Question 2.
How can these families afford to travel to see their children every weekend? I have an Aunt who is sick; I can’t afford to see here every week. She lives 5 hours away from me.

Quesiton 3.
If this educational intuition is awful, why don’t they remove their children from the school?

Now, to explain some parents’ attitudes/responses to these rules one has to understand how they have been socialized and a long history into it, but I’ll be as concise as possible. Many of these parents/guardians are uneducated and are also from underprivaledged backgrounds. A lot of them have no understanding of what is socially acceptable and what is not.e.g. asking your child to bring food from the school, etc. In a community like South Africa, we are tought to share with one another, when one goes to visit at a friends house, they sometimes give one food to take home, it is in fact customary in some cultures. Now, these parents or guardians may seem to have no regard for the school rules or are apalled by them as they are not used to being confined or subject to such rules. This is one of the key differences between public & private schools. These rules are strictly enforced and have to be adhered to. In fact we had to pay quite a large some of money to be sent to such schools, I learned that with great privalages comes great responsibility and with great responsibility comes discipline.

This kind of ignorance is wide spread in my country and will continue this way for as long as my people remain uneducated. Until we can completely remove the remnance of apartheid, it will take many years to be overcome. One needs to think beyond the rules, these young ladies are being moulded at a young age to be leaders but in order to lead, one needs to first know how to follow. I myself was subject to many rules, I used to call some of those rules stupid and silly get upset. One has to remember that these are teenage girls we are dealing with, so there will be that tendency to slight rebellion. I can guaruntee that 99% of the girls from my school are successfull (including those from poor backgrounds) enjoying lifes social freedoms and happily persuing their dreams. It is thus in this great lack of understanding that these parents act this way. Most of my other friends who attended public schools are single parents or a pregnant or fell pregnant in grade8 with low income jobs that can barely support themselves, let alone their children.

I have a few friends from Europe and the USA, some of whom were exchange students in my high school. I learned from them that in European public schools, there aren’t such strict rules and that students learn to grow and be self disciplined. They too managed to adjust to our school rules. One needs to remember that this is Africa…no, this is South Africa, we are practically a new nation..learning, growing and trying to be the best that we can be with this new found freedom.

The rules in Oprahs school are definately on par with those of private schools around my country. I would like to take my hat off to her and all those who have contributed as it is a wonderful deed they are doing for these girls. They may not see it now, but they will think of it as the beginning of one of their greatest adventures…life! Those girls will definately have great regrets should they decide to leave the school now, as 10 years down the line when they see how successful their friends who completed their studies in the school are.

I would further like to add that South Africans are very greatful people, to Oprah and for what she is doing for our country. With all the cultures and the integration of Western culture, there is an over-lap and thus lots of people are easily influenced by the media and western views. Add this to a group of ignorant people and it could spell disaster.

I think Oprah herself understands all the challenges we face in South Africa, where we come from, what we have achieved thus far, and where we’re going. The toll that apartheid has taken on this country will not be rectified for at least another 30years and through educating young girls in this country, we can help speed up the process.

Oh, & btw these rules are in no way an infringement on human rights. Believe me, in our South African constitution, we know tons about our rights and there is no such as an absolute right in any case!

Thanks

Oprah, you are doing a great job for these ladies. Do not bend your rules to suit anyone. We can always find people to criticize others but what are they doing to help anyone… Keep up the good word, OPRAH !!!

I say, if you have a problem, take your daughter home and left another girl take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.