Class of Their Own: the Bantu Education Act (1953) Revisited
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IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN: THE BANTU EDUCATION ACT (1953) REVISITED. by NADINE LAUREN MOORE Submitted as requirement for the degree MAGISTER HEREDITATIS CULTURAEQUE SCIENTIAE (HISTORY) in the Faculty of Humanities University of Pretoria Pretoria 2015 Supervisor: Professor Karen L. Harris Abstract Various political parties, civil rights groups, ministerial spokespeople and columnists support the view that one of South Africa's leading challenges is overcoming the scarring legacy that the Bantu Education Act of 1953 left on the face of the country. In the light of this a need arises to revisit the position and place of Bantu Education in the current contested interpretation of its legacy. It is apparent from the vast literature on this topic that academics are not in agreement about whether or not the 1953 education legislation was the watershed moment for ensuring a cheap labour force. On the one hand it would seem that the general consensus is that 1953 was indeed a turning point in this regard – thus a largely traditional view. However, on the other hand, another school of thought becomes apparent, which states that securing a cheap, unskilled labour force was already on the agenda of the white electorate preceding the formalisation of the Bantu Education Act. This latter school of academics propose that their theory be coined as a “Marxist” one. In examining these two platforms of understanding, traditional and Marxist, regarding Bantu Education and the presumption that it was used as a tool to ensure a cheap, unskilled labour force, the aim of this study is two-fold. First, to contextualise these two stances historically; and second to examine the varying approaches regarding the rationalisation behind Bantu Education respectively by testing these against the rationale apparent in the architects of the Bantu Education system. This includes analysing primary sources in the form of parliamentary debates and contemporary newspaper articles. i List of abbreviations ANC – African National Congress HNP – Herenigde Nasionale Party (Reformed National Party) MP – Member of parliament NP – National Party PRP – Progressive Reform Party SABRA – South African Bureau of Racial Affairs SAIRR – South African Institute of Race Relations SAP – South African Party UP – United Party ii Acknowledgements I am profoundly grateful and indebted to Professor Karen L. Harris for her unwavering support. Her phenomenal work ethic, wisdom, kindness and resolute commitment to securing the very best for her students has been an unceasing source of inspiration to me. I could never sufficiently express the depth of my gratitude for the contributions that she has made to my life - for matters both historical and beyond. In addition, I am appreciative of the invaluable support, patience and words of encouragement of my family and friends, most particularly that of my partner Alex, as well as my mother Michelene. iii Dedicated to my precious boys, Elliot and James, Without whom this dissertation would have been completed much sooner. It is also dedicated to my darling Alex, Without whom this dissertation would never have been completed at all. iv Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................ i List of abbreviations ..................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... iii Chapter 1: Introducing differing discourses .................................................................... 1 The aim of the study .................................................................................................................... 3 Methodology and sources ............................................................................................................ 5 Literature review ....................................................................................................................... 13 Structure of the proposed study ................................................................................................ 16 Chapter 2: Slave schools to Soweto Riots ..................................................................... 18 Colonial Control ......................................................................................................................... 18 Mining manipulation ................................................................................................................. 25 Black resistance ......................................................................................................................... 35 Chapter 3: Full Marx: Marxist interpretations of black schooling ................................. 40 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 40 Marxist theory ........................................................................................................................... 41 Pam Christie and Colin Collins .................................................................................................... 46 Martin Legassick ........................................................................................................................ 53 Other historians ......................................................................................................................... 59 Marxist writings in historical context ......................................................................................... 64 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 67 Chapter 4: Old-school: traditional Bantu Education historiography .............................. 68 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 68 Cynthia Kros ............................................................................................................................... 69 Trends and challenges in the education of the South African Bantu ........................................... 73 Education: From poverty to liberty ............................................................................................. 81 Other historians ......................................................................................................................... 88 Historical context ....................................................................................................................... 94 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 97 Chapter 5: From Parliament to print: historical interpretations vs. primary sources ..... 99 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 99 Primary sources: a chronological overview ............................................................................... 101 Marxist school ......................................................................................................................... 115 Traditional school .................................................................................................................... 119 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 125 Chapter 6: School’s out: conclusion ........................................................................... 128 Source list ...................................................................................................................... 134 Government publications ......................................................................................................... 134 Official government legislation ................................................................................................ 135 Newspapers and periodicals .................................................................................................... 135 Academic articles ..................................................................................................................... 137 Literature ................................................................................................................................. 138 Unpublished sources ................................................................................................................ 145 v Chapter 1: Introducing differing discourses The World Economic Forum's Africa Competitiveness Report of 2015 rated South Africa as one of the worst educational performers in the world, which is a statistical tendency that has plagued South Africa's recent past.1 Together with this, ongoing reports of failures in the national education system, such as the textbook delivery crisis that plagued Limpopo in 2012, threats of strike-action by teachers' unions, over-crowded classrooms and educators who lack pedagogic and content knowledge point towards decay in the current educational sphere of South Africa. As a result, numerous individuals have damningly compared the current South African education system to that under apartheid – known as Bantu Education. Others have taken this