The Struggle for Safety in our Schools Continues

Written by: Amanda Mgiba (Candidate Attorney)

Today, we commemorate the 1976 Soweto Uprising, when thousands of young people protested the injustices and inequalities of apartheid education policies. Hundreds of young people lost their lives fighting for their rights to equality, dignity, and education. This tragedy remains a powerful reminder of the courage, sacrifice, and bravery of young people in times of crisis.

At its core, the Soweto Uprising was a fight for an education system that does not impair the dignity of young people. This struggle continues, as schools face challenges in safeguarding the physical, psychological and emotional wellbeing of learners, despite their rights entrenched in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996.

Lawtons Africa’s Public Interest team is representing a mother in litigation against a public school and the government after tragically losing her son, who died while at school. She claims that the school failed to follow a government protocol aimed at safeguarding children facing traumatic situations at schools. She is seeking restorative justice, including an apology and a commitment that the protocol will be followed in future. We took on this case pro bono because we are committed to advancing an education system in which every decision made in our schools reflects the best interests of the child.

This Youth Day, we honor our client, her son who lost his life, and the struggles of all in the education system who seek to advance schools that offer safe and dignified spaces of teaching and learning.