Basic Education: Rights and Global Context

Study Notes

Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR, 1948) emphasizes the right to free and compulsory elementary education.
The right to education aims to fully develop human personality and respect for human rights.
Parents have the right to choose the type of education for their children.
The South African Constitution (Section 29) guarantees the right to basic education, including adult education.
The Constitution ensures the state progressively makes further education accessible.
The right to education extends to the use of preferred languages, provided it is reasonably feasible.
The right to establish independent institutions is also guaranteed, adhering to non-discrimination and state standards.

Education is a fundamental right that unlocks other fundamental rights like health, liberty, and political participation.
Knowledge of rights and the ability to advocate for them increases with education.
Basic education promotes social mobility by providing individuals with the skills needed to improve their socio-economic status.
Education contributes to economic growth by enhancing employability and entrepreneurship.
Basic education improves psychological and physical well-being, and reduces fertility rates, disease burden, and enhances self-respect, self-understanding, and the ability to achieve personal goals.

Educational counter-culture can lead to working-class students ending up in low-wage jobs, perpetuating class inequality.
The education system can reproduce racial and gender disadvantages and social privileges.

In the early 20th century, limited educational opportunities existed for Black South Africans, with some mission and farm schools, and a few elite institutions.
The Bantu Education Act (1953) established separate education facilities aimed at reinforcing tribal identities and preparing Black South Africans for specific labor roles.
The Act led to the withdrawal of state subsidies from mission schools, implementation of a racist curriculum, and significant inequalities in teacher training and resources.
Hendrik Verwoerd argued that educating Black South Africans in the same system as Europeans was economically and socially inappropriate.
The consequences of the Bantu Education Act included the collapse of mission schools, under-resourced education for Black South Africans, and significant disparities persisted into the 1980s.

Basic education is a crucial foundation for individual and societal development.
It enhances human rights, promotes economic and social mobility, and contributes to overall well-being.
Understanding the historical and policy context, especially in regions like South Africa, is essential for addressing current challenges and ensuring equitable access to quality education for all.

The end of apartheid in 1994 marked the African National Congress (ANC) taking power, inheriting a deeply unequal education system.
The historical context of apartheid is a pivotal starting point for understanding the challenges and responses in the education sector.
Factors for analysis include historical context, asymmetries from apartheid, and resource disparities.