In the heart of Soweto, South Africa, lies a historic intersection where the course of the nation's history was forever altered. It was here, on June 16, 1976, that a peaceful student protest against the apartheid education system turned into a violent clash with the police, leaving hundreds of students dead and many more imprisoned or exiled.
Decades later, as South Africa celebrates 30 years of democracy, the country's education system is facing a crisis that threatens the hard-won gains of liberation. Despite substantial funding, South African students consistently rank among the lowest in global assessments of literacy and numeracy skills, with a significant percentage unable to read for meaning.
