Index1900-1910National Christian Education1920-1930Missionaries1950-1960Missionary SchoolsBantu Education Act 19531968-1978Steve Biko and Black ConsciousnessSoweto Riots1970-1980Open Schools as a Reform Movement ConclusionReferences1900-1910Education Christian nationalIn 1901 a group called the Vriendekring was formed and established a group of private schools. Its main mission was to ensure that Dutch traditions, language, religion and history were taught in schools. It was a fairly advanced group that had its own commission and examiners. In 1907, when General Smuts became Minister of Education, the CNE schools received a real boost. The level of education was high and could be considered very close to the standards of state schools. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay It was established to formulate a detailed education policy for South Africa. On the CNE committee sat men representing the Dutch churches, the teaching profession, the Afrikaner University and the leaders of Afrikaans culture. Education policies and laws in South Africa have been influenced by CNE policies. After years of preparation, a booklet summarizing the principles of the CNE was published in February 1948. Before the end of that year the National Party was in power and able to begin implementing its education policy. Policies were allowed to burn farms, they called it scorched earth. 1920-1930 In 1922, new laws were passed establishing the funding of African education at all levels, with additional funding coming from Africans themselves. The result is continuous funding. Missionaries The Board of Education was abolished and a sub-department of Native Education was established under the Superintendent of Education. Two hundred missionaries were brought from England to teach in British concentration camps, followed by hundreds from Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. It was then that Soweto was established as a separate African-only district. Missionaries in the former Transvaal administered, controlled and financed their schools. As long as these missionaries funded their schools in Black Education, the state did not interfere in the curriculum policies and administration of the schools. The policy of the former Transvaal government was to allow missionary societies to continue with their endeavours, as long as they did not interfere with the education of the white settlers. This clearly indicates that the previous government used many methods to ensure that its policies and actions became a success. The missionaries taught in their European style and also taught their students manual and labor work, which one might believe was a challenge for students to adapt to new teachers, new language and style use, and to deal with manual labour.1950- 1960Missionary schoolsThe church has always been a prominent factor in education in South Africa and particularly in the education of blacks. Before 1953 mission schools provided nearly all of the education available to blacks. Missionaries were the primary teachers of blacks in South Africa before Bantu education forced them to close their schools. However, without mission schools, blacks would not have received any education. Missionary schools educated many people. Missionaries also came from Europe, with their purpose in mind. Mostly missionaries taught basic reading and writing along with Christian doctrines. It was easier for literate people to absorbreligious ideas by reading the Bible and singing hymns. Basic education became an important means of conversion. At the same time, manual labor and practical training also formed an important part of missionary education. Mainstream mission schools usually taught a European-style curriculum but also included industrial training and manual work in the curriculum. Mission education played its part in creating new social groups, workers and elites. This policy focuses on issues of Christianity, religion and education. Not everyone is Christian, so this was unfair to many students who were not Christian because they would only be treated as minorities and inferior. Bantu Education Act 1953 It is said that Bantu education should be brought under government control and should be used to reconstruct and extend “Bantu culture”. Based on cultural differences, people should be separated in education and other areas of life. Bantu education also helped to build reserves, so as to facilitate and encourage the evolution of a progressive, modern and self-respecting Bantu order of life. As the Eiselen Commission stated “schools must give due consideration to the fact that outside school hours, the Bantu child grows up and lives in a Bantu community”. Many missionary schools were closed after Bantu education. The Bantu Education Act stipulated that African education should be under government control. 1968-1978 Steve Biko and Black Consciousness After leaving school, Steve Biko continued to study at Natal Medical School in 1966. While there, he helped found the South African Students' Organization (SASO) in 1968. His political activity led to expulsion from the university, but continued the campaign against apartheid. Biko was a good speaker and wrote well. His organization became more popular and led to numerous arrests by the police, from 1973 he was prohibited from doing many things, such as traveling without police consent and publishing his work. During these arrests the police never charged him. In 1977 Biko died. Biko wanted black people to trust themselves again, to give themselves the benefit of the doubt, because there was absolutely nothing wrong with them. He wanted his brothers and sisters to love themselves as people. Soweto Riots Young black people in general held more extremist anti-apartheid views and were more willing to protest than their parents. These were the people particularly influenced by Steve Biko's ideas on black consciousness. They were ready to face the government and defend their rights. In 1976, the government decided that blacks would receive half of their education through Afrikaans. Black school children were unhappy about being taught a language they considered the "language of the oppressor." They saw it as another way to try to control them. They had been influenced by people like Biko, who told them that they should love themselves as blacks and love their own language and culture. Schoolchildren began to refuse to take exams. On June 16, 20,000 schoolchildren and students marched, and when they came face to face with the police, they shot at them. Two were killed and several others were injured. Soweto and other areas subsequently erupted and violence, riots and protests soon followed. Government buildings were burned, cars were attacked, and many black policemen were killed, along with other blacks who worked for the government. 1970-1980 Open Schools as a Reform Movement This was a time when apartheid was undergoing significant changes. Faced with an "organic crisis", the