Development Talk

Cape Town Celebrates Human Rights Day

 

March 23, 2011

March 21st marked Human Rights Day on the South African calendar — a day where people commemorate the struggles suffered by those fighting for equality and justice. It also marks the anniversary of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in 1996, an organisation dedicated to continuously fighting for human rights.

We rejoice this day by appreciating the rights we have, which include the right to dignity, equality, education, and expression.

This year’s Human Rights Day brought a large number of people to participate in events hosted by the Equal Education (EE). The event’s main intention was to hand over a memorandum to the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, requesting her to ensure the Minimum Norms and Standards for School Infrastructure is signed into law, as promised in last year’s policy gazette. The memorandum is also similar to the National Policy for the Equitable Provision of an Enabling School Teaching and Learning Environment (NPEP).

Unfortunately, Motshekga wasn’t present to take the memorandum, but Dingani Ngobeni, the Chief of Staff in the Basic Education Ministry, accepted it on her behalf. There was a great turn-out at the event, including a number of youth who were also advocating for advancing their education.

According to the Cape Times, Yoliswa Dwane, Equal Education spokeswoman, was quoted as saying, “Young people in the province showed today that they have an interest in their education. They came in numbers and wanted their voices to be heard.”

(Note: A similar march is planned for March 31, to the Union Buildings in Pretoria)

Aside from Parliament, other areas in Cape Town were also celebrating Human Rights Day, but this time in the form of arts and performance. Gugulethu residents and surrounding areas enjoyed the rhythm of the Cape, as the Amy Biehl Foundation, in association with the City of Cape Town, Western Cape Musicians Association and the Department Cultural Affairs and Sports presented the Cape Township Jazz Festival.

The likes of Amy Biehl Youth Bands, Yolanda Yawa, Mtika, The Tribe of Benjamin and the Milton Academy Jazz Band played at the event. The admission was only R5, giving an opportunity for people of all areas to attend the event.

Through political lobbying, speeches, and performances, it was clear that Cape Town made a statement in the on-going fight for human rights. Though we celebrate our achievements, it’s equally important to focus on the future and continue paving the way for justice and fairness.

Human Rights Day is incredibly important in reminding us that despite our differences, we are at the end of the day, all human.

Filed under: basic human right,campaign,children,CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS,DEVELOPMENT WORKS,education,Government,Parliament,rights,South Africa,youth — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 10:59 am

Organisation Holds Zuma Accountable for Education Non-deliverables

 

February 16, 2011

 

Pupils raised their concerns during school library march.Photo:EE

Education was a focus in Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation Address. In an interview featured on politicsweb.co.za he proposed focusing on the “Triple T,” which stands for teachers, text books and time. 

He emphasised that by law, teachers must spend enough hours teaching at schools and children must have access to books, therefore having time to deliver these necessities is crucial. 

Equal Education (EE), a community and membership-based organisation that is committed at achieving quality education in South Africa, is here to ensure that all the promises that are being made around educations are fullfilled. 

Doron Isaacs, Equal Education Director, said, for too long, South African education policy has been at war with the basics, including textbooks. He said, under Minister Angie Motshekga, this has thankfully changed and now the President is underlining that. But EE will not wait to see whether the President’s words magically deliver textbooks and teachers on time to every child. 

Isaacs said they will continue their daily campaigning work to make sure that this happens. 

“We will keep training learners, parents and community members to hold their schools accountable in these crucial areas. We will keep pressuring government to revisit the tendering process for textbooks to bring down the cost, and will pressure the publishers to stop profiteering at the expense of our education,” he said.  

Teachers and pupils at Masiyile High School were thrilled during library launch. Photo:EE
He also mentioned that school districts and provinces that fail to deliver on the President’s words will find themselves: on “our placards, in our petitions,” listed in the newspapers and “…in court”.
 
Equal Education has already spread their wings and are advocating on an large-scale level. Last year, more than 12,000 people took part in Human Rights Day in March, more than 5,000 fasted during Fast For School Library, and over 60,000 signed petition for 1 School 1Library 1 Librarian, to name a few.

