February 1981 1

16 HF BM) HEALTH CARE for profit FEBRUARY 1981 1 - THE ARTICLE thmt follows mm h supplement to thin The contribution ia an exploratory one, as far as this is cencsrned. tfortt In Progrcia represents a departure from and does not aim to be definitive or complete- Contributors submitting matarlml far previous editorial policy. u tad been It certainly falls into the category of work inclusion In future supplements should decided not to include contributions in WIP in progreaa. One of the reasona for presenting Include a non-technical, aaaily accessible which, beceuas of terminology used, vers not it in sTIP la to elicit comment and response, summary of their mrticle for inclusion In the fairly easily accessible to those without m and the author, David Kaplan, has specifically mmin body of HP, specific training in the area being discussed. requeated critical comment on the article. The contribution which follows BeJtes use of Thia will assist in the development and certain complex concepts, and the terminology furthering of a debate which touchee on the used and Ideas explored are difficult reading atructure of the South African economy, the for the non-expert* likely form of future capitalist development, The editors nonetheless felt that the and the implications of both structure and article was an laportant one. making a development. contribution of contemporary value, and having Comment can be Bent to the editors, or definite ett^ategic implications. The editors directly to were unwilling to deprive WI^ readerahlp of David Kaplan, the ideaa and information contained in the Department of Economic Hlatory, University of Cape Town, article because of their complexity, snd it 7700 Rondeboech, was accordingly decided to Include it as a CAPE TOW. supplement to this issue of yip. There are The editor* will consider running similar very few, if any avenues for the publication of supplements to WIP if readerahlp feels that thia sort of woiic in South Africs, and thla these are a worthwhile addition to the Work In was an added factor in deciding to include progress project. Readers are asked to let thia article in WIP. the editorial collective know of thsir attitude SUPPLEMENT TO February 1981 critique of tha system, where at tha beginning deliberataly sought end which lad ultimately to vlolanca and collapaa of afrlcan education in SCHOOLS tha only perceived isaua was ths aducatlonal onat aftar the boycott, pupils began to relate their Klmberley. However, tha Impression that state griavancas with tha educational system to tha officials triad to create of these events aaa BOYCOTT IN ganaral condition of their community. Thus, whlla that thay wvra dua to tha lntransiganca of tha tha boycott causad much misery and hardship to boycottars who had sought vlolanca and anarchy. KIMBERLEY tha cowunity of Oalaahawej it did have tha positive , Tha lmmedlata response of tha stata to tha effect of helping to create awareness among tha boycott was to tall tha pufiils to go back to younger generation of their aituation in life. school. But tha children, faced with tha atony Tha boycott began at two achools - tha only attitude of tha authorities, and fired by what ON 8EPTOBER 8, last year, 112 afrlcan scholar* govarnaant senior sacondai-y school, Tshlralaco, thay saw as tha justice of their causa, messed Mr« arrested in the Kiaoarley suburb of Int and tha Catholic Saint Boniface aanior sacondary dally in thalr thousands and marched Jubilantly End and chargad rith public vlolanca. Tha - on July 29. Tha aims of the pupils, subsequently through the streets of Galeehewe ainglng education crisis In Geleahewe, Kimberlsy^s misread and criticised as being unrealistic, freedom songs. Thay wara gradually Joined by afrlcan township, which had baan simaaring for •ere not to dsaand tha lseedlsts abolition of first tha lower secondary schools and later the noro than a aonth, suddanly burst Into tha 'Bantu' education, Tha pupils explained thay prlaary schools until by aid-August, every stngls national asdla which for tha naxt faa days aducatlonal Institution in tha toanahlp - Involving war* boycotting in protest sgalnst that systemp focusad on shat it was? as yet another 'troubla- in solidarity with datalnad and boycotting more than 15 000 children - ems dormant. epot'. pupils in other centres and to drew ettantion It is iaportant to nota that in all thalr This artlcls Is a bi-iaf first-hand account to tha deparata need for mam and batter educational dally Mating* and aarching there was no which attempts to show at tha same tima how tha facilitias in Gelashewe. instanca of vlolanca. Evan tha chief executive events of last yser wars diatortad both by tha Ihlla tha national issue of injustice in officer of Galashawa, PJ Roodt, is on record as press, who sensationalisad tha visible tip of South Africa's aducatlonal system has baan dealt having