Soweto Uprising

In June 1976, school students in the South African township of Soweto took to the streets to protest against enforcement of a decree that their schools had to use Afrikaans as a language of instruction.

Afrikaans was the language of the apartheid government that had instituted many discriminatory laws. These laws forced Black South Africans to learn in overcrowded, under-funded schools with few qualified teachers.

As the protests escalated, the security forces responded with live ammunition, and many young people lost their lives.

But the Soweto Uprising is recognised as a turning point that hastened the fall of apartheid.

In the new democratic South Africa, June 16th is a national holiday called Youth Day, which honours those who sacrificed their education and their lives in 1976 in the cause of freedom.

LCD has produced a pack about the Soweto Uprising giving the background to the events, information about children's rights in South Africa, and resources and activities for teachers.

You can download the pack at the bottom of the page.

BBC - 'School Day South Africa'

The BBC is launching 'School Day South Africa' on Monday 5th June, where Fergal Keane will introduce a series of special films.

Fergal Keane will be live in a school in Soweto on Wednesday 14 June 2006 for 'School Day, South Africa' for an all day interactive event for schools on BBC News 24, Breakfast on BBC One, CBBC Newsround and online at www.bbc.co.uk/schoolday.

The day will start with a visit to Phefeni Secondary School with Breakfast on BBC One. Thirty years ago this school's pupils were at the centre of protests against teaching in South Africa. Find out what school life is like today in live reports throughout the day on BBC News 24.

You can get your school involved by watching on your white boards, or you can get interactive on digital TV and send in questions and ideas to the website.

To download the pack, please fill in all the details below (* = required):