Compare liberal education and excerpt from kaffir boy

Education is an important topic in Mark Mathabane’s autobiography because when he was growing up in South Africa, the apartheid system made it very difficult for a black child to get anything close to an adequate education. The experiences Mathabane relates, however, extend far beyond attending school.

The role of African traditional culture, which Mark (previously Johannes) learned from his mother, also played a significant role. His mother could not read but had learned and transmitted the cultural information orally. From his mother, he also learned optimism about his own place in the world and the possibilities for black Africans in their country, which helped counter the negativity his father held and expressed.