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MOKGADI MOGY MASHAKO AND LUCAS LEDWABA
Matric learner Sidney Ramantshwana and his peers are almost always exhausted by the time they get to school. Their long walk to the classroom covers a distance of approximately 14km which they complete in about two hours.
In the afternoon after a long day of learning they have to walk the same distance back home. Still, some of those who are heading households are expected to perform house chores such as fetching water, sometimes collecting firewood and preparing meals for younger siblings.
Ramantshwana, a Grade 12 learner at Hanyani High School in Sagole Tshipise in Limpopo, said the long walk to the school impacts on their ability to concentrate in the classroom.
“We are tired, always. And this place can get very hot sometimes,” he said, adding that he’s still determined to achieve his goal of passing matric and going on to study law.
Ramatshwana’s school is located in a remote rural area with very little access to modern amenities such as the internet and experiences poor network connectivity. This unfortunately is the lived reality of scores of rural-based learners across SA.
As hundreds of thousands of matric learners countrywide prepare to sit for their final year National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams on Monday, 30 October, rural-based learners like Sophie Sefala, face even greater challenges.
For Sefala and many learners like her, preparing for the NSC exams, which are set in uniform standard regardless of learners’ location, is a high mountain to climb given the unique challenges they face.
A 2015 United Nations Millennium Development Goals Report 2015 report estimated that roughly 2.8 billion people worldwide lack access to modern energy services and more than 1 billion did not have access to electricity.
“For the most part this grave development burden falls on rural areas, where a lack of access to modern energy services negatively affects productivity, educational attainment and even health and ultimately exacerbates the poverty trap.”
The constant power outages resulting from loadshedding have escalated the challenges faced by rural-based learners. “Not having electricity makes it difficult to study for an exam and makes it harder to get enough sleep,” said Mahlatse Ledwaba, a Grade 12 learner at Mmatshipi Secondary School in Utjane village in Mashashane, Limpopo.
“Sometimes when loadshedding occurs there’s no access to the internet and it is impossible for a learner like me to research or communicate with people about school work. It’s a challenge,” she said.
University of Western Cape’s Professor Rouaan Maarman who specialises in poverty and education noted while responding to the 2022 matric results earlier this year that “it seems as if the cycle of poverty is intensified by electricity blackouts and every layer of disadvantage contributes to a more challenging school performance in the poorer school communities”.
A 2020 study by Amnesty International titled Broken and Unequal – The State of Education in South Africa, concluded that the country “has one of the most unequal school systems in the world, with the widest gap between the test scores of the top 20% of schools and the rest.”
Ledwaba, 17, said in addition to the long walk to school, the lack of access to libraries is a major concern. The nearest library to her village is 30km away in Polokwane.
The fact that many families in rural areas like Mashashane rely on social grants for their sustenance means such trips to town are out of their reach due to financial constraints.
Sophie Sefala, 18, is often forced to study by candle light due to power outages in her village of Ga-Mothapo, where she lives with her parents, her sister and her little child.
“Studying requires adequate light for extreme concentration and memorisation. Using candles while studying is difficult as it can run out at any time,” she said.
“Another problem is when we have to bathe with cold water in the morning, this causes many of us to catch colds and lose school days,” she said.
Praise Motebejane, an 18-year-old matric learner, epitomises the spirit of learners at his rural-based school in Ga-Ramogale, a settlement situated about 25 km east of Polokwane in Limpopo. Situated a mere 8 kilometres from the University of Limpopo in Mankweng, this school, much like others in the vastly rural province, wrestles with the unique challenges of rural education.
Schools in villages such as Ramogale lack basic services such as water and sanitation, to larger concerns such as inconsistent electricity supply and limited access to modern technology.
Understanding these challenges, Motebejane’s school, Gerson Ntjie Secondary, has had to be innovative by extending the school day – allowing matric learners to stay and study until 8 pm. This strategy aims to shield them from distractions at home.
“It’s demanding but mastering the balance is key. I want to go to aviation school and at this point unfortunately my parents won’t be able to take me. This doesn’t mean I will give up on the dream though,” Motebejane said.
However staying up late in schools is not always possible for many learners due to challenges that persist outside of the schools.
This was highlighted by an incident earlier this year when matric learners studying at night at the Georgetown High School in Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal were attacked and robbed.
Zanele Modise, the Head of Organizing at Equal Education said vulnerabilities of rural students were exacerbated by the outbreak of Covid-19 and loadshedding.
Modise said walking long distances to school means learners get to school very tired and unable to concentrate in class.
“At times most of them haven’t had a meal, but also they wake up very early to walk dangerous terrains. We have had testimonials of learners who have been assaulted and one can imagine how traumatic that is,” said Modise.
Motebejane on the other hand, contends that academic pressures weigh heavily on him, especially after his grades recently slipped below his Grade 11 standards.
“For the final exams I have chosen to focus on the challenging subjects first and have found an invaluable app stocked with past papers for revision. Fortunately I am able to access the app on my phone, but sadly not all my peers have phones,” he said.
Gerson Ntjie Secondary School maintains its reputation as one of the consistently best-performing schools, with average matric pass results of 85% each year.
The wider challenges of rural schools in South Africa haven’t gone unnoticed. As highlighted by Professors Pierre du Plessis and Raj Mestry in the South African Journal of Education, which confirmed that progress in the rural education sector post-democracy remains slow.
As part of their recommendations they stressed that “the government must meet the challenges that rural schools face and must be actively involved in upgrading and developing rural schools”.
The National Framework for Rural Education: Enhancing access, equity and quality in rural schools by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) proposes that rural education provisioning capitalises on resources available in rural communities.
The DBE notes that “provision of quality education in rural schools requires not only targeted fiscal investments, but also civic agency.”
It further suggests that “the DBE must collaborate with rural communities to mobilise resources (including socio-cultural, agricultural and natural resources, as well as indigenous knowledge systems).”
The rural education policy, which was adopted in 2022 as a national framework, proposed the establishment of a Rural Education Advisory Committee, including stakeholders and experts, to advise on policy implementation, fund rural education programs, and monitor the impact of these policies on rural education.
Phuti Ragophala, a retired school principal better known as “techno-gran”, acknowledged the determination required by rural learners to succeed.
“Learners from rural schools have much potential and talent. They just need support and encouragement to move forward,” she said.
Ragophala operates a coding program called Tangible Africa for rural learners in Sekuruwe that doesn’t require electricity, signal, or wifi, providing valuable skills to Grade 12 learners. She is also a recipient of the President’s Silver Award of the Order of Baobab this year for her contribution in education and promoting technological advancement to teachers and learners.
“What remains a challenge for learners, especially from rural areas, is the lack of gadgets and wifi connectivity. I believe that challenges are there to sharpen us and, to the matriculants I trust they will work hard and overcome come what may,” Ragophala said. – Mukurukuru Media
