We need a frank confrontation of the realities of education in South Africa

Systemic change is essential, beginning with a reimagining of the Foundation Phase to emphasise social-emotional skills and personal development for township children.

By SIGAMONEY NAICKER

The silence of social commentators on the state of education in the Western Cape is staggering. After more than a decade working within this system, it is disheartening to witness how education stakeholders, especially those with oversight responsibilities, continue to neglect the pressing issues faced by poor communities.

The cycle of annual political approval for plans and performance reports that fail to address the harsh realities in these areas must be urgently challenged. This article aims to ignite meaningful discourse on the future of education in the province, particularly in communities where performance around critical skills, like reading for meaning, remains dismal.

The systemic disintegration of social structures, observed first-hand in schools and early childhood centres, points to a devastating failure of both society and the education system to recognise and address the deteriorating conditions in working-class areas. Consider the following statistics:

Among South Africa’s provinces, past 3-month drug use was highest in the Western Cape (7.1%), followed by the Free State (6.3%) and Northern Cape (5.2%)
⁠In 2023 alone, the Western Cape recorded 3,997 pregnancies among 10- to 19-year-olds, with 10,686 recorded in 2022, 11,157 in 2021, and 11,690 in 2020.
South Africa leads Africa in per capita alcohol consumption, with the Western Cape’s rates 30–40% above the national average.
⁠Crimes including murder, assault, carjacking, and sexual offences are disproportionately high in the Western Cape, making Cape Town the city with the nation’s highest murder rate and an overall crime rate of 73.78.

This harrowing data is inextricably linked to children’s poor performance in the Foundation Phase, where reading for meaning is a fundamental but unmet challenge. There is an undeniable relationship between these educational shortcomings, high dropout rates, and the erosion of social cohesion in vulnerable communities—a crisis that has intensified over decades.

Professor Sigamoney is the author of *Education and the Working Class: Is There Hope for an Inclusive Approach?* published in 2024.

Systemic change is essential, beginning with a reimagining of the Foundation Phase to emphasise social-emotional skills and personal development for township children. Unlike children in affluent communities, these learners lack access to the cultural capital that enables intellectual engagement. As a result, future generations will remain under threat, with poverty continuing to undermine educational outcomes. Education alone may not resolve society’s issues, but it can stabilise communities by understanding their unique challenges and adapting pedagogy accordingly. Currently, the curriculum reflects a decontextualised, middle-class construct imposed by policymakers removed from the realities of vulnerable communities.

Troubling silence

The troubling silence of today’s bureaucrats and educational authorities likely stems from their own transformation by power and politics into ‘new colonials’ of the day. This concept reflects how, within post-colonial societies, local elites assume the role once held by former colonial powers, perpetuating inequality. Often products of privileged educational and economic backgrounds, these elites shape educational systems in ways that consolidate their status while marginalising children from working-class or rural communities. As inheritors of colonial-era systems, they may unwittingly – or quite deliberately – uphold a status quo that denies equitable education to their own people.

For example, on September 12, 2024 Ground Up reports the WCED indicated that cutting posts in working-class schools was the last resort. This decision confirms the lack of imagination and the kind of colonial thinking that advances decisions. ‘If it does not concern my child, it does not matter’.

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In an unequal society, cutting posts in working-class schools while leaving privileged sectors untouched often deepens disparities, perpetuating systemic inequality and impacting vulnerable students the most. This approach can undermine the goal of an education system by limiting resources where they are already scarce, reducing the quality and support that students in these communities receive, and ultimately curtailing their future opportunities.

Imagination and creativity can play significant roles in devising alternatives that avoid these negative consequences. Here are a few approaches:

Shared Resources Across Schools: Instead of cutting posts outright, schools could share resources such as specialist teachers or support staff, allowing both privileged and working-class schools to benefit. Collaboration could involve educators traveling between schools or creating shared programs, particularly in subjects or services that require fewer staff members.
Hybrid Roles and Multi-disciplinary Teams: Redesigning roles so staff can support multiple needs—like combining roles of counsellors and social workers with classroom support—can maintain essential services. Additionally, multi-disciplinary teams that bring together resources from across sectors (like health, social services, and education) could be allocated to serve schools based on need.
Community Involvement and Partnerships: Engaging community members and organisations to volunteer or provide support services at schools with limited resources can foster a supportive environment without increasing costs. This can also bridge gaps in social and emotional learning for students, where mentoring or life skills training can supplement the regular curriculum.
Equitable Resource Allocation Based on Needs: Rather than maintaining current spending levels in privileged schools, funds could be reallocated according to each school’s needs. This might mean applying a weighted funding model, where working-class schools receive additional resources per student due to the additional challenges they face.
Technology and Remote Support: Leveraging technology to offer virtual support for subjects or skills that require fewer in-person hours can maximise limited staff. Remote tutoring or guidance for both students and teachers can help fill gaps in knowledge and development.

Ultimately, these creative solutions reflect a commitment to equity, recognising that cutting resources in already under-resourced schools not only hampers student outcomes, but also undermines the broader social goal of reducing inequality.

These and other pressing issues must be exposed as amongst the causes of the manufactured crisis in our education system. The system operates under a false narrative shaped by patronage, politics, power and money. It is time to challenge this narrative and push for an education system that serves rather than sidelines, vulnerable communities.

Professor Naicker is the author of Education and the Working Class: Is There Hope for an Inclusive Approach? The book is a critique of the dominant middle-class narrative on education in South Africa. Naicker held the position of first National Director of Inclusive Education in South Africa and Chief Director of Inclusive Education in the Western Cape.