Discrimination in South African Schools Becoming a Thing of the Past

            Could you imagine being in a school that had no diversity? This is once how in was in South Africa. Schools were not open to everybody. It all depended on your race the schools were divided into black, coloured, Indian and white. Not only this but if you were disabled you most likely would not get an education. Journal article South Africa: first steps in the development of an inclusive education system, written by Lilian Lomofsky and Sandy Lazarus (Faculty of Education, University of the Western Cape), discusses the steps being taken to change education in this country.

            In the year of 1996 there was a big change in the education system with the South African Schools Act. This act ordered that schools shall be non-discriminatory by making schools open to all races and allow for all kid’s ages 7 to 15 to receive an education, including students with special educational needs. South Africa has an alarming rate of 40%-50% of their students who are considered to be in need of special education, who before this South African Schools Act were not getting any sort of education. You may wonder why there is such an alarming rate of kids who are considered in need of special education. Lomofsky and Lazarus state that “The Human Sciences Research Council Report on Education for Black Disabled had attributed it to environmental disadvantages such as poverty, lack of awareness, lack of access to medical and health care facilities, political violence, and lack of opportunities to learn.”

            So it seems that South Africa is making an effort to improve education, but is far from getting it to be where it needs to be. Education should start before the age of 7 and continue on past age 15. There should also be opportunities for these children to gain a higher education. In order to make it completely better, focus should not only be on education but also making their lives better. This could be done by building a stronger economic country. There are many factors can affect a child’s learning other than just what is happening at school. These children need more stability in their lives to be able to succeed educationally.

A South Africa classroom with diversity

 

Works Cited.

Lomofsky, Lilian, and Sandy Lazarus. "South Africa: First Steps In The Development Of An Inclusive Education System." Cambridge Journal Of Education 31.3 (2001): 303-317. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 June 2013.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHOqfrOkCkU