Shift focus to Zuma’s service

THE FOCUS on President Jacob Zuma’s lack of “education” is disconcerting. The criticism of Zuma in this regard is both unfortunate and misplaced.

The antagonists of Zuma have unwittingly displayed total ignorance of the concept of education.

The philosophy of education defines formal education as a learning process which takes place typically in a building and culminates on receipt of a certificate on successful completion of the studies undertaken. Formal education means the achievement of a university degree in a Western perspective and Grade 12 in an African perspective.

Informal education on the other hand is a lifetime learning process and takes place anywhere at any time. A person has informal education if he is an asset to the community.

Philosophers in education generally accept that informal education is more important than formal education. It is significant therefore that universities worldwide frequently award honorary degrees to individuals without formal education for meritorious service to society at large. Some of the greatest presidents of the US never set foot on college grounds, including the great Abe Lincoln. Winston Churchill did not possess any formal education either.

It is submitted therefore that Zuma cannot be ridiculed for lack of formal education. The British and the Americans did not ridicule their presidents who did not meet the requirements of formal education in terms of their norms and standards because, just like Zuma, they were democratically elected.

The likes of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are some of the Silicon Valley university dropouts but are famous entrepreneurs. They are not judged on their lack of formal education but on their contribution to mankind because this is the essential definition of education: being of service to society.

Tlhabane, Rustenburg