Yesterday we visited two schools in Pretoria, South Africa's executive or administrative capital. The Union Buildings, pictured in the gallery below, form the official seat of the government and house the offices of the President of South Africa. President Jacob Zuma, who is facing charges of corruption, was questioned in Parliament today. The African National Congress (ANC) was the party that led the freedom struggle and it has controlled the government since 1994, however, it is increasingly coming under fire. The first school we visited yesterday was Seshegong Secondary School, where Angie Rollet, a fellow FCPS teacher (Chantilly HS), is teamed up with Thoko Sethole. We were greeted enthusiastically by Thoko, her colleagues, and the students at Seshegong. The highlight was our observation of an arts and culture class. Students were practicing cultural dances, including a gumboot dance (developed by miners in South Africa) and a traditional Zula dance. Next, we visited the historic Pretoria High School for Girls. It is an integrated public school, but not in the way we think of "public." Since 1994, formerly all-white government funded schools like PHSG have been given "previously advantaged schools" status. They are funded partly by the government and partly by tuition and fees paid by the students and their families. There are scholarships in place to support families who show financial need. Nearly 150 boarders stay on campus during the week. Julie Caccamise (Woodrow Wilson HS, Washington DC) is teamed with Dani Cooper at PHSG. We were given a tour of the building, visited several classes, and met with administrators, who addressed a range of issues concerning the direction of education in South Africa. Next stop was the University of Pretoria for professional development. We listened to presentations by several faculty members in the Faculty (College) of Education. A highlight for me was the presentation by Dr. Rinelle Evans, who discussed "the complexity of the linguistic landscape of South African classrooms." We also heard from Mr. Hendrik du Toit, principal at Hendrik Verwoerd High School. He integrated this all-white public high school during a very difficult and tumultuous period in the 1990's. Mr. Albert Mkhwanazi also spoke about his schooling experiences in South Africa. A graduate of the University of Pretoria, he is now a primary school teacher. In the end, we were treated to a musical performance by several of the education students at the university. They performed two Mariam Makeba classics.
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AuthorTim Kelly, Social Studies ArchivesCategories |