Date: 23 June 2017

Time: 08:00 until 15:00

Venue: Ditsong Museum

Context

16 June 2017 marks the 41st anniversary of the Soweto Uprising, where a number of young South Africans students were injured and lost their lives at the hands of the South African police force. The student protests erupted in response to being instructed in Afrikaans and not in their mother-tongue. Violence spread throughout the country and for many this was a turning point in the struggle against apartheid. Education was at the forefront of this struggle.

Proposed format of joint commemoration

The Human Sciences Research Council’s Communication & Stakeholder Relations (CSR) team has been working with Department of Science and Technology, City of Tshwane and Ditsong Museum to jointly host an event to commemorate the 41st anniversary of the June 16th student uprising.
The team proposes a dialogue on the current status of the education system and an introspective look back at the sacrifices of the youth of 1976 and lessons for young people in contemporary South Africa.  The dialogue, amongst others, proposes to engage with former and present students around the issue of education, why it matters to nation building and how it impacts on the national objective of eradicating poverty and inequality.   

Target Audience:

•    120 Grade 11 and 12 learners who will be accompanied by 2 teachers from each school.

Pretoria:
Atteridgeville (60 students) . WF.NKOMO SECONDARY SCHOOL
Soshanguve (60 students)    CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL

Objectives

•    To trace the progress from 1976 to the current fees must fall movement.
•    To create a space in which issues/challenges can be discussed and debated with a degree of depth not possible in social media and on other platforms.
•    To allow voices from the youth to be heard but with the overarching aim of giving hope to the future generations around education.

Possible panel:

•     4 Student representatives from various tertiary institutions
•     Lead panellist (to be confirmed)

Venue

Ditsong Museum (Cnr Bosman and Visagie Street)

Programme for day
 
09h00 – 09h15     Opening and Welcome by Programme Director (Lindiwe Mashologu)   

09h15 – 09h30 Artistic item by students (eg. Poetry)

09h30 – 11h30 Dialogue (The dialogue will be facilitated by Programme director)
    (A journey towards Access, Equity and Equality)
•    Access, equity and quality
•    Taking forward the lesson of 1976
•    Why does education matter?

11h35 – 12h00     Motivational address
•    Education from 2016 – going forward
•    Accountability and Transparency
•    Student leadership in Higher Education Institutions
•    The effects of colonialism on the future of students (academic and financial exclusion, drop-outs, unemployment)

12h00  – 12h15 Artistic item by students

12h15 – 12h45     Playing the Tsietsi My Hero video from the 1976 activities and voice sounds.

12h50 – 13h30 Museum Tour

13h30 – 14h15 Lunch

Outcome of the event

The museum will produce a booklet which will be based on the content of the dialogue held on the day.

Partnerships and stakeholders

•    Ditsong Museum
•    City of Tshwane
•    Department of Science and Technology