Key to reform is in economy
ARBARATuchman, in her book The March of Folly, explored “one of the most compelling paradoxes of history: the pursuits by governments of policies contrary to their own interests”.
I was reminded of this when a prominent businessman suggested that the country needed to find out “what works” and make that its priority for action. We all have a pretty good idea of what doesn’t work, but the government does not appear to strike these off the list and try something different.
In education, for example, the undue focus on “matric” and the annual review of the national pass
Bmark defies the logic which is that success in Grade 12 hinges on good education in the preschool and foundation phases.
It has taken 20 years for this to be acknowledged; and it will be another 12 before the positive effects of the recent focus on Early Childhood Development will be noticeable. Now, there is a scramble to find adequately qualified teachers to ensure that the investment is worthwhile. In the meantime, teaching has all but ceased to be a profession, which, I believe, was once a proud claim of many teachers.
Millions were spent on the recapitalisation of Further Education and Training colleges without there being any noticeable improvement in relevant skills, and now faith has been placed in a change of name – they are now Technical and Vocational Education and Training Colleges – and a great deal more money.
Once before, it was hoped that new jargon would be the catalyst of change and improvement, but when the fundamental principles of good teaching were wrapped in the package of Outcomes-Based Education, teachers and parents lost sight of them.
It has taken the tragic death of a young soccer player to alert the nation to the reality of crime. Hundreds of people have died at the hands of criminal violence which neither a “service” nor a “force” has been able to bring under control.
We have known for years that, despite the annual statistics, whatever it is that is being done, does not work.
Our response to another drop in the country’s credit rating is to shout “foul” and vilify the rating agency, forgetting, perhaps, that the system – warts and all – has international credibility and produces indices that influence investors.
The mature response, surely, is to deal with the factors which affect the ratings so that they might go up at the next review. One economist has claimed that the ratings are appropriate for developed economies, and less so for those which are emerging. There is validity in this, but the application of criteria is universal, and it is our country’s relative position that is critical.
We are debating a basic minimum wage when millions of our people would be grateful to have a job and earn something.
Job growth in the US in the first half of this year averaged 231 000 a month and I think that this has increased dramatically during the most recent quarter.
The American economy is on the move, a momentum which may well account for the successes of the Republicans.
The fact is that the US pursues economic growth and prosperity with a vigour that might override issues of social reform, but which, ironically, makes them possible.
The same may be said of the most developed countries: their prosperity has become the right of all citizens because it has accumulated and may be works.
It is true to say that this is South Africa and what works elsewhere may not work here. We have erred at times by imitating what works in other countries in the belief that it is transferable. Technocrats have been all over the world searching for best practices, but these have not always suited our circumstances.
While we should learn from others, we must search for what will work here. Many people have a good idea – in academia, business, civil society, and the National Planning Commission – but they are not the ones who make the decisions.
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