A letter written by a school principal to parents asking them not to send their grade 11 boys to initiation this winter in favour of extra study lessons has predictably sparked a debate on various platforms.
The unusual move by Mzuvukile Gunuza, principal at Ngobozana Senior Secondary School in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape, has polarised opinions. While some have hailed the decision to prioritise the education of pupils and good performance, others have slammed it for possibly infringing on the rights of the children to practice their culture.
Gunuza said together with his management team and the school governing body, they took a decision to convene extra classes for various grades this winter to boost their matric pass rate. “We are just emphasising the importance of education. The aim of the winter classes is to maintain and boost the performance of all grades,” he said.
Gunuza guided the school to achieve 87.2% pass rate in his first year as principal after years of average results. Buoyed by this impressive achievement, Gunuza is now aiming at a 100% matric pass rate.
Naturally, this type of ambition and determination by a principal to improve the education of rural kids ought to be welcomed. But his stance has pitted him against those advocating for the rights of children to undergo rite of passage. Both rights to education and cultural practice are enshrined in the constitution and therefore protected.
There is no need to create a clash between the two in this instance as this is being made out to be by some. It must be said on the onset that what Gunuza seeks to achieve is not elevation of one right at the expense of another.
He instead requested that their education be prioritised this winter to ensure they stand a good chance of performing well in matric exams next year and in future. The Eastern Cape education department must support him on this given its hugely improved matric pass rate last year.
The improvement was an outcome of efforts by teachers like Gunuza who are determined to make sacrifices and take bold decisions in the interest of their pupils. Certainly, we are not advocating for the denial of cultural needs of the children but call for consideration in the delay of the practice.
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