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SAE3701 ASS 2 (1976 SOWETO UPRISING ESSAY) 2023
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SAE3701 assignment 2, assessment 2 the 1976 soweto uprising
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2023UNIQUE No. : 852604
ASSESSMENT : 2
DUE DATE : 12/06/23
[SOUTH AFRICAN EDUCATION SYSTEM]
SAE3701
DO NOT COPY AND PASTE YOU WILL FAIL
(YOU WILL BE CHARGED WITH PLAGIARISM), USE YOUR OWN WORDS)
DO NOT COPY AND PASTE. YOU WILL FAIL AND CHARGED WITH PLAGIARISM. USE YOUR OWN WORDS
, QUESTION 1
The Soweto uprising of the year 1976 proved to have a crucial moment in the history of South Africa, the
youth of that time came to stand against all the oppressive system of the apartheid era as they fought for
changes in the education system and they left a legacy that continues to inspire generations more especially
the youth of today. I will reflect all the lesson from the youth of 1976 that the youth of today can gladly learn
and elaborate whether the lessons are still applicable to today’s youth or not.
This uprising that occurred in Soweto during the year 1976 is mostly believed to have been caused by the
introduction of Afrikaans alongside English as the language of instruction with the exclusion of African
languages. This was also a result of certain factors that includes the Bantu Education Act that was imposed by
the Apartheid government and the unrest that was caused by the students in Soweto. The events leading up
to the 1976 uprising also caused significant shifts in urban black youth subculture, which contributed to the
development of a new political mindset among young people.
The expansion of the urban secondary school population starting in 1972 served as the foundation for a
potential challenge to Bantu Education. This fast-flowing growth resulted in the start of a socially explosive
group. The disorganized restructuring of school year structures at the start of 1976 further increased tensions
between students and teachers. The heavily burdened school system faced growing resistance from the
youth, influenced by the ideologies of black consciousness which emerged in the late 1960s. This black
consciousness paved the way for young teachers to introduce new political concepts to students. The
students were open to these ideas for various reasons, including dissatisfaction with school overcrowding
and a changing political climate that made the government appear more vulnerable than it was in the 1960s
and previously.
There were changes in the economy. The economic insecurity rose and the increasing impact of the black
consciousness weakened the political influence of black leaders in the realm of education. The restructuring
in education was a factor in the 1976 uprising. Practical policies of the 1970s resisted an attempt of enforcing
the teaching of Afrikaans, as a pushback against what was viewed as a weakening of apartheid policy. The
Bantu education ignored opposition to the language policy from its own creations, the school boards. In
1976, the implementation this policy clashed with the revolutionary goals of a new generation of students.
The activism was powered by the disagreement over compulsory use of Afrikaans in the school system. The
mid-70s language policy can be viewed as the promotion of compulsory use of Afrikaans. However, it was a
consequence of internal conflict within the National Party and brought change in the leadership of the party.
The language policy was the right wing of the National party and its supporters. The promotion of Afrikaans
was a display of national pride and a challenge to the government's commitment to Afrikaner identity.
However, the policy conflicted with students' need to prepare for the English-dominated urban labour
market.
The Bantu Education recognized the shortage of black teachers proficient in Afrikaans and endorsed the
"fifty-fifty rule" which stated that in secondary schools, half of the exams would be in English and half in
Afrikaans. However, this policy was the impact of teachers and Black Consciousness philosophy on student
demonstrations at Bodibeng High School in 1976.
Bodibeng High (formerly known as Bantu United School) saw varying levels of political activism by teachers.
From the 1940s to the early 1950s, teachers openly discussed politics with students but from the mid-1950s
to the early 1970s, there was a period of political inactivity. In the early 1970s, some teachers and students
revived their political engagement.
1|P age
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