AZASO AND COSAS INSPIRE EDUCATION CHARTER CAMPAIGN

SASPU National, 9 September 1983

The recent AZASO Congress once again saw students focusing on the campaign for an Education Charter. This campaign had been initiated by AZASO and COSAS during 1982. A special commission was set up to review the progress made in this important project.

It was initially proposed at second AZASO congress held in July 1982 that the Education Charter campaign collect the demands of the oppressed in the sphere of education. The second congress felt that AZASO and COSAS should take the initiative in launching a nation-wide campaign for the drawing up of an Education Charter. Students agreed that the Education Charter that will eventually be drawn up should contain the short-term, medium term and long term demands of the oppressed and exploited people of South Africa.

The Charter should take its inspiration from the Clause of the Freedom Charter, which states, "The doors of learning and culture shall be opened", it could serve as a beacon to students struggling for a single nonracial and democratic education system within a united and democratic South Africa. 'Rather than being the product of handful of intellectuals, it should bring forward the demands of all students struggles past and present, It would thus include the demands of the 1953 campaign against Bantu Education, 1976 student revolt, 1980 schools boycott as well as demonstrations against Quota Bill and age limits, said an AZASO spokesperson. The 1982 Congress defined education in the broadest sense to include pre-school education and adult education.

The Education Charter will not be the product of students alone. Workers, women, youth and church organizations will be involved in the process of drawing up the Charter. Using these guidelines, the National Executive Committees of AZASO and COSAS came up with a more concrete direction for the campaign. It was divided into 5 spheres:

• The initiation phase would involve consultation with other progressive organizations about the Education Charter.
• Local committees would be formed to co-ordinate the campaign and to hold workshops, seminars and conferences on education.
• Regional committees would be formed to co-ordinate and popularize the Charter campaign.
• A National Conference would then be called to be attended by delegates and observers from the regional committees. A National Education Charter Committee would be elected at this conference to collect the demands for the Education Charter and to supervise the drafting of the document.
• A National Adoption conference tended by progressive organizations from all fronts will adopt the Education Charter.

This format was accepted and ratified by a joint council meeting of AZASO and COSAS held in December 1982

The scale of the campaign is vast. Large areas of South Africa, especially rural areas are unorganized and thus require special attention. Furthermore, 1983 is likely to be a difficult year. Workers are facing unemployment, retrenchment and severe attacks from the state in the forms of the Koornhof bills. Trade unions and other progressive organizations are involved in the struggle against the Presidents Council proposals and the Bills.

Therefore, in the near future, the campaign will be limited to students. AZASO and COSAS branches are being encouraged to form Education Charter committees and to hold seminars and workshops on education. Despite slow progress during early 1983, AZASO and COSAS agreed to a National Focus Week on Bantu Education. The focus week ended with nationwide mass meetings on June 16 where the idea of an Education Charter was introduced to students.

• Thousands of pamphlets, stickers and posters ensured the focus week was a success.
• In Durban over a thousand students attended a June 16 meeting held at Howard College.
• In Cape Town some 100 people attended a meeting held in Bonteheuwel,and another 800 attended a memorial meeting in Gugulethu.
• June 16 was also commemorated at Mangosuthu Technikon and Turfloop,Wits and Ngoya universities.

The 1983 AZASO Congress, held in July this year, passed a resolution on the Education Charter stating:

• That regional councils of AZASO assume responsibility for the creation of Education Charter committees within all branches.
• That an intensive national campaign be launched later in the year to popularize the concept of the Education Charter of the people.
• That there be a portfolio for a national projects officer on the National Executive whose responsibility would be to co-ordinate all national projects and make resources available.

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