Parents send children far from home to escape dangerous township schools around Cape Town. Gangs enter classrooms with guns and threaten teachers for money and laptops. Sibahle Mbasana moved her three kids to a safer school 40 kilometers away after witnessing violence at their local school. Her sons wake up at 4:30 AM each day to travel to Simon's Town where her husband works. The family cannot afford to leave Khayelitsha township despite wanting to move.
Many township schools lack proper security and resources from the apartheid era. Teachers face demands from gangs who want 10 percent of their salaries as protection money. Some educators ask for transfers because they fear for their lives. Security companies and police patrol certain schools after multiple threats. Students travel up to 80 kilometers daily to reach better schools that used to serve only white children.
South Africa maintains one of the most unequal education systems worldwide. Children from wealthy areas achieve more math distinctions than thousands of poorer schools combined. The government cut 2,407 teaching positions recently due to budget problems. Township schools suffer most from these cuts because parents cannot pay extra fees to hire replacement teachers. Experts doubt finances will improve for disadvantaged schools without major changes.
Many township schools lack proper security and resources from the apartheid era. Teachers face demands from gangs who want 10 percent of their salaries as protection money. Some educators ask for transfers because they fear for their lives. Security companies and police patrol certain schools after multiple threats. Students travel up to 80 kilometers daily to reach better schools that used to serve only white children.
South Africa maintains one of the most unequal education systems worldwide. Children from wealthy areas achieve more math distinctions than thousands of poorer schools combined. The government cut 2,407 teaching positions recently due to budget problems. Township schools suffer most from these cuts because parents cannot pay extra fees to hire replacement teachers. Experts doubt finances will improve for disadvantaged schools without major changes.
