A march for basic education will be taking place in Johannesburg this coming Youth Day, Thursday June 16. It is being organised by the Johannesburg Junior Council (JCC), a non-governmental and non-profit organisation comprising Grade 11 representatives from 40 high schools in Johannesburg. Representatives from Equal Education (EE) will be joining the march.
It is significant that the march is taking place on June 16th, a day that has come to signify the youth’s struggle for freedom and justice. Gabriella Hyman, chairperson of the JJC’s Youth Awareness Committee, explains that “the march is intended to commemorate the youth who participated in or perished during the Soweto Riots of 1976, but is also intended to raise awareness among the youth about basic education in South Africa and to provide a platform for the youth to voice their concerns.” Chief among these concerns are the inequalities that persist in South Africa’s education system.
People who wish to participate in the march must gather at Mary Fitzgerald Square at 9:15am for a 10am start. The march will proceed to Constitution Hill, where former Chief Justice Arthur Chaskalson will address the gathering. Learners are requested to wear school uniforms while other participants are asked to wear white tops.
EE congratulates the organisers for taking the initiative and organising the march. It is vital that the youth of South Africa actively engage with the issue of education reform and take up the struggle for equal, quality education for all.
We encourage members and supporters based in the Gauteng-area to attend the march.
For more information about the march, click here.
