Dedicated teachers can improve education for our pupils

MANY books have been written about this interesting topic. Why then does South Africa struggle with creating really good schools?

Jonathan Jansen believes it depends on the teachers. He states if your teachers are qualified, committed, dedicated and creative, SA will be able to create the fine schools we all want. I agree, but I believe he misses an important point.

Having taught for 38 years at a high school in Cape Town I wish to give some opinion on how we can improve schools in South Africa.

Why was it possible for Fezeka High, Livingstone High, Langa High, Harold Cressy and Trafalgar High from the 1950s to the 1980s to achieve excellent academic results despite their adverse conditions?

I want to believe these schools were driven by politically conscious teachers who gave their students vision and the political tools to achieve a better SA for all.

These teachers faced the apartheid security forces, but were bold enough to do what was right. Our schools today lack the political teacher visionaries. Our schools are about compliance. This is not only for SA, but for schools around the world. The Mandela era has taught us not to teach what is right but to agree to disagree.

When one becomes politically conscious about the evils of society, this gives students hope as to what needs to be done in society.

The issue of discipline then becomes second nature because students know what they need to achieve to change society to a more sharing and caring society. I call this transformational discipline. Parents, teachers and students then realise they can change society. Ordinary men and women confronted the master-slave ideology of the Western Cape Education Department to put an end to school closures.

What follows is that parents, teachers and students commit themselves to building solid educational institutions which they can be proud of. The quality of management, teaching and the introduction of extra-curricular activities improve.

The present political situation wants schools to be non-political, to be neutral and to obey the master’s voice.

I have seen the school at which I taught flour ish academically and extramurally when we applied the above thinking.

Of course, teachers face the wrath of the political authorities when they do so.

We do have a choice to have mediocre or excellent schools. Brian Isaacs Former principal South Peninsula High School