Closing Farm Schools

For generations, children in South Africa have been taught in farm schools. These may be good schools – so much so that parents in the towns send their children to the farms. But now, the government is closing down farm schools and transferring children to other schools. Here near Kareedouw, where I write this post (without being able to post it – yet), officials from the Department of Education visited a farm school (fifty-two children) and spoke of transferring the children to Uitenhage. Uitenhage is very far away. OBSERVATION: The Department already closed a nearby farm school. Those who are “in the loop” tell me that children no longer go to school there, because parents (farm labourers) can’t afford the transport now. I am relying on farm labourers for this information.