SOUTH African school children are in the midst of their mid-year exams, and children and parents experience the tensions and pressures of the exam period.
Observations inform us that parents have become intrinsically involved in their children's educational curriculum. New and young parents today speak of the different demands. The motivations vary, but a common reason is to ensure their children become successful adults as they develop their intellectual capacities, personalities, and life skills.
The term parentocracy, coined by Scholar Tan (2017), speaks of intensive parenting, which entails material and labour-intensive parenting techniques to ensure that the child develops habits which ultimately lead to success.
Hence, which school and how children are educated is a significant choice for a specific upper-class sector of our society.
I have been privy to debates and discussions about the positives and negatives of model c schools, semi-private, government schools and or private schools in relation to which is best suited for my child. However, each school category has its unique structure and teaching pedagogical approach and middle to upper-class parents today make every effort to find an appropriate fit for their children.
Some schools have an ethos that encourages a well-rounded development programme for their learners, including a wide variety of extra mural activities such as sports and other cultural activities parallel to academic development. Other schools only focus on intellectual development, and in the cases of government schools which have been historically disadvantaged, the resources for extra mural activities are still predominantly minimal, and the only focus remains academics.
The choices parents make for their children within present society are often impacted by educational and socio-cultural values as well as affordability. During apartheid South Africa, where you were schooled, your racial identity and class grouping predetermined you.
In addition, Indian South Africans were focused on accumulating their wealth through various types of informal and formal employment, and many families had minimal finances to consider private, semi-private or model c schools. Furthermore, purusing a university degree was a privilege for many Indian South Africans because of the financial implications.
Amnesty International (2020) published a report which articulated that our government schools are still impacted by the inadequacies of the past and, in addition, have to deal with falling and ageing infrastructure and overcrowded classrooms.
Working-class parents have no option but to utilise the government educational system, but they also cannot afford the additional tuition that upper-class parents can afford for their children. The correlation between academic development and success, income status and place of birth is evident. It can be argued that a child's future success depends on their birthplace of race, class and access to resources in South Africa.
The perception that private schools are the best option for one's child is relative to the child's personality type. Some of the most expensive private schools in South Africa can range from R150 000 per annum upwards, which predominantly only the elite can afford.
Tuition and boarding can cost as much as R300 000 per annum, and yet, in addition, parents opt for and are forced to source private education and or classes for their children. The sourcing of private tuition is especially prevalent in grades 11 and 12 as learners require good grades to access South African universities for a degree of their choice.
The tuition can cost up to a few hundred rands an hour. Some parents will insist that the school does an inadequate task of teaching their child. Therefore, the extra lessons are mandatory. Private or extra tuition can be exceptionally financially pressuring in these economic times and put households out of budget. Parents take the leap nevertheless to ensure that their child is adequately supported for a successful future.
The alternative approach to private tuition is few in South Africa, despite the government prioritising better educational experiences for our youth.
Recently, I noted an ideal system being launched, accredited by CAPS (Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement) and supported and certified by The Department of Basic Education. This is an educational system available to learners on a user-friendly phone application which even functions without internet connectivity.
Every grade's curriculum is available on this phone online application, and the tutorials and additional study guides are available to support the mainstream curriculum in South African schools. Such a system can replace an in-person private tutor at an affordable price, but more importantly, cultivate and develop a strongly independent and individual work ethic amidst our children.
The capacity for children to be independent learners through self-motivation and dedication is crucial for success in their adult years. The parentocracy approach that many parents adopt needs to be evaluated to determine if their system will enable their children to be more dependent than independent as they develop.
The best educational opportunities money can buy can be devalued if parentocracy becomes overbearing and autocratic in households. We need to develop children who are independent and critical thinkers to become successful and an asset to South African society.
– For further information on Grade 1 to 12 CAPS tuition phone application, email [email protected]/[email protected].
Bhoola has a PhD and two Master’s degrees in the social sciences. She is a lecturer, researcher and a freelance writer. Bhoola has been the recipient of awards and academic scholarships throughout her career. Visit www. sheetalbhoola.com