Education for Liberation

Students’ Struggles

The youth and students were important in major struggles of the late 1960s, the Soweto uprisings of 1976 and the students, youth and community uprisings in the 1980s. In this section, the reader is provided with an overview of education from the colonial period to the transition to democracy. In addition, basic information about student organisations that struggled for democracy and freedom since 1924, is also provided. Some of the organisations that are mentioned include NUSAS, SASO, SASM and COSAS.

The reader will also be provided with information on the growth of the manufacturing sector, Bantu education and the subsequent increase in the number of black students, student uprising in late 1968, the influences of Paris 1968 and the black power movement of the United States on the student uprisings of the late 1960s and 1970s and the student uprisings in the 1980s. There is also some discussion on worker-student alliances in the 1976 uprising and the youth uprisings of the 1980s.There is also an extensive discussion of the uprisings of 16 June 1976 and the possible lessons that can be learnt from such a struggle.

Student struggles that took place in the period 1994 to 2006, are also explored in this section, with an emphasis on the ways in which struggles have changed. in addition, some of the challenges facing students in the post-apartheid period are pointed out.

Most of the publications for the page were researched and written by the Khanya History Programme. The programme thanks Christie, P. for availing her book entitled “The Right to Learn: The Struggle for Education in South Africa”.

Publications

Khanya Journal on June 16 2004

June 16 2004 Pamphlet