DAY OF THE AFRICAN CHILD PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS EDUCATION BARRIERS AND CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION

By Sello Tang

• The Day of the African Child is being commemorated at Mamatlepa Primary School in Kgapane Village, Tzaneen, with a focus on amplifying investment in education across the continent.
• The programme highlights significant barriers preventing African children from attending school, including poverty, child marriage, and stigma against children with disabilities.
• Emphasising the need for quality education for all children, speakers at the programme called on governments and societies to protect children’s rights and ensure equal access to education.

The commemoration of the Day of the African Child programme is currently underway at Mamatlepa Primary School in Kgapane Village, Tzaneen, in the Limpopo Province. The Department of Social Development has joined the African continent in marking this day. This year’s theme, “Education for All Children in Africa – The Time is Now,” emphasises the need to amplify investment in the education of children across Africa.

This annual programme was first commemorated in 1991, 15 years after the Soweto uprising on 16 June 1976, when over 1,000 children were injured and 100 killed as students marched against the apartheid-era Afrikaans medium of instruction and the violent atrocities inflicted on black people in South Africa. The day also serves as a reminder to the global community of the significant barriers preventing African children from attending school.

Among the many factors negatively impacting education for African children are food poverty, caused primarily by meager wages and unreliable income. This financial instability makes it incredibly difficult for some parents to feed their families, leading children to work, scavenge, or beg instead of attending school. As a result, these children are often exposed to crime, drugs, and prostitution, perpetuating the cycle of poverty.

“Every child has a right to quality education, despite their race, creed, or family circumstances,” said Acting DDG of Welfare Services, Ms Siza Magangoe. Ms Magangoe highlighted the plight of girls during menstruation, noting that it becomes a stressful time, especially for those from impoverished families. The Department has since joined initiatives to distribute free sanitary products to girls from poor families.

This day also highlights the controversial issue of child marriage in Africa, which is a significant barrier to young girls completing their education. It is reported that child marriages are the biggest impediment to girls’ education, as those who drop out of school are more likely to marry and have unplanned pregnancies while still children.

Children with disabilities are also stigmatised in many parts of Africa. One participating disabled child at the programme said, “Children with special educational needs are treated with disdain, leading us to grow up with an inferiority complex.” Children who spoke at the programme reiterated that it is the responsibility of the government and society to protect children from abuse and violence, and to ensure the right to free education for all children on the continent.

“The time is now for all children, particularly those born with disabilities, to have equal access to quality education and skills development,” said one of the children.