Scrap Afrikaans at schools, says Cosas

The Congress of South African Students (Cosas) has called for Afrikaans to be scrapped at schools. And it wants the government and private sector to foster free education for South Africans.

These are among the many issues discussed at Cosas’s national media conference in Johannesburg yesterday. It highlighted demands for free school uniforms‚ safety and security on school premises – and a feeding scheme.

Cosas national secretary-general Khulekani Skosana said the organisation wanted the curriculum of basic education to be restructured. “History must be made a compulsory subject and history of Africa should be taught to promote patriotism.”

The organisation said entrepreneurship must be taught in schools and pupils must be assisted in opening businesses. It wants free education at technical and vocational education and training colleges “and formerly disadvantaged universities” .

“We want to eat what [Basic Education Minister] Angie Motshekga eats. If she eats the pap and soya provided at schools‚ we are happy to eat it too.”