The State of the South African State’s Education System
Iviwe Mtubu (University of Cape Town)

Twenty-seven years after South Africa's democratic transition, its most disadvantaged communities continue to be denied access to decent education. It is concerning that rural schools still lack concrete infrastructure after 27 years. Without sufficient educational tools, students are taught under trees and mud rondavels. South Africa's most disadvantaged students are taught by underqualified educators in severely under-resourced institutions. However, this is not the case with the wealthy. This is the irony in South Africa's push for "equitable education." Clearly, equality has failed our people if, even after the democratic dispensation, they continue to learn in settings that reflect their deplorable poverty. South Africa must forsake its push for equal education in favour of a push for a “justice-driven” education system. One that recognizes the need for redress for the country's poor, a system that recognises and actively works to dismantle Apartheid's legacies. How may this be accomplished? Schools must resemble “opportunity and success” to the African child via investments in infrastructure. The appearance of a school reveals a lot about what goes on within. The disadvantaged communities of South Africa need schools that reflect their potential – with resources that maximize their educational capability.