Reflection Paper - Educational System of South Africa

Leonardo Z. Camboja Jr.                                                                         Teaching Profession

BEE – 2                                                                                                 Olga C. Alonsabe, Ph.D.

Reflection Paper – Educational System of South Africa

March 4, 2013

Poised in a geographically strategic location, South Africa for centuries was the object of battles fought between European invaders and the indigenous Africans. South Africa today is a rich kaleidoscope of people, languages, and cultures. With its extremely ethnically diverse population, South Africa has 11 official languages: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, and Zulu. Of the original African peoples who lived in the southern African tip, only a few members of the San ('Bushmen') and KhoiKhoi communities (Hottentots) have survived. Anthropologists describe the majority of South Africa's indigenous people as Bantu-speaking people. (However, since aBantu refers to people and Isintu to language, this group of Africans should more accurately be designated Sintu-speaking people.) The Bantu include the Nguni, two-thirds of the African population who speak closely related 'languages' (more accurately, dialects of the Nguni language—isiZulu, isiXhosa, isiNdebele, and siSwati). The second largest group of indigenous South Africans is the Sotho speaking group, while the Tsonga and the Venda are smaller groups. The "Coloureds," along with the Afrikaners (descendants of mainly Dutch, French Huguenot, and German settlers), speak Afrikaans, a language developed from Dutch by KhoiKhoi and Malaysian slaves as a pidgin language. South Africans of British and other European descent (notably, Jews from the Baltic States) identify themselves as English-speaking South Africans, while the Indian South African population mainly speaks Tamil, Hindi, and Gujarati.The arrival of Europeans in southern Africa was by far the most traumatic experience the indigenous communities had ever experienced by the 1600s. In 1652 the Dutch set up a mainland base in the territory of the KhoiKhoi for their East India Company (VOC) as a victual ling station for their own passing ships.

The South African academic Year it is started on January and end up to December. Education composed of Primary School reception to grade 6; Secondary School or Junior Secondary, from grades 7-9; Further Education and Training ages 10-12 respectively. In higher education they will received Certificates and Diplomas (generally 1-2 years of study); for Bachelors’ Degrees (from 3 years to 6 years of study, depending on course); Honor’s Degrees (1 further year of undergraduate study, requiring a thesis);  Master’s Degree (2 years of post-graduate study); Doctorate (variable in duration with a minimum of 2 years, following a Master’s). South Africa has 11 official languages, but schools and universities generally use either English or Afrikaans as the language of instruction. Students who have attended an English-medium high school or university and have performed well academically can reliably be granted a waiver from the TOEFL. Secondary Education, schooling is compulsory through grade 9, but under the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) students may opt at the successful completion of grade 9 to obtain their General Education and Training Certificate and to pursue employment or technical training at Further Education and Training (FET) institutions. Those continuing into senior secondary school for grades 10-12 sit the nationally set and moderated matriculation examinations, or an approved alternative such as the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) test series, to obtain the National Senior Certificate (NSC) at the end of grade 12. From grade 10, senior secondary students must take 7 subjects, 4 of which must be English, a second South African language, Life Orientation, and either Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy. The remaining 3 courses are selected from 27 options, which range from Accounting, Art (which includes theory and history), Business Economics and Computer Technology, to Tourism and Woodworking. Courses in science (Physical or Life Science) are optional, as are the social sciences (History, Economics and Geography). Students wishing to pursue university studies, however, are often constrained in their choices at tertiary level unless they take the more rigorous Mathematics.

Life and education is not easy, they have tremendous experiences like slaves, massive hunger, political turmoil, tribalism, prostitution, HIV/AIDs and more problems. Many political leaders fight for stabilization of economic status to gain upliftment of people especially belongs to the very poor constituents. The Ministry of Education addressing these concerns to adapt a quality education to change the face of South Africa by letting the poor can give equal access of education. Many programs have been adapted to reach these vision reduction of dropped outs. According to Dr. Mamphela Ramphele, Doctor of Medicine, former World Bank Director for Economic Affair and an Anthropologist. She stressed out the importance of education and economic sustainability for the betterment of the community.

If I will compare the economic status of South Africa and here including the educational system, I can say better live Philippines than South Africa because we did not experience too much massive hunger comparing their status. In regards to education, our government addressing all possible solutions to upgrade educational problem like school dropped outs, insufficient of classrooms, textbooks, chairs and others related concerns of educational standard. The DepEd continue find solutions for the betterment of school throughout the country, a lot of programs for the good of the institutions.

During our presentation, we choose issues that can touch the heart of the educators or aspiring educator to witness the real world of education and real world of economic situations of tribe people. The political division brings the people to ruin their lives because of personal interests that affect much of their development. The high rate of HIV cases bring down their outlook in life to stand for their future. As I learned from my research, different NGO’s, foreign aid organization are hand in hand helping to stabilized their economic status like livelihood programs to sustain their lives.