Nurture legacy of critical thinking

RECENTLY I read of the retirement from service of the principal of Trafalgar High School, Mr Nadeem Hendricks.

I know Mr Hendricks to be one among a number of teachers and school principals who sincerely make every effort to prevent their charges, the ever knowledge-hungry pupils at their schools, from graduating as unquestioning empty vessels that never challenge the “wisdoms” that become the norm just because someone in authority declared them to be such.

Count among these the anti-educational decisions of provincial and state education departments to close some schools attended by the poorest of our citizens in the Western Cape and the closing of teacher training colleges across the country.

Many evils are committed in the name of authority, “those in charge”, because society is schooled to be gullible. We need more teachers like Mr Hendricks who, despite attempts at victimisation by the education authorities, stand up to the dumbing down of their learners.

Other school principals that come to mind who spoke truth to power and who have retired recently are Messrs Lionel Adriaan at Harold Cressy High School, Brian Isaacs at South Peninsula High School, and Riyaad Najaar at Spine Road High School.

I appeal to the newly qualified teachers who started teaching at a large number of schools across the country this year: encourage your pupils to be independent thinkers. Teach them to think critically.

The authorities need our school population to be pliable, uncritical vessels to lap up the lessons of an unscrupulous capitalist world of negative and aggressive competition where over accumulation reigns supreme.

Above all, teach them to love and care for this planet and those that inhabit it.