FAMILIES URGED TO SUPPORT CHILDREN’S EDUCATION AT DESMOND TUTU CYCC EVENT

By Lorato Modisenyane.

• Gauteng Social Development hosted a Family Day event themed “Education is the Key to Success” at Desmond Tutu CYCC in Pretoria.
• A Social Worker highlighted the need to bridge the gap between old and modern education systems so parents can better support their children.
• A retired teacher urged youth to seize today’s educational opportunities.

The Gauteng Department of Social Development hosted a succesful Family Day event for boys and girls at the Desmond Tutu Child and Youth Care Centre in Pretoria”s Northern Corridor.

The event was held under the theme “Education is the Key to Success.” Its aim was to empower parents to take an active role in their children’s education and to strengthen family bonds in secure care institutions.

Addressing the gathering, Social Worker, Siyabonga Bokaba, explained that the event sought to emphasise the importance of education while bridging the gap between the old Bantu education system and the modern CAPS curriculum.

“By bridging the old and new education systems, parents will be better equipped to support their children’s studies and understand the learning processes they are going through,” Bokaba said.

Zodwa Mbokazi, a retired teacher, also shared words of wisdom with the families and children. “No parent should sit back while their child is out of school because education is their right. Education helps to break the cycle of poverty, teaches humility, and is the key to success,” Mbokazi explained.

She then reminded the younger generation of how privileged they are now compared to the struggles of the past, an era when there was no water, electricity, or internet to make learning easier. Mbokazi encouraged the children to make full use of the opportunities available to them.

She explained the evolution of the education system in South Africa by referring to 2005, when the government introduced Outcome-Based Education (OBE), where learners were assessed according to their capabilities.

Mbokazi told them that this was later followed by the CAPS curriculum which emphasises inclusivity and ensures that Early Childhood Development (ECD) is integrated into formal learning.

Today, learners with barriers to learning are now supported rather than segregated.