It’s 10 December 1996 in Sharpeville, Gauteng. Nelson Mandela – newly elected president of a freshly democratic South Africa – signs the South African Constitution into law. There is excitement in the air. Change is coming. Freedom is around the corner. This is a victory for all South Africans.

Twenty-six years later, the second chapter of this document remains one of the core set of principles governing South African society. This chapter contains the Bill of Rights. Herein lies the fundamental human rights that every South African should enjoy.

Your Right to Education

Section 29 of the Bill of Rights ensures that every South African (child or adult) has the right to a basic education along with the right to further education. In a country with such a dark history surrounding equal and fair access to education, it comes as no surprise that this right has been enshrined in our constitution.

The reality, unfortunately, is that a large portion of South African citizens are still not able to fully enjoy the liberty of a quality, safe, and accessible education. We are still a way off from achieving a South Africa where the general population has full access to this vital right.

Rights and Responsibilities

As with great power, human rights come with a great deal of responsibility. With every right we possess, we also have an obligation to ourselves and each other to ensure that these rights are defended as far as we possibly can. This could mean campaigning for the rights of others or ensuring that your own rights are being upheld.

In the realm of education, for example, learning providers and institutions have the responsibility to deliver quality learning in a non-discriminatory manner. Students and potential students, on the other hand, have the obligation to keep their educators and institutions accountable in this regard.

This means that you cannot afford to sit back and accept when your own or others’ rights are being violated. The South African Human Rights Commission is a good resource for information on what to do when you are faced with such violations.

Let’s Honour Human Rights Day Together

Now that we’ve established the serious bits, let’s take a moment to acknowledge 21 March 2022 as a day of celebration. On this day, the precedent was set to secure the equality, freedom, and dignity of every South African. Oxbridge Academy is proud to have an ethos that maintains these non-discriminatory values as a core principle for how we operate.

Celebrate Human Rights Day by exercising your right to a top-quality education. Contact us now via the form on this page for accessible options to further your education.