OPINION | Unequal education puts writing on wall for some
I am Sinobuhlobo Mrwetyana, a member of Equal Education in the Eastern Cape, and I harbour a dream of experiencing equality in education.
This is my fifth year as an Equaliser but our government is still denying us our rights.
Eastern Cape as a province of former activists and legends should be a province of excellence but, instead, we are at the bottom when it comes to our country showing interest.
It is quite painful how small children have to walk long distances to inadequate structures, where schools have no fencing, no running water, no electricity, lack of teachers and shortage of text books.
And this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to our struggles.
As students born into democracy, our only obstacle should be worrying about pushing ourselves to study and passing under the appropriate circumstances rather than fighting for what’s rightfully ours.
Our government keeps on proving its incompetence by providing us with a memorandum of delays, so the court case victory is essential in a way that the government can stop wasting money on unnecessary battles and start rectifying their mistakes and deliver what they have been promising.
For all the years that I have been part of this movement, what I have noticed is that our government is not willing to enable change, especially in the Eastern Cape.
I believe that they have the resources to build and fix our schools but the only response they give us is excuses.
I do not understand why, in a country that espouses freedom and democracy, there is still inequality.
There are schools in our very district that are an example of what a school should look like.
We just want to feel the joy of walking into our schools, not having to fear structures caving in and feel warm and comfortable in our classrooms, with no broken windows.
We are angry at those who promise and never deliver.
Our schools don’t have laboratories and libraries.
We exist in a government system that does not allow disadvantaged people like us to explore our capabilities, but the government rather focuses on empowering privileged people.
Education is the key, as most people would say, but to us it is a milestone as we have to fight to get through primary and high school.
As a result of our government’s incompetence, children from disadvantaged backgrounds resort to dropping out of school and lead dysfunctional lives. The Eastern Cape is living in the past and is ignored by its own government.
I am a Grade 12 student who fears having to make it in the outside world as I will be competing with people who have received the kind of education I only dreamt about.
I am close to departing high school but the idea of leaving my school more wrecked than when I first arrived in 2014 leaves me uncertain.
I am worried about the coming generation that will have to experience this dysfunctional education system.
Some see this unfair situation as normal, but the truth is: it is not okay...
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