Plight of the privileged ‘white schools’

ONE of the most fascinating ideological flaws I have noticed in South Africa is that anything with white people is widely viewed as quality.

For example, there is a tendency by many black South Africans to refer to a black employer as “umlungu” (white boss) simply because he or she is a boss who pays their salaries.

This is because apartheid has taught many that anything with whites represents superiority in any context.

So, many people preoccupy themselves with chasing anything white, especially when it comes to educating their children.

It is this presumptuous stereotype that has been the greatest undoing of many former model C schools in post-apartheid South Africa. (Model C schools were reserved for white children during apartheid). Many people still view these former model C schools as “white” schools while those in the townships are labelled “black” schools. “Black schools” are seen as the worst place to send your children, while “white schools” epitomise the best education.

This labelling is where the trouble begins. As long as parents see white teachers and students at such schools, with an incomprehensible Latin motto, they scramble to enrol their children there as such are seen as signs of a good school!

I have noticed however that it is a terrible mistake to view schools through this “race-class” window as many former model C schools are not as privileged as many might think. I have observed how such schools are falling apart yet they are ignored because they must be rich.

Some of them are so dilapidated their roofs leak terribly, their paint is faded and their furniture is falling apart.

Some of these schools have computers so old you might think you are in an antique store and their fields for various sporting codes are overgrown with grass. It certainly wouldn’t be surprising if a wild buck suddenly sprung up. Yet they are seen as rich schools!

Such schools are struggling now, simply because they still carry the tag of “white schools” which tends to haunt rather than help those that bear this tag. The government and potential donors seem to ignore any schools with white teachers and learners, as they are seen as rich schools. If you teach at such schools, you might become sick of hearing that the Department of Education or a certain company has donated computers to a school in the location and your “white school” has been skipped because ningabelungu (you are a privileged white school) so you don’t need help.

On the contrary, many such schools are big scarecrows now, only intimidating from a distance while desperate when you get close. They are crying for financial help. Just like the so-called black schools, they are desperately waiting for financial rain from both the government and potential donors, but it keeps skipping them, so they are withering to death.

I think the government has to shake off the colonial hang-over, take a closer look at such schools and give them a helping hand.

Surely, some “white schools” might face total collapse if they are not helped. To paraphrase Stevie Smith, although they seem to be waving, they are actually drowning!