The fires of 1976 burn once more at today's universities

02 September 2015 - 02:06 By The Times Editorial

The horse has bolted and we can't afford to stand and watch it gallop into the unknown. The sight of Stellenbosch University students at each other's throats yesterday should shock us into action.Are we ready to respond to the frustrations of our students? Do we know what drives them to revolt against a system we thought was in good working order?The young people of this nation want to be treated with dignity and have full access to institutions of learning.It is important that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past, when students complained about inferior education and got the cold shoulder from their parents.Although we do not support the chaos and violence that has accompanied some of the protests, South Africa must wake up to reality and deal speedily with transformation in our education system.Should not the ideals the students of 1976 fought for exist in our democracy?Failure to manage their anger today will ignite the fires of protest in other places of higher learning.It is important that the government and all political parties understand that our students are frustrated by the slow pace of change.It is important also that we do not bury our heads in the sand.This tension will not dissipate without urgent state intervention.We need a national programme that will hold institutions accountable when they fail to implement transformation.Twenty-one years have passed since the first democratic elections.We voted for a new country, so why has there been so little progress, so little change?In 1976, the young fought for an education system that would put them in charge of their future. That famous protest echoes today...

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