National Children’s Day: Why education is pivotal

South Africa’s Constitution has been considered one of the best in the world however the economic and educational divide is a stark reminder that the country needs to do better especially for its future, its children,

This National Children’s Day is on 5 November 2022, this Saturday, some organisations will like to use this day to remind us that “good quality education is not a privilege- its a human right.”

National Children’s Day is an important observance that hopes to prompt South Africans to acknowledge and appreciate the rights afforded to children by our Constitution.

Equality education

The biggest concern facing the youth is the country’s record-high, youth unemployment rate, this reality is indicative of an urgent need to home school-level education as a national priority. 

Matthew Sterne; managing director of Crew for a Cause said in a statement that “we cannot relegate the responsibility for fulfilling children’s right to education, to the state. 

“The most viable and sustainable solution to ensuring that our children receive good quality education will require large-scale collaboration – initiatives at the level of private sector players and positive action that people can take as individuals.”

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South Africa’s education system is one characterised by run-down infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms and poor educational outcomes.

The country’s schools lack facilities such as basic sanitation, demarcated classrooms that are large enough to host the required number of learners and learning materials such as textbooks and stationery. 

NPO’s play a role in lessening the divide between children who come from poorer, under-served communities and those who are better resourced. “Good quality education is not a privilege – it’s a human right,” Sterne says.

Research and studies have shown individuals with better qualifications obtain higher-paying jobs and have access to a broader range of opportunities in terms of lifestyle, travel, professional networking, and career development. 

Sterne concludes: “The rhetoric needs to shift from seeing education as a ‘problem for the government’ to seeing it as an opportunity for all South Africans to be a part of the solution.”