Overcoming Bantu Education in Post-Apartheid South Africa
I am a journalism student at the University of Missouri working toward a major in Magazine Writing and a minor in History. While my passion for writing drew me to the field of journalism, my sense of curiosity kept me here. I hope to pursue my major in magazine writing but am open to several paths in journalism’s changing landscape. I also plan to use my interest in historical research
I recently finished a study abroad program in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I fell in love with the vibrancy of the city and the richness of the culture, gathering experiences that have fostered my appreciation for travel. After completing this project, I hope to visit South Africa and see the nation's progression as a democratic state firsthand.
Some of my favorite things to do include hiking, rock climbing, seeing independent films, playing soccer, reading The New Yorker and listening to This American Life on NPR.
Mostly, I just try to keep an open mind in everything I do.
About Me
About This Project
My motivation for writing about South African education stemmed from a conversation I had with one of my friends. Her aunt lived in Kenya with her two high school children, and I wondered how their education compared with "Western standards." I was curious if her aunt would continue sending her children to Kenyan schools, or if they were enrolled in private international schools.
That set in motion my thought process for beginning to research the history of South African education. As I began to learn about its history under apartheid and the system of apartheid itself, I realized how similar it was to the American education system and the inequalities it faced for decades. Furthermore, the disparities that continue to exist in the South African education system mirror the racialized disparities in the U.S. The only difference is that the U.S. does not seem to be facing the problem as head on as South Africa is.
I learned a lot about education under apartheid through this project, and I hope you will as well. My professor, Daniel Domingues da Silva, created the class for which this project was made: African History through the Digital Medium at the University of Missouri.