Media Flaws

You know the McDonald’s breakfast special? With free coffee? Yes. That one. I can vouch that their free coffee is terrible. An abhor-ration to the palate. It’s like drinking sand with hot water. And I don’t even drink coffee. Terrible.

Speaking of terrible things South African schools, particularly state township / rural schools, seem to be doing their damnedest best to achieve Education for Barbarism (aka Bantu Education) all over again.

Remember, remember, remember Native Education?

“'The education of the white child prepares him for a life in a dominant society and the education of the black child for a subordinate society…' ... this meant inferior education for every section of the Non-Europeans but most of all for the Africans... Native Education meant inferior accommodation and equipment in schools and inferior training... educational starvation of a people...” - I.B. Tabata, 1958

Well guess who’s driving this agenda these days –  black teachers, together with their dear SADTU. Congratulations dear teachers your efforts are paying off. I saw you on the news last night leaving schoolchildren in classrooms, toy’toying, go-slowing and smiling for cameras. Once again, congratulations!

However, before you embark on a self-congratulatory excursion too, dear black teacher, let me remind you that the only hope for this country rests in education. Educate the black child to be specific. The first month of schools has been marred by a “go-slow” in places like the Eastern Cape – whilst schools in suburbia teach, schools in townships and rural communities are at a standstill. Children are being denied education all because teachers want their superintendent-general out. SADTU has set a legal process in motion, but no, teachers cannot await its outcomes. "Let's deny children education to ensure our boss goes!" they think? At which point don’t they realise that this all disadvantages the black child? At which point don’t they realise that they are performing an abortion on the future of black children in this country? You mean to tell me teachers can’t see this?

Well. I’ll be damned.

Under the apartheid government blacks were reduced to helotry. Under the democratically elected black government blacks are still being reduced to helotry.

Well. I’ll be damned.

Black schools in this country are no longer centres of learning but centres of docile indoctrination towards nothingness. Put simply Bantu Education never left us in this country. If anything I believe that Bantu Education is transgenerational i.e.: You needn’t have studied under it to be its product.

Well. I’ll be damned.

It doesn’t require much imagination to actually figure out that black teachers in this country – via SADTU – are killing this country. Why on earth must your gripes affect the learner? Why? Only a sick person, taught to self-loathe, would ever pawn their child. What ever happened to the African adage of “my child is your child”?

Khanizithandeni maan!

Yini le yokuba sibukele lamanyala niwathifela kwikamva labantwana bethu?

Ningootitshala!

Mel’ba niyafundisa, hay’ ukuhlalela ukubulala isizwe esimnyama.
Theth’ba iimpembeleko zeBantu Education zokungazixabisi ungumntu soze ziphele na?
Theth’ba njengamntu omnye umntu womnye umntu ayingomntu kuni?
Theth’ba ikamva ngumva kuni?

Khanizithandeni maan!

Ningootitshala! Hay’ ababulali (-kamva)

Let me conclude with a short story:

Once upon a time there was a Native Affairs minister called Dr Verwoerd in this country.

The end.

To sort out our current education crisis in this country it is a must that we refer and reverse some of Verwoerd’s policies, analyse the legacy of Bantu Education in our current education system and leadership and start working on how to purge these.

In case you're looking for part 1 of Education for Barbarism (by I.B. Tabata) - it's available here.