Pupils at stake
MANY commentators have labelled the decision to postpone the Annual National Assessments as yet another example of teachers’ union Sadtu thumbing its nose at the education authorities.
They see the department as deserving of this because in their view, the authorities have allowed political considerations to keep them at the mercy of the union.
If nothing else convinces such pundits that matters are more nuanced than that, then it should be that the other “responsible” unions are also not happy with many aspects of the assessments.
It’s a silver lining in what might appear an intractable situation that everyone agrees there is a need to assess the numeracy and literacy levels of our schoolchildren even if not everybody agrees on the method and the frequency of the exercise.
Teachers’ unions are an important stakeholder in the education enterprise.
Their views about what is wrong and how it can be fixed should not be dismissed purely because we might not like how they choose to express their grievances.
Teachers are not the only ones with a point of view.
Education Minister Angie Motshekga has political and professional legitimacy to make policy.
It will be an error of judgement to assume that she does not know what she is doing.
The right to differ, even sharply, does not entitle any party to denigrate the other.
The minister must also have the necessary humility and patience to rise above those who will for their own reasons hurl abuse, which at times is personal, at her.
Now that the assessments have been postponed, it will be no use crying over spilt milk.
The state must make a concerted effort to dismantle the perception that allows Sadtu to pull it by the nose.
That, however, does not mean the department must ignore anything coming from Sadtu just because it comes from them.
That will not solve the impasse we have.
For that to happen, only respect for everyone else’s role in the education of our children will take us forward.
Everyone involved must remember that when it comes to our children, it must not be theirs but the best interest of the child that must always be supreme.