Education+across+Cultural+Divide+in+South+Africa

In traditional African society, the tribe is the most important community as it is the equivalent of a nation. The tribe provides both emotionaly and financial security. The nuclear family is the ultimate basis of the tribe. The tribal and family units are being disrupted by changes in the economic reorganization of the country. As more people move into the urban areas, they attempt to maintain familial ties, including providing financial support to family members who have remained in the village. Understanding and appreciating intercultural differences ultimately promotes clearer communication, breaks down barriers, builds trust, strengthens relationships, opens horizons and yields results... Edward T. Hall and Mildred Reed Hall.

With the dawn of democracy in the new South Africa, Black parents came to a crossroad regarding the education of their children. They no longer wanted their children to attend schools in the townships. They wanted them to attend school in cities where it is often far and expensive. By so doing they denied their children to learn in their first language and opted for English as the prefered language. One major obstacle in the White schools was that, teachers were white and did not understand black culture nor did they speak at least one black language. Children easily and quickly adapted learning English as their spoken language.

When they reach home after school, it soon became a challenge for them to communicate in a black language. Their often illiterate grandparents were left wondering at the instantly transformed grandchild, who could neither greet nor say thank you in their mother-tongue! Such was the predicament the modern black parent found themselves in! Even they, could not understand, in most cases what their own child was saying to them! The fast-paced demands of private schooling, became a reality many parents did not anticipate. The meagre salaries earned, had to pay for the high school fees every month including transport and other extra fees for sporting acivities.

The issue of cultural differences, soon became an obstacle in schools. It soon became clear that our country's curriculum shoud be developed with more awareness of multicultural sensitivity. Teachers were faced with the task of learning in earnest other cultural values. In so doing, the students in their classrooms will relate their challenges better than before. The teachers ( White ), became more understanding of how other cultural groups behave.A lack of tolerance will now be replaced by mutual respect on both parties- Black and White.

Black and White teachers never anticipated to teach children from other African countries. Children whose first language or mother tongue is not one of the eleven official languages we have in South Africa. Our constitution makes provision for them not to be denied the right to education but fails in the national curricullum to include such a provision! The children of these immigrants, some legal, most illegal, came across intercultural misunderstanding in school. Inclusive is also lack of mutual comprehension and intolerance towards immigrants by both teachers and students. I think, it is desirable, that our national curriculum should "bear in mind the intellectual and cultural mobility of the individual"