Knowledge is
power...
BY FRED FERREIRA
L
istening to the birds as they greet
the rising sun, singing their song
of longing. A sigh finds breath to
accept the painfully early morning,
but a moment slips past before the
motivation finds its place. The kilometers
of walking is just a bump in the road to
greater things, the lack of resources is
enough to learn and grow... It’s good. But
for many in South Africa, it’s not that great.
South Africa spends approximately 6% of
its GDP on education. In 2015 Government
officials promised an astonishing R138bn
to develop the Education System (a
downgrade from the original R207bn).
No other country in the world spends
this much money. But how will this help?
Where does the money actually go?
Currently, there is an understanding that
the major issues facing education are
innumerable. We have problems regarding
illiteracy, a culture of non-attendance
due to logistical issues, poorly trained or
unqualified teachers and an outdated,
sometimes racist, curriculum.
The good news is, according to Statistics
South Africa, in 2003 the country saw
a massive bump from 38% to 73%
in the pass rate for High Schools. Ten
years after our first democratic election,
literacy has risen from 86% to 93%.
Between 1995 and 1998 more than 1
000 new schools were built. Added to
this, 4 500 had received much needed
renovation. By 2003 30 000 classrooms
and 350 Special Schools had been built.
Yet despite this encouraging fact, we’re
still faced with a number of issues
regarding facilities, logistics and the
curriculum. From this, it appears the
lack of commitment and efficiency is
one of South Africa’s greatest challenges.
Today, despite the relatively poor state
of public education, we no longer see
any protests demanding better facilities,
resources and transport among other
things. Instead, we find the teachers
striking because they’re not being paid
enough. Which, we can all agree, is
always a concern.
Certainly, we’ve developed admirably
over the years, leaving behind a curriculum
that discouraged independent thought and
the ability to be critical. We should be
proud that today many kids don’t need
to share books between three or four
classmates. Schools have been built and
children have gone on to receive bursaries
and scholarships. It’s uplifting to see. But
there’s still more to be done.
Education is how children have ability to
take the future into their own hands. It’s
not for us. It’s for the young dreamers, the
innovators, the leaders and the teachers.
This, I’m sure we all agree, can only
benefit a nation brimming with potential.
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IMBO/ ISSUE 32/ '14