One of the most satisfying roles as a teacher is helping to lead children into new knowledge and a deeper understanding of the world. One of the best things about being an English teacher is using quality literature to do this. Last half term in Year 6, pupils read Beverley Naidoo’s Journey to Jo’Burg. This award-winning novella is a relatively straightforward book in itself, but alongside the fiction, pupils explored a range of non-fiction texts that related to themes within the narrative.
I would like to share three outstanding pieces of work which have been written by members of Year 6 in response to their reading of the novel. This work I believe showcases the richness of classroom discussion, opportunities given to pupils for reflection, the development of writing skills, whilst reflecting the demanding level of the curriculum at Edge Grove.
At the end of the novel, pupils were invited to respond to their reading in any way they liked. The first piece of writing is a reverse poem written by Jannah whose words, when read each way, cleverly express the views embedded within the Apartheid regime.
Life Under ApartheidBy Jannah M
Whites are betterDon't try to convince me thatBlacks have rightsAt the end of the dayApartheid is rightAnd I won't lie to myself by sayingYour skin colour doesn't matterI will always remind myselfBlacks deserve to be badly treatedAnd nothing you can say will make me believeWe are all equalBecause no matter whatWhites deserve better livesI'm in no position to believeApartheid is wrongBecause whenever I think about itApartheid is right.NOW READ UP!
Within the novel, through a character called Grace, Naidoo shares events that took place during the Soweto Uprising June 16th, 1976. Here Zuriela’s reading has taken her deep into the experiences of those involved in the protest and she demonstrates remarkable empathy with those who suffered.
Finally, throughout the reading of the novel, pupils were asked to consider why the book was banned by the South African Government from publication in 1985 to the release of Mandela in 1991 and write their thoughts in a formal essay. Esmé’s essay shows remarkable maturity.
Why did the South African government ban Beverley Naidoo’s ‘Journey to Jo’Burg’?
Beverly Naidoo’s novel, ‘Journey to Jo’burg’ grants readers insight into the lives of the oppressed non-white citizens of South Africa under the regime of Apartheid, a set of laws which were put in place in 1948 and were officially ended in 1994. Naidoo’s story, published in 1985 but which was only legalised in South Africa in 1991, is told from the perspective of two young siblings, named Tiro and Naledi, as they journey across South Africa. They have their eyes opened to the discrimination and injustice that had spread through their country like ink in water. This essay explores the reasons why South Africa's government had the book banned.
Throughout the introductory chapters of the book, Naidoo highlights the poverty portrayed within the Bantustans - less than 10% of the country’s land reserved for the non-whites although they were the majority of the population. Naidoo depicts this by mentioning the lack of healthcare due to its expense, absence of luxuries such as shoes, and the deprivation due to low wages. Naidoo centres the novel around Dineo’s sickness and in the opening chapters she mentions a small graveyard full of dead children, which introduces the high-mortality rate in the Bantustans. This is caused by the lack of clean water and the poverty in the towns. Many white South African readers would be surprised at the poverty and poor living conditions that the people of colour were subjected to. In addition, many sheltered children living in white areas who would have been oblivious to the poverty the children of colour faced every day and might have felt they ought to join protests and make a difference and make a change to help them.
Another reason for the ban was because the novel sheds light on the terrible treatment of black workers and the appalling relationship between white employers and their black employees. Throughout the novel, Naidoo stresses the issues with the migrant labour enforced upon the families. One such problem was the broken families and the social divisions due to husbands and other family members moving across the country to work, thus leaving wives to keep the family together and get work locally as well. Many migrant workers died from diseases caused by the substandard living conditions, therefore leaving the full burden of work upon their family. This led to further separation within families as children were left to live with extended family while their mother worked in a ‘white’ city. Readers, unaware of these torn-apart families, might have empathised and worked towards helping topple the corrupt government from its pedestal of power. Furthermore, this sad truth might encourage protests and demonstrations from the white population as it reflected on Apartheid badly and revealed the brutal reality of the non-whites' lives.
Another aspect of the ban is revealed when the children meet a character named Grace, and get an insight from the perspective of a black during the Soweto Uprising. Many young white readers would be horrified at the retaliation from the police against the peaceful protest and that hundreds of children, some their age, had been shot or injured. In addition to this, another chapter of the book shows the children's firsthand encounter with the police. They witnessed the brutality of the police against blacks and their unwillingness to negotiate. The fear instilled in the children then is also mentioned when the siblings are walking through a town, worried about bumping into the police without a pass (although it was not law for children of their age to carry one with them). This reflects how the police were not a force that people went to for help, but instead one that was feared by the non-whites. Readers would be surprised by this because the usual circumstance is that the police would give citizens a sense of security and not one of fear. They might research and attempt to make the South African police a fairer, less racist and prejudiced force.
All these different aspects of the book caused the government to feel the need to ban it to keep the white population oblivious and to keep them sheltered from the brutal reality of what happened outside of their ‘white’ areas. The book was unbanned six years after it was published, along with many other books made legal due to the freeing of Nelson Mandela who was imprisoned for 27 years, 1964-1990, because of his involvement with the ANC (African National Congress).
Yet even after the ending of Apartheid, we still see that prejudice and discrimination has been wired into the structure of society and seeps like venom through the veins of countries, and is still around, despite the forces working against it. For instance, the death of a man named George Floyd in North America, ignited the Black Lives Matter movement that spread through the USA and around the world. Another example is the sexism of the Taliban against the women of Afghanistan and their limits on women. Inequality has been bred into communities and Naidoo’s novel exposed this inequality in South Africa so much so that the country’s government did not want it known within their country and in international countries beyond.
Next week we have a range of events as we look to celebrate World Book Day on Thursday 2nd March. All children will have the opportunity to use their book token to collect a free book at our book sales and share in special assemblies held to celebrate the wonders of reading.
Book Sales
Pre-School - Tuesday 28th February, 8.00am - 9.00am
Years 5-8 - Tuesday 28th February, 4:30pm - 6.00pm in J1
Pre-Prep - Wednesday 1st March, 8.00am - 9.00am in the Pre-Prep Hall
Don't forget to check out what our Edge Grove School Journalists have been up to this week here.
