In the 1950s, Hendrik Verwoerd the Minister of Native Affairs said, "People should not be educated beyond their prospects. The Bantu [black people] shall always remain hewers of wood and drawers of water." White and non-white children went to separate schools with very different standards of education. Black writer Es'kia Mphahlele replied, "Education for slavery has to be resisted."

Attitudes to education have now undergone a revolutionary change. It is illegal to refuse to admit a child to a school because of his or her colour. In practice, however, better schools remain mostly white, because only they can afford the fees. Educational standards for black people are poor and there is widespread illiteracy. The ANC government has made promises to improve education for all, but these will take years to fulfil.

One major problem still to be faced is that of South Africa's street children, abandoned by their unemployed parents. There are shelters to help these children, but not enough.

“In the English-speaking World”