Higher Education
Unequal foundations
I read an article recently that featured a school in the Eastern Cape, 300km from Gqeberha. The headline read“ 250 Learners fail maths because they don’ t have a maths teacher”. Not only that, they were lacking a Principal and a Deputy Principal as well. This scenario raises fundamental questions about governance and accountability. Who caused this problem, and who is responsible for fixing such systemic failures? The core issue here, is governance.
The Department of Education is responsible for appointing suitably qualified educators to schools and ensuring that there ' s a teacher in every classroom to provide quality education. Furthermore, the Department needs to provide the necessary resources and support to teachers, who play a critical role in shaping the futures of our children. This includes not only textbooks and teaching materials, but also meaningful professional development and training on alternative teaching strategies that make learning relevant and accessible.
The digital divide
Another pressing issue is the widening digital divide. In many urban schools, learners use advanced technologies – interactive whiteboards, smart devices, and online learning platforms like Moodle. These schools have shifted away from physical textbooks to fully digital learning environments. Yet, in stark contrast, 80 % of schools in South Africa, primarily in rural and township areas, lack even basic technological infrastructure. In some cases, there aren’ t enough textbooks for every learner and if there are two or three textbooks between a class of 30 students, it’ s a lot, let alone computers or internet access- or even electricity in extreme cases.
In one particularly memorable instance, I observed a student teacher who had to improvise in a school that had no chalkboard and no resources to write on. In an incredible display of resilience, she used a large poster from a local retail store. She turned it over and transformed the back into a makeshift blackboard. Her innovation and resourcefulness highlight the dire circumstances many educators face daily and the incredible determination they show in overcoming these challenges.
This is very different from well-resourced schools where every learner has access to digital devices. Such disparities must be addressed if we are to close the gap between the haves and the have-nots in education.
Preparing educators for diverse contexts
I have identified the need for Government intervention and accountability, but as individual educators of the future generation, we have our own role to play in addressing the educational disparities in South Africa. At Nelson Mandela University, we emphasise humanising pedagogy principles in the Faculty of Education and prepare our future educators to teach in diverse contexts, with a strong focus on understanding their learners’ lived realities. We strive to expose our student teachers to both well-resourced and under-resourced schools, ensuring they grasp the importance of context in the learning process.
Comprehensive practical training is crucial to helping student teachers adapt to the real-world challenges they will face in the classroom. Whether it’ s teaching without access to technology or working in multilingual environments, educational institutions need to prepare students to think critically and creatively, drawing on community resources where necessary.
A commitment to inclusive education is another cornerstone of our approach. It is important to teach student teachers how to identify and address learning barriers, and to understand that no two learners are the same. This understanding helps them create a more equitable learning environment even in the most challenging circumstances.
It is likewise an imperative for our multilingual country that we ensure our future educators are equipped to teach in diverse linguistic settings. This is essential as South Africa moves towards embracing mother-tongue teaching and the utilisation of multilingual teaching methods.
A call to action
Yes, we celebrate the resilience and achievements of South Africa’ s matriculants and other learners, many of whom had overcome immense challenges to reach this milestone. A belated " Congratulations!" to those who ' ve passed – you ' ve reaped the rewards of your hard work; and to those who did not make it, there is always another opportunity. To the teachers, I extend my deepest gratitude for your dedication to your learners.
Let the announcement of the matric results not make us lose sight of the challenges ahead; let ' s use this period to reflect on the systemic changes needed to create a fair and just education system; and may this lead to action. Education remains the backbone of our society, and the need for strong, committed educators has never been greater. A great teacher uses education as a tool for transformation. But for education to be that transformative force, we must recommit ourselves to eradicating inequality in schools. Only then can we truly say we are on the path towards a liberated and just society. www. futuresa. co. za 69