TAMARA SINGH 57047162
SOUTH AFRICAN EDUCATION SYSTEM
(SAE3701)
ASSIGNMENT O2 – UNIQUE NO: 779097
NAME: TAMARA
SURNAME: SINGH
STUDENT NUMBER: 57047162
SUPPORT CENTRE: DURBAN MAIN CAMPUS
1
, TAMARA SINGH 57047162
QUESTION 1
1. Colonialization and missionary education influenced pre-colonial communities in the following
ways:
Literacy was valued because it enabled children to read the Bible.
Colonialism attempted to undermine indigenous and independent social institutions.
This was accomplished through conquest and ideological dominance.
Literacy and education were promoted, with missionaries and religious schools offering these
services.
The emphasis on Christianity was intense, which harmed indigenous peoples' traditional
beliefs.
Mission schools were commonly used to provide labour for colonial capitalism.
2. Christie argues that mission schools emphasized discipline and the importance of hard labour,
perpetuating social class differences (e.g. working-class children went into working class positions in
the economy). Following missionary teachings, people were prepared for lower-level jobs and societal
responsibilities. Some schools taught valuable industry skills like wagon manufacturing and
needlework, but these talents tended to reinforce social class divides. Professionals were few. Rather
than achieving the 'superior' status of the middle class, many black students became members of the
working class. Low educational levels were the norm, according to critics. Many students only
attended primary school for two to three years. These concepts, critics believe, trained black people to
accept their inferior station in society by supporting colonialism rather than criticizing it.
Segregationist practices persisted, especially at boarding institutions, despite the fact that certain
mission schools were racially integrated.
3. In Johannesburg, South Africa, the Young Christian Workers (YCW) movement was founded in
1949. Within a few years, the movement had spread throughout Johannesburg, first to Soweto and
then to the neighbouring growing black townships. The YCW was a working-class movement led by
workers for workers. The movement's leaders were the young workers. The YCW is a "Catholic
Action" movement that is led by lay persons in the church. This was started by Eric Tyacke, a young
worker who was appointed to this mission by Bishop William Patrick Whelan OMI, the local bishop in
Johannesburg. The YCW's mission was to develop Christian leaders who could serve in the workplace
and in their communities. The YCW took a variety of techniques to leadership development and
formation. The first was How to Start a YCW Section, a fundamental training handbook used by all
YCW sections (YCW 1951; YCW 1960). All YCW Sections used this as their guidebook. It served as a
2
SOUTH AFRICAN EDUCATION SYSTEM
(SAE3701)
ASSIGNMENT O2 – UNIQUE NO: 779097
NAME: TAMARA
SURNAME: SINGH
STUDENT NUMBER: 57047162
SUPPORT CENTRE: DURBAN MAIN CAMPUS
1
, TAMARA SINGH 57047162
QUESTION 1
1. Colonialization and missionary education influenced pre-colonial communities in the following
ways:
Literacy was valued because it enabled children to read the Bible.
Colonialism attempted to undermine indigenous and independent social institutions.
This was accomplished through conquest and ideological dominance.
Literacy and education were promoted, with missionaries and religious schools offering these
services.
The emphasis on Christianity was intense, which harmed indigenous peoples' traditional
beliefs.
Mission schools were commonly used to provide labour for colonial capitalism.
2. Christie argues that mission schools emphasized discipline and the importance of hard labour,
perpetuating social class differences (e.g. working-class children went into working class positions in
the economy). Following missionary teachings, people were prepared for lower-level jobs and societal
responsibilities. Some schools taught valuable industry skills like wagon manufacturing and
needlework, but these talents tended to reinforce social class divides. Professionals were few. Rather
than achieving the 'superior' status of the middle class, many black students became members of the
working class. Low educational levels were the norm, according to critics. Many students only
attended primary school for two to three years. These concepts, critics believe, trained black people to
accept their inferior station in society by supporting colonialism rather than criticizing it.
Segregationist practices persisted, especially at boarding institutions, despite the fact that certain
mission schools were racially integrated.
3. In Johannesburg, South Africa, the Young Christian Workers (YCW) movement was founded in
1949. Within a few years, the movement had spread throughout Johannesburg, first to Soweto and
then to the neighbouring growing black townships. The YCW was a working-class movement led by
workers for workers. The movement's leaders were the young workers. The YCW is a "Catholic
Action" movement that is led by lay persons in the church. This was started by Eric Tyacke, a young
worker who was appointed to this mission by Bishop William Patrick Whelan OMI, the local bishop in
Johannesburg. The YCW's mission was to develop Christian leaders who could serve in the workplace
and in their communities. The YCW took a variety of techniques to leadership development and
formation. The first was How to Start a YCW Section, a fundamental training handbook used by all
YCW sections (YCW 1951; YCW 1960). All YCW Sections used this as their guidebook. It served as a
2
