Video by Kamogelo Moichela
Johannesburg- A teacher from an early childhood development centre believes children need to know about June 16, and how it changed the political landscape in South Africa.
This was after teachers from ECDs brought children to the Hector Pieterson memorial in Soweto on Thursday to mark June 16.
Early childhood development centre principal Nomsa Mthethwa, from Emseni Day Care Centre in Roodepoort, told IOL at the Hector Pieterson Memorial where they were gathered to celebrate Youth Day that it was important for them to teach children about June 16.
"We brought children here today to know and learn about their history because they always hear about June 16 but they don't know anything about Hector Pieterson and what happened to him," she said.
Mthethwa added that it was time for them to know the real significance of June 16 so that when they grew older, they would be aware of their history. This would help them to make decisions about the future.
She said that there were many other children who didn’t get a chance to go to the Hector Pieterson memorial in Orlando in Soweto to learn about their history.
"I wish they could learn about our history and what really happened on June 16, 1976. If we start teaching them now, at the age of two years, they they would become strong and responsible citizens as a result of knowing their history," she added.
She said that as young as the children were, there were future leaders, presidents, lawyers, doctors, and many other professionals among them.
She further stated that at their ECD, they developed children's skills and ensured that they received proper and relevant information. "We prepare them so that when they get to school, they are ready to compete and develop themselves (for) the future," she said.
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