The notion of hard work and determination has failed us. Two decades after apartheid, it is still the case that the opportunities available to the average South African child are determined by their race, the wealth of their parents and the province of their birth.
On November 29, 2013, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga gazetted regulations related to minimum, uniform norms and standards for public schools infrastructure, which were to eradicate, within three years, pit latrines and ensure that all schools had access to water, libraries and the internet.
Seven years later, it is clear the department and provincial governments had failed to meet these self-binding regulations.
This bleak reality is exacerbated by knowing that according to the government’s own statistics in 2018; 86% of schools had no laboratory facilities, 77% had no library services and 72% had no access to internet connectivity. It also states more than three-quarters of children aged 9 cannot read for meaning and of 100 learners that start school, only 45% will pass matric and only 14 will go to university.
Our education system has never been under more scrutiny than with the present challenges exposed by Covid-19 and the increased demand of equal and quality education to all children who live in South Africa.
This is important because education is a driving factor to create economic growth and human capital. For this to happen, the foundation will have to be right and a good quality education is of utmost importance.
The quality of education you receive will determine the type of job you obtain and the life you attain.
For many young South Africans, education is a way out of the harsh realities of poverty and obtaining a degree means that they are able to earn an honest living with the skills they have acquired.
What is also important to remember is that our schooling system relies heavily on the first industrial revolution teaching methods, while the South African economy is building towards growing in the fourth industrial revolution. The two have extremely different mechanisms and require different labour or skills to produce products and profits.
If we want to decrease inequality in South Africa and start effectively lowering our poverty rate, we will have to start focusing on bettering our education system to produce high literacy and numeracy standards. These skills are high in demand and are required to ensure that one is capable for the job market. Access to jobs with the right skills means bettering the lives of those who earn an honest living.
When people earn a living, they are able to contribute to the economy and produce taxes. They are able to build families and plan for the future. They are able to save and accrue wealth. When people earn a living, they are able to live.
We could see our youth struggling more than ever. Our only hope is that our government wakes up and urgently implements changes in our education system.
* Donovan Nelson is a community activist in Lotus River/Grassy Park.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
Cape Argus
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