Bantu education and source analysis Essay

1. The main aims of the Bantu facts of life Act were mainly (at least according to Dr. Verwoerd) to transform education for natives into Bantu education, which pull up stakes teach them things they will need to know in their lives. This is stated clearly in Source A, where Dr. Verwoerd is quoted dictum Education must train and teach people in accordance with their opportunities in life, according to the sphere in which they live. Reading between the lines, Dr. Verwoerd is saying that the Bantu atomic number 18 an inferior race that will never be contact to the whites, and that it would be a waste of resources and effort to try and teach them things they will never need to know. By saying the he almost directly suggests that the blacks should be kept down, as it would be absolutely ridiculous to try and teach him mathematics, for example, when all he will ever amount to is a farmer or a tailor.IIn Source C it is directly stated that, as most blacks will become agriculturists, th e most utilitarian things that can be taught to them are gardening and needlework. He doesnt even give the blacks a chance, immediately dismissing them as complete idiots whom wouldnt even pauperization the same eccentric of education as the whites. Therefore, when planning the different syllabuses for all education, the black systems should be limited to truly simple skills such as reading, writing, farming and perhaps very simple mathematics. We wouldnt want to overload the blacks with information that will only confuse them and make them unhappy, now would we? According to the Commission on Native Education the blacks knowledge of anything requiring intelligence should be barred.In another speech by Dr. Verwoerd (Source B) he states that The Bantu must be guided to serve his own lodge in all respects and Until now he has been subjected to a school system which drew him away from his own community and misled him by showing him the commonality pastures of European society in w hich he was not allowed to graze. Basically, these twoquotes state that Verwoerd doesnt want any wannabe Europeans around. He defends his arguments by saying that it would also be unfair to continue educating the Bantu like the Europeans, as it is only showing them new horizons they will never be allowed to explore.Educating them like this would consequently create Bantu that had the skills of Europeans, and not their people. As whites into would never hire them the administrative positions their education levels demand, they would be forced to go back to their people and farming, in which they would view as no skills. This would cause discontent in everyone, so it is better not to educate the Bantu at all. Apparently it would also be very uneconomic to spend money on education without a specific aim, and disrupt the community life of the Bantu. His main point behind the arguments states this We dont want to have the blacks interfering in our lives.Source E further supports these arguments. In this photo four black schoolboys are looking very happy go down a road. This photograph seems very arranged to make the outside world think the South African governing is doing all they can to shore light into the darkness that is the life of the Bantu.2. Assessment of source BSource B is an excerpt from a speech made by Dr Verwoerd to the senate of South Africa on the 7th of June 1954. I think this source is very valuable, as it is a primary source from the time period. It gives us direct information about what Verwoerd verbalise in his speech. It also tells us a bit about what kind of disposal was in power at the time. This can be seen from the fact that he can give such a racist speech. If someone gave this speech today, he would be severely criticized and ridiculed. At the time the speech was given it would step to the fore that the senate would be expecting to hear something like this, and be satisfied by it. This again proves what a racist government was i n power at the time of the speech. It does not leave much room for bias, except by censorship, or having some move of the speech left out.This source is also very limited in many ways. It doesnt tell us many things, as it is only a part of a speech. For instance, it doesnt tell us who recorded this speech, and chose the parts to be included. We dont know either what Verwoerd said in the parts that are not included. It would also give a clearer image of the government in power if we were told about the senates reaction to the speech. If they cheered madly, this would prove what a racist system was in power at the time. A tremendous tending would be if we found out what happened after the speech. Were all his suggestions made reality, or were they regarded as a failed idea. I would also be very interested in finding out what inspired him to give this speech. Was he requested to give a speech on the topic, or did he himself think the time was reserve for such an exclamation.Assessme nt of Source EThis source is a photograph of four black schoolboys stating how happy they are, and what a honorable job the government are doing at getting all the Bantu into school. This photo is very valuable specifically because it is so obviously staged. This is a good example of a to a great extent manipulated propaganda photo. It is meant to give us the idea that all is well with blacks, and they are the happiest of all. If you dig deeper, though, you can deduce many things. Obviously the photographer has told the children where to stand and to apply a huge smile to their faces. This tells us that the South African government was pertain about their image with the outside world and human rights activists. This photo was obviously interpreted to soothe the minds of anyone worrying about the ill treatment of the blacks.The main limitation of this photo is we dont know how much the photo was manipulated. Maybe the boys were pass down the route, and were told to smile while a photo was taken. Maybe the four boys were rounded up, put in school uniforms and made to walk down the street in exchange for a small payment. We dont know.3. In my opinion, Source B is absolutely the most useful. It really captures the mentality of the current government and the people. It tells us Dr.Verwoerds opnion about the blacks and their treatment. Although he doesnt directly announce his hatred for blacks and how he wants to shoot them all, we can see he is more concerned with the wellbeing of the European community than that of the Bantu. It is also a primary source, so chances are it has not been subject to too much manipulation. It gives us a good understanding of the government, Dr Verwoerd and how the blacks are being treated. It is a bit sugarcoated, but once you delve deeper it is obvious what they really think. I think this source is the most useful because it captures the attitudes towards the Bantu at the time.