June 16 In Swaziland

The Student uprisings in Soweto on June 16 1976 were meant to be an example to all youth in the continent, not least those in Swaziland, that a certain amount of freedom can be achieved if the youth themselves break the barriers that have been imposed on society and fight for their rights.

Perhaps the events of June 16 were triggered by matters that were more overt than what the current youth of the country currently face. Overt or not, the underlying reasons for the uprising are similar to those in Swaziland. There is the factor of an elite that lives off the riches of the underlying classes while subjecting them to an ineffective and very limited educational system. It might not be called Bantu Education and its "international status" might make it seem more acceptable but present realities within the country highlight the fact that children in Swaziland are merely being "schooled" and indoctrinated instead of being Educated. An example of this is the controversial IGCSE curriculum that was recently adopted. While the curriculum in itself is not a bad concept, it requires certain conditions to be met if it is to be effective. Access to text books and other learning material are obvious examples. Without which, the concept fails to make sense and instead becomes a more limited version of the old syllabus.

While the pupils are subjected to this inferior education system, the children of the elite classes, notably the Royal family, are educated in private schools inside and outside of the country. If this is not a reason for a student uprising then nothing is.