EDITORIAL
IT WILL TAKE A VILLAGE TO MEND SOUTH AFRICA’S AILING EDUCATION SYSTEM
ARTICLE PROVIDED BY CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE (NYDA) SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS YOUTH LEAGUE
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NUMBER AND PROPORTION OF CHILDREN LIVING FAR FROM THE NEAREST SCHOOL
HALL K & DE LANNOY A (2010) CHILDREN’S ACCESS TO EDUCATION. IN: PENDLEBURY S, LAKE L & SMITH C (EDS) (2009) SOUTH AFRICAN CHILD GAUGE 2008/2009. CAPE TOWN: CHILDREN’S INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN. AVAILABLE:
WWW.CI.ORG.ZA.
Statistics South Africa’s population estimates show that there were approximately 7.3 million children of primary school age (7 – 13 years) in South Africa in mid-2008. A fifth (21%) of these children would have to travel more than 30 minutes to reach the nearest primary school. The highest proportions of children liv- ing far from the nearest primary school are in KwaZulu-Natal (32%), the North West (22%) and the Eastern Cape (22%).
Around 4.3 million children in South Africa are of secondary school age (14 – 17 years). A third (33%) of these children do not have a high school within a 30-minute radius of their homes. KwaZulu-Natal (41%), the Eastern Cape (42%) and North West (36%) are provinces with par- ticularly high proportions of teenage children who do not have schools within easy access of their homes.
With the introduction of Schooling 2025, the new education plan which is set to, among other things, relieve teachers of administrative work, offers incentives that will attract teach- ers to rural schools and reduce the number of projects given to learners. We can only hope that we have turned the cor- ner with our education system.
Employers often raise concerns about matriculants graduat- ing from school yet lacking essential skills we subconsciously assume they mastered such as literacy and numeracy skills.
Our education system needs to mould young people into confident, knowledgeable and skilled individuals who are ready to take on the world, contribute towards the South African economy and decreasing the high youth unemploy- ment rate.
A matriculant should not be seen as yet another burden that will exhaust government’s resources but rather as a key re- source that should be invested in. It is only a matter of time until we reap rewards.
However, the road to realising this goal will not be easy; as the African proverb goes “it takes a village to raise a child”. Government needs to play its role in offering sufficient train- ing and ensuring that schools are adequately resourced.
The private sector should also be willing to part with a por- tion of their corporate social investment budget and assist schools that are under-resourced.
Teachers must teach and be positive role models for young people. With support from the government, head masters must take charge and manage schools like well oiled ma- chines, when necessary they should not hesitate to take the necessary disciplinary action against teachers that are not willing to work.
Lastly, parents must form relations with teachers and ensure that engaging with their children on school activities is part of their daily routine.
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www.ed.org.za
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