Gutter education for poor needs change
I HAVE always considered the writing of a national matric examination very important. One is able to measure a number of things: z How varied is the curriculum at schools. z Whether schools are coping with the curriculum. z How successful schools are – what are the statistics for subjects at a national level. z Through-put rate from Grades 1-12.
z Level of achievement of top students in the country.
z How many students are achieving a bachelor pass.
z Number of students doing maths, physical sciences, life sciences and IT, and passing these subjects.
It is my contention that students who find themselves in schools in poor areas will have a limited subject choice in their curriculum. In most former model C schools more than 20 subject choices are offered to students in the FET band.
In schools of the poor there is a limited curriculum (most cases a maximum of 8-9 subject choices) because these schools have no money to appoint additional teachers. This leads to disillusionment and poor results.
For every two primary schools in SA there is only one high school. This is the main reasoning why students drop out of school.
Most schools in poor areas do not offer maths, physical sciences, life sciences and IT. The educational authorities must have a dedicated plan to introduce these subjects in the schools of the poor.
The attitude of the authorities is to encourage schools in poor areas not to do these subjects because of what they say are cost constraints. Teachers at schools of the poor must insist that the authorities address the maths and physical sciences question.
Not to do so will give the schools in poor areas a gutter education.
I wish to say to parents, teachers and students that a matric certificate is not just a piece of paper. It is the culmination of 12 years of challenges, experiences, failures as well as successes.
I would rather have an educated unemployed child than an uneducated unemployed child. Businesses say that they cannot employ our matrics because they lack skills. Let me challenge these businesses. Go to the schools and see what skills they need.
In most cases you will find that the students have the skills. It is just that businesses want to exploit workers. Their system can only work when you have unemployed people.
Let me encourage the youth of SA to remain focused and study further. Society changes all the time and we work for positive change in our country.
There are enough progressive forces in SA that want to create a sharing and caring society rather than the most exploitative society we live in of the SA today.
I WOULD RATHER HAVE AN EDUCATED UNEMPLOYED CHILD THAN AN UNEDUCATED UNEMPLOYED ONE