In its 4th year of existence, EE will be marching on the 21st of March to demand basic infrastructure in all South African Schools. They are doing so to ask basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga , to fulfill her promise of finalising Minimum Norms and Standards for School Infrastructure by the end of March 2011. 

They will host events geared toward people who care about education. The first is People’s Summit for Equal Education that will take place on 25-28 June at Khayelitsha and UCT. Later this year, EE will hold its First National Congress that will be open for EE members and will allow them to debate and decide upon the future priorities.  

Creative Consulting & Development Works truly see value in EE’s efforts and initiatives. In just three years, the organisation has mobilised the South African community and made great improvements on the education sector. We support EE, IkamvaYouth, and other organisations as they continue to improve the quality of education in South Africa. 

 
 

  

 

 

 

Filed under: campaign,children,civil society,community,CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS,DEVELOPMENT WORKS,education,Government,initiative,media,NGOs,South Africa,Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 4:20 pm

Do your bit to put a library in every school

 

January 26, 2010

Equal Education volunteers promote the "One school, one library, one librarian" campaign

Volunteers promote the "One school, one library, one librarian" campaign. From EE's Facebook page

More than 90% of public schools and more than 4.5 million learners in South Africa do not have a functioning school library.

Equal Education (EE), a community and membership-based organisation engaged in activism for improving South African schools, aims to change this by marching to Parliament on 21 March 2010.

They will hand over a petition to the government which asks for a library to be established at every school, a trained full-time librarian to be employed, and at least three books to be made available for every learner.

Equal Education already has the support of Dr Mamphela Ramphele, Sindiwe Magona and Zackie Achmat, but they also need our help.

They list various ways in which ordinary citizens can help their cause:

  • Donate money
  • Spread the word through Facebook, Twitter and Mxit
  • Join the task team meeting and volunteer your time
  • Sign the petition by clicking here
  • Support the EE book collection drive

This blog post, and our related Facebook & Twitter posts, is Creative Consulting & Development Works‘ way of helping.

Just like Equal Education, we believe “reading is the foundation of all eduction” and that this is “a matter of freedom justice and equality”, especially after we researched and compiled a consolidated report on the Western Cape Education Department Family Literacy Project Pilot.

For more information on Equal Education, read our previous blog post on the organisation here, or visit their website.

Filed under: blogging,Book,children,community,CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS,education,Inequality,literacy,Parliament,Research,youth — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 11:41 am

Learners are the backbone of Equal Education

 

November 30, 2009

High school learners work with Equal Education to affect change in their schools.

High school learners work with Equal Education to affect change in their schools.

“Equal Education is a movement of learners, parents, teachers and community members working for quality and equality in South African education, through analysis and activism” (Equal Education Annual Report, 2008).

South African high school learners are taking a lead in making a difference in their schools through their membership to the inspiring NPO, Equal Education.

In an education system which remains mostly unequal, these grade 8 to 12 learners, called “equalisers”, set an example to their peers through their dedication to their own education. They also play a leading role in the activities of the organisation.

Equal Education was founded in 2008 as a community and membership-based organisation. Based in Khayelitsha, Equal Education is research-driven and believes in engaging in “…evidence-based activism for improving the nation’s schools”.

The organisation is premised upon the principles of promoting the right to equality and education, as founded within our constitution. Currently, Equal Education is advocating for functional libraries in all schools- “one school, one library, one librarian”. Prior to this campaign, Equal Education successfully embarked on reducing the number of learners arriving late at schools within Khayelitsha.

Equal Education wants to improve education for all children.

Equal Education wants to improve education for all children.

The “equalisers” are described by Equal Education as the most active members of the organisation. They work tirelessly in afternoons, after school, in an effort to effect change in their schools and ultimately communities.

Development Works is inspired by the active participatory nature and structure of the organisation which encourages the ‘ownership’ shown by these young ‘equalisers’ in taking responsibility for their own education.

Click here to visit the Equal Education website.

Filed under: children,DEVELOPMENT WORKS,education,inspiration,inspire,NPOs,Research,social transformation — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 3:54 pm