eade tha ironic covenant that tha tha icaberg. and tha stata which, armed with a with In length elsawhera it is partlnant to demonstrations wars conducted in a 'healthy mythology of 'disturbances' which (for instanca) mention her© that Gelashaaa, with an official spirit*. blames evarything on agitators, sought to disguise census population of 66 0O0, hae no technical Ths Department of Education and Training triad thalr rola in tha conflict. collaga or any other institution of post-school every method short of negotiating with tha pupils Tha Most rsaarkabla aapact of tha Gslsshews learning. Tha two above-mentioned echools ore to break tha impasse. Their moat consistent boycott ass tha fact that - bacauaa of the only ones offering "mtrlc courses, and at tactic was to uss ths school committees to try Kiaberlay** isolation frosi tha aaln centres 8t Boniface a pupil falling standard nine or tan and urga the children to return. Ths rounds of (It had baan laft untouchad by tha avants of is not given anothar chance and has to lsava tha meetings ell ended in deadlock with tha pupils soon 1976), tha abaancs of anything rasanbllng a school. At Tehiraleco, 4o mt n0it other schools, realising that the object of ths asstlnge was university and tha lack of relaxant raadlng thwrw la a shortaga of Juet about evarything not to listen to their grievances but to convince material - tha level of political sophistication - fro* Qualified teacher* to classroom space. thaa of tha wiedos of returning. of tha pupils was not high. Yat against Tha response of tha stata to tha challanga Other methods wars: literally trying to psrantal and lass subtla stata prasaura thsy of tha boycott (which surprised thaa * said one whip the* bade into Una by cans-charging the vara abls to unita vsry effectively. official: 'Things Ilka that don't happen in pupils* with dogs for backup (tha first instanca And after a faa wsaks of involvement in Kiafeerley') was at first inaansltlvlty and. of vlolanca - in lata August); detaining students an act of defiance against tha stata tha initial later savarlty. This reaction pushed tha pupils regarded as leaders, though thay ears all raleasad naivety gave say to a eore thorough-going into s total confrontation which thay had not soon afterwards; suspension threats which proved • holloa ehen no-one turned up for registration. by tha police. But ahat aaa important to tha The prsas had finished its role of collecting Thm ona method they n&tmr triad was to accede news Media end the state authorities aas that information for tha benefit of the reading to tha aoat fundamental of tha pupils demands: black rioters had entered a ehlt* aree end public. It had In that tiam got ahat it emnted that eommbod) of Importance 'ran tha Department caused damage to property. - several columns of tha commodity nmas. ^ alt doart at a table alth tMi| listen to their That evening tha police Issued a statement But tha community at Galeaheee ems left to grievances and at leeat start to do something alleging that several thousand efrlcan children live through its trauma. A fee emaks later about tha*. had run eild in a ehite suburb, antarlng hemes the Minister closed all of tha schools in understandably, therefor*, tha visit of tha and smashing furniture. Tha pr*ss took this up Gsleshewa and sacked 13 temporary teachers Minister of Education and Training,, Or Ferdle and the following morning It made the headlines alth 24 hours notice. Every pupil had lost a Hertianbery, to Klatoerley proved tha catalyst of most national dallies. The *orat aas tha years schooling end some mould nmvmr return. that brought tha conflict situation to a head. headline in the Citizen: 'Black Students Run It ems herd to tell hoe deep the schism betmmen Tha pupils eere furious aha" thay heard that the Asok in White Suburb*. Haver e*s therm any parents end children, created by the education Minister aaa to vialt Kiabarlay althout aaall'-a attempt to canvass tha opinions of the pupils department's politicking ahare It used the parents •lth tha». Ha aaa to talk eith tha coaaunlty or to provide some background td the events (in the form of schools* committees) as a means council | tha parents, even laadars of tha ahita thet had been happening for some time before tha of gattlng through to the pupils, ran. The coaaunlty, but his visit - nn opportunity for •riot" or even to indicate that the police boycott hmd obviously crested mistrust on both aoaa arrengemmnt zo ba aorkod out - vas a statement aaa only a claim by a party ahich sides. continuation of tha policy of Ignoring the actually formed one side in tha conflict. But tha fact that tha children begen to pupils* saaing thna as arrant children rather Only several daya later did investigations; include among their demands that: they return than regarding their stand as legitimate.

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