Discussion about education system quality needed

Madam,

Listening to announcements of ex ternal exams results by the Ministry of (ducation and Training is slowly becoming a waste of time. 3ass rates are read out followed up by self con gratulatory messages to every regional politician in attendance.

The crux of the results, which is their detail and what they represent about our state of development as a society, is not the minister¶s priority when she tables this annual statement. The appre ciation to teachers and pupils is nothing new. 8nder normal circumstances, where a government that is tasked with leading a national project of drastic social change through a transformative political economy, one would expect a deepened engagement with external exams results from its political leaders.

DEVELOPMENT

)or a country that is struggling to provide jobs for its citi]ens, there should be a heightened discussion about the Tuality of our education, its expected outcomes, and our envisaged strategy to use it as an instrument of development.

The top challenges in (swatini are poverty, poor public healthcare servic es, deteriorating roads and infrastruc ture, unemployment, alcohol abuse and drugs, poor education outcomes, crime, abuse of women and children, and a deindustrialised economy that is weak, fragile and disconnected from the majority of the population. :hen you are a society with these kinds of challenges, what then becomes the type of education you are supposed to offer to address them? You need an education system that is designed to deliver three outcomes.

The first is a foundational education anchored on literacy and numeracy. &hildren must be able to read, write, comprehend and apply basic maths concepts from a young age. This must not be a schooling activity but a basic way of life to curate self development.

FOCUS

The second is a strong focus on Maths, 6cience and $frican languages as the three compulsory disciplines for every child. $gain, when numeracy and literacy are anchored from an early age through healthy learning and teaching habits, it becomes easier to grow the love, passion and ability to appreciate Maths, 6cience and $frican languages.

The third outcome should be a sys tematic tracking model that is able to identify the talent of each child and identify a pathway for them to live up to their best potential. In other words, while Maths, 6cience and $frican languages or rather literacy and numeracy will be entrenched in the basic education lifespan of a child, the same system must still be able to identify other talents in children that may sometimes shine through outside the classroom, such as sports and in the arts. Thus, our systems must not force theoretical education to those who demonstrate these traits like it is the case now.

Pedro Mzileni