Equity is needed in SA’s education system – The Mail & Guardian

In schools across the country, particularly those in rural and under-resourced areas, learners face uphill battles that many of us can scarcely imagine.

The results of the class of 2024 provides us with a moment to celebrate and to also reflect on the disparities that continue to plague our education system. 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 scarcely imagine. Yet, these learners are expected to sit for the same matric exams as their peers in well-resourced schools, where access to digital devices, textbooks and modern teaching aids is a given and when the results are released, we act as if there was no difference in the experience of these learners. We share the results as if both contexts were equal.

This reality underscores the deep-rooted inequalities that continue to pervade our 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 equitable access to quality education, we cannot truly claim to be free in this country.

Unequal foundations

I read an article recently that featured a school in the Eastern Cape, 300 kilometres from Gqeberha. The headline read “250 learners fail maths because they don’t have a maths teacher”. Not only that, but they also lack a principal and a deputy principal. 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 accountable for appointing suitably qualified educators to schools and to make sure 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.

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 such as 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, 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 problems.

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 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 help student teachers to adapt to the real-world problems they will face in the classroom. Whether it’s teaching without technology or working in multi-lingual 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 difficult circumstances.

It is also imperative that for our multi-lingual country, we ensure that 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 use of multi-lingual teaching methods.

A call to action

With the matric results now released, it’s a time to celebrate the resilience and achievements of South Africa’s learners, many of whom have overcome immense difficulties to reach this milestone. Congratulations to those who have passed — you have reaped the rewards of your hard work. To those who did not make it, there is always another opportunity. To the teachers, I extend my deepest gratitude for your unwavering dedication to your learners in the face of adversity.

Teaching 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 the transformative force we all believe it can be, we must recommit ourselves to eradicating inequality in schools. Only then can we truly say we are on the path toward a liberated and just society.

Professor Heloise Sathorar is the executive dean in the Faculty of Education at Nelson Mandela University.

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