Bantu Education Department

The Bantu Education Department is a governmental department created for the education of blacks in South Africa by the National Party government during the apartheid years.

The method of approach was that the blacks had a different culture, separate from that of the whites, and that they had to be educated accordingly. Black education initially had a strong missionary presence, especially in the rural areas, and there was much good-will among inspectors and teachers of different races. However, the rigid way in which the policy was applied eventually led to much discontent and hardship. In the end the policy of "separateness" in credit does have to be given to educating authorities who supplied South Africa with the many educated and competent black leaders it has today.