Human diversity is good for us. It is an asset, not a liability. It provides richness, a source of inspiration, a motif for creativity, a vehicle for sharing in the joy of our mutual and delightful humanity. The hegemony of the Anglo Saxon ascetic barrier to public enjoyment of that which is different, is over. This, then, is the context, the cultural milieu in which education ought to take place, and this is the message that must ring through our education system.
Racism has no place in our education system.
If South Africa belongs to those who live in it, our schools must serve all that live in it, and we adults and children alike must learn to value and appreciate all that live in it. It is a message that has not penetrated where it ought to penetrate. Racism, intolerance and the refusal to share access to schooling and resources continue to plague education post 1994, despite our Constitution and progressive policies. There are those who refuse to share, and there are those who, tragically, do not know how to share. How many letters has my office received, complaining about the unwillingness of schools to transform and integrate according to the dictates of our Constitution, how many schools have I visited with my provincial counterparts, where children lack the social ability to learn together in harmony.