Mandela once said education is the most powerful tool for changing the world. Since the end of apartheid, our school curriculum has included Life Orientation (LO) – a subject specifically designed to equip learners with the values to help our country heal and prosper. Sadly, many schools lack proper textbooks, some teachers are inadequately trained, and most learners treat it as a joke!
By getting to the bottom of school violence across the country, and addressing the problems with subjects like LO, we can ensure our classrooms become the incubators of change we so desperately need.
Some claim the assault had nothing to do with race, despite the boy being coloured and his attackers being white — it was just an initiation prank gone wrong. But regardless, this remains yet another horrific incident of school-based violence. Young people of all races should feel safe at school and it’s up to our government to make sure that happens.
We saw with the recent school textbook delivery scandal that Minister Motshekga was forced to engage after public outcry. We have the power to make her respond again — sign now and share with friends and family:
Avaaz as a movement is the result of people from all backgrounds coming together in unity — across South Africa and around the world. Even in recent weeks, we have stood up against violence and intolerance in places like France and Kenya, and called for changes that will create a brighter future for all. Let’s do it again in Mzansi.
With hope,
Nic, Mike, Luis, Emma and the whole Avaaz team