For all mornings, "Bonnie and Clyde" wake up, eat breakfast, and go to work. Like most nights, we bring home our assignments and keep on working for the remainder of the evening. But last night we knew the next morning we would break from that routine. I'm glad we did today.
Curious about classroom dynamics and social interactions occurring in an educational atmosphere, we requested a visit to a South African school. We went to one located in a lower-income neighborhood, not too far away from a township. What we got was more than a visit. Joe and I spoke to two full classrooms of perhaps 30+ students each and exchanged our impressions of South Africa with their impressions of America. Below are some of the questions we received:
How much is a loaf of bread in the United States?
What do you think of Barack Obama?
How do you feel about the Chinese being Black (I'm considered Black here)?
Do you like Michael Jackson?
What is a baseball made out of?
How expensive is a taxi?
Is there racism in America?
We were escorted around the facilities by the Deputy Principal. He said to us: Parents are just happy their sons and daughters go to school. There is not too much they can accomplish at home. But many of them, sadly, don't feel the need to stay in school and leave much earlier than the actual time students are released. Teachers have felt more like babysitters as opposed to educators in the last decade. These students are completely unmotivated to build on their education. Because the government doesn't provide these poorer schools with resources like art supplies, music books, or funding for a gymnasium, this school (like many) do not provide any leisure or elective courses. Vimeo Link: School Poverty.
No art. No Music. No Sports.
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