"Decade of dithering" has left black youth stuck in poverty
22/07/2010
Despite calls for changes to the education system by the ANC when it came into power in South Africa, a "decade of dithering" has meant that many young blacks in the country are now trapped in lives of rural poverty, it has been said.
An article on Reuters noted that during apartheid, thousands of "farm schools" were set up by white farmers to teach children until they were old enough to go out to work in the fields.
The source called the schools a "blaring symbol of an apartheid-era education system" and said that while much was promised about the changing of schools, nothing has been done.
President Jacob Zuma has said that better education is the first priority for his party but speaking to Reuters, principal Fredah Mpai claimed her pupils are still forced to use pit toilets as there are no proper facilities.
Many have pointed out that the billions pumped into South Africa ahead of the World Cup, for stadiums and other facilities, may have been better used to help the nation's people have a good education system.
Written by Dan Parr.
