communities have been historically marginalised, and further reducing the number of teachers will only deepen existing inequalities.
The way forward
As we reflect on fifty years of educational reform in South Africa, it is clear that significant challenges remain. While some progress has been made, the proposed cuts to teaching posts threaten to undo much of the work aimed at addressing historical inequities. Instead of cutting teaching posts, the government should focus on strengthening the education system by investing in teacher training, improving infrastructure and ensuring that all schools have the resources needed to provide quality education.
This is especially critical for historically disadvantaged communities, where education often represents the only pathway out of poverty. The famous words of Nelson Mandela resonate here: ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ By cutting teaching posts, we risk disarming the education system of the very tools that could break the cycle of poverty and inequality in South Africa.
The fight for educational equity is far from over, and it is imperative that we continue to invest in the future of all our children, particularly those who have been historically marginalised.
- Dr Nazli Domingo is an education consultant. She provides expert advice, guidance and support to educational institutions, NPOs and relevant stakeholders.
