News / Africa
SA school defends racial segregation
29 Jan 2015 at 11:33hrs | Views
Johannesburg - A school in Pretoria has been accused of assigning pupils to classes based on their race, Eye Witness News reported on Thursday.
Almost 30 parents at the school reportedly signed a petition demanding an explanation from the Curro Roodeplaat Private School.
In the petition, parents urged the school to act in accordance with the country's Constitution, EWN reported.
The Curro school's regional manager, André Pollard said the only reason they have separated the Grade R children is because kids relate better to those of their own race and culture.
"It is not because we would like to segregate the whites, it is just because of friends. Children are able to make friends with children of their culture," he told the broadcaster.
Parents reportedly wanted to know why some classes were made up of only black children, while the white pupils were kept together.
Pollard told the broadcaster that the number of white pupils at the school was very small, therefore the school was trying to keep them together.
Once there were 12 or more white children, they would separate them equally into the classes, he was quoted saying.
Child psychologist Christine Scolari says the segregation practised by the Curro School is damaging and sends the wrong message.
"The minute you separate children based on race you are already saying to them "you are different". I do not understand what one is trying to achieve by separating children. Kids are just kids," she says.
She adds that because we live in a country of many cultures, the school's rationale that these kids would only relate to children of their own culture makes no sense, especially at their age.
"Having kids of different races and cultures should not be an issue when they are still at primary-school level as kids only start choosing their friends when they are in adolescence.
"Adolescence is when they choose friends who have similarities to them - for instance, kids who play the same sports, or have similar interests to them," Scolari explains.
Clinical psychologist Charine Glen-Spyron says segregating children only creates an artificial environment.
"If you look at South Africa as a country, kids are part of a multi-cultural country. They will always be exposed to kids from different cultures, different languages, values and backgrounds.
"It is important to teach kids diversity and if you separate them you are not giving them the opportunity to make friends with children from other cultures, which is unfair," Glen-Spyron says.
Almost 30 parents at the school reportedly signed a petition demanding an explanation from the Curro Roodeplaat Private School.
In the petition, parents urged the school to act in accordance with the country's Constitution, EWN reported.
The Curro school's regional manager, André Pollard said the only reason they have separated the Grade R children is because kids relate better to those of their own race and culture.
"It is not because we would like to segregate the whites, it is just because of friends. Children are able to make friends with children of their culture," he told the broadcaster.
Parents reportedly wanted to know why some classes were made up of only black children, while the white pupils were kept together.
Pollard told the broadcaster that the number of white pupils at the school was very small, therefore the school was trying to keep them together.
Once there were 12 or more white children, they would separate them equally into the classes, he was quoted saying.
Child psychologist Christine Scolari says the segregation practised by the Curro School is damaging and sends the wrong message.
"The minute you separate children based on race you are already saying to them "you are different". I do not understand what one is trying to achieve by separating children. Kids are just kids," she says.
She adds that because we live in a country of many cultures, the school's rationale that these kids would only relate to children of their own culture makes no sense, especially at their age.
"Having kids of different races and cultures should not be an issue when they are still at primary-school level as kids only start choosing their friends when they are in adolescence.
"Adolescence is when they choose friends who have similarities to them - for instance, kids who play the same sports, or have similar interests to them," Scolari explains.
Clinical psychologist Charine Glen-Spyron says segregating children only creates an artificial environment.
"If you look at South Africa as a country, kids are part of a multi-cultural country. They will always be exposed to kids from different cultures, different languages, values and backgrounds.
"It is important to teach kids diversity and if you separate them you are not giving them the opportunity to make friends with children from other cultures, which is unfair," Glen-Spyron says.
Source - EWN
