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We do not know much about the South African schools in the early-20th century at this time. The Bohr War was raging at the beginning of the century. This devestated the Afrikaner areas. After the War, the economy in the Bohr areas began to develop beyond a farm economy. Gradually the income disparities between the Bohrs and English began to close as did the educational achievement disparities. We note photographs of schools in the Bohr areas in the early 20th century. The girls wear simple dresses. The boys wear shirts and short pants. Some boys wear knee socks and shoes. Most of the boys were barefoot. We see uniforms, but only at private schools. We are not sure when uniforms were first introduced in the primary schools, but we believe it was after World War II, probably the 1960s. Black education was introduced in the 20th century. We so not know much about this. We see black schools after world war II, but there must have been some founded earlier. The segrated blackk schools were poorly financed. The resistance that led to the fall of Apartheid began in the black schools when the children objected to education in Afrikaans. Hopefully our South African readers will provide some information on 20th century school trends. We note that traditional school uniform styles appear to have persisted through the 1990s, especially at private schools.
We do not know much about the South African schools in the early-20th century at this time. As far as we know there were no schools or the Africans, except mission schools, but we need more informatiin here. Th English in the Cape Colony must have founded some schools. The British mostly lived in the cities and towns and there would have been schools there although we have few details. Presumably they would have been similar the the schools in Britain. The Bohrs moved out of Cape Colony to get away from the British Government, The Bohr War was raging at the beginning of the century. This devestated the Afrikaner areas. The Boers were the descendents of the original Dutch settlers. Unlike the English, they had largely lost connectiin with the hime country, other than language and religon. They moved further and further from the British Cape Colony and areas of of modern urban society. They were independent farmers and lived on isolated farm stads. They did not value education in the same way that the British and the Dutch in the Netherlands did. They just wanted the chikdren educated so they could read and write. This was important because they were fervent Protesrants and Bible study and Church wasvery importsnt to them. But as the boys would bemostly wirking on farms, not higher educated wasseen as important. They had esentially the same attitude toward education as the Amish in America.
After the War, the economy in the Bohr areas began to develop beyond a farm economy.
Gradually the income disparities between the Bohrs and English began to close as did the educational achievement disparities. We note photographs of schools in the Bohr areas in the early 20th century. The girls wear simple dresses. The boys wear shirts and short pants. Some boys wear knee socks and shoes. Most of the boys were barefoot. We see uniforms, but only at private schools.
This portrait shows a 5th grade primary class at a school in Rustenburg (northwest Province of South Africa. The portrait was taken in 1924. Most of the children would have been Afrikanners. We are not sure how language waa handled at the school. Notice that the children are not wearing uniforms,
We are not sure when uniforms were first introduced in the primary schools, but we believe it was after World War II, probably the 1960s. The South African Government approved the Bantu Education Act (1953). The law set up a Black Education Department in the Department of Native Affairs. The Department was tasked with compiling a curriculum that suited the "nature and requirements of the black people." Dr Hendrik Verwoerd (fiture primeminister) was the Minister of Native Affairs. He explained that "Natives [blacks] must be taught from an early age that equality with Europeans [whites] is not for them." Black people were to receive an education that would lead them to positions they would be permitted in Apartheid South Africa. The curiculim was designed to provide them with skills to serve their own people in the homelands or to work in laboring jobs under white supervisors.
Bantu Education in South Africa enabled more black children to attend school than were able to under the old missionary system of education. Facilities especially school buildongs did not exist for such a substantial expansion. Teacher/student ratios averaged 46 to 1 in 1955 as the the new system was being set up.
The South African Government gave little attention to imroving conditions at the black schools. Teacher/student ratios actually increased. The ratio was an extrodinary 58 to 1 in 1967. To accomodate the children, the available classrooms had to be used for two half day sessions. There was a shortage of teachers and many of the teachers were not evem minimally qualified. One report in 1961 indicated that only 10 per cent of black teachers had earned a matriculation certificate (final year of high school).
The resistance that led to the fall of Apartheid began in the black schools when the children objected to education in Afrikaans. Hopefully our South African readers will provide some information on 20th centuyry school trends.
The major event at South African schools in the 1990s was the end of Apartheid (1990s). This meant a major change in the resources allocated to black schools and the phasing out of segregated schools. This seems to have been a gradual undertaking as living patterns largely determine the school population. We note that traditional school uniform styles appear to have persisted through the 1990s, especially at private schools. Quite a few public schools also had uniforms. We do nototice school caps to sny extent. The uniform styles were basically English, but with an often casual style. The boys commonly wore open collar shorts and short pants. Ties are not as common as in England. As in England, grey was a popular color. We also see khaki. Girls whear the various styles of school uniform dresses worn in England. Many children cane to school barefoot, bith boys and girls. This was often on a seasonal basis. We do not see a lot of chanfge from the 1980s, except by the end of the decade that the length of the short pants began to be a little longer. Often boys wore grey knee socks in the winter term. Hirls more comminly wire white socks. Schoolwear at schools that did not require uniforms reflected popular fashion trends.
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