Higher Education
A call for equity and transformation
WHILE THE RELEASE OF THE RESULTS OF THE MATRIC CLASS OF 2024 EARLIER THIS YEAR GAVE US MUCH CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION, IT ' S TIME TO REFLECT ON THE DISPARITIES THAT CONTINUE TO PLAGUE OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM.
By Professor Heloise Sathorar, Executive Dean, Faculty of Education, Nelson Mandela University
Despite three decades of democracy, unequal resource distribution in schools remains a persistent challenge, casting a shadow over our aspirations for equity and justice. In schools across the country, particularly those in rural and under-resourced areas, learners face uphill battles that many of us can ' t imagine. Yet, these learners are expected to sit for the same matric exams as their peers in wellresourced schools, where access to digital devices, textbooks, and modern teaching aids is a given. And when the results are released, we tend to ignore the stark iniquities in the experiences of these learners, and share the results as though the playing fields were level.
This reality underscores the deeprooted inequalities that continue to plague our country and its education system. Education can be a powerful tool for breaking the cycle of poverty and promoting social mobility, but until we address systemic failures and provide equal access to quality education, we cannot truly claim to be FREE in this country.
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