Falling levels of Education

I was not going to comment on it, as it has pretty much been knocked to death.....but, me, being me, has to...
The topic- Education......or in our case, lack of it.

South Africa released their matric or Grade Twelve or National Senior Certificate results- and 60.7 percent is the pass result. (62.5%-2008). Brilliant hey.
Strange as it was, the results were released on 7 January 2010 and not in December as is always done.

This means that roughly 40% of those who wrote matric, failed. That is a serious amount in my books. Especially when you look at the pecentage required to pass is 30% in some subjects and 40% in others. Surely the lowering of the education standards should amount to an increase in passes and not a decrease. Yet, there it is, for all to admire- a 2% drop in passes. For the last fifteen years, year on year, there has been a drop in passes for our matrics. Universities complain that many of their students do not know how to read and write properly - in terms of spelling and grammer. This is pretty worrying- well to us, but not too much for the government.

Now, these people are our future leaders, the people who will steer the ship into the future. Be afraid, very afraid.

The Department of Education is concerned of course , but are quick to blame everything from bad teachers to poor schools, from lack of understanding of English to the old fall back -'the dark past'. Minister Angie Motshekga says the results (wait for it ) 'Continue to suggest we have not turned the corner in education'. Wow, brilliant deduction. No wonder she is in charge.

They need to realise that education is rubbish here. They need to look honestly at where they are falling short and admit it instead of turning their fingers and blaming everbody else.

Instead of using funds for luxuries like cars and 98 year old birthday parties, funds should be placed in much needed departments- Education, Health, Policing.......where the whole country can benifit.

Here are some of my ideas and I do not pretend that they are correct or all inclusive.

Do a review of every school. (6 300 odd). This can be done at Provincial level. Fix schools that are falling apart, pay teachers (Educators in SA) better salaries and root out those who don't care about the pupils (Learners as they are called here). To teach you need to be dedicated and have a passion for educating the children. Ensure schools are equiped with decent learning and sports equipment.

Do not drop the quality of education to meet poor results. Find ways to improve the results to meet a high education level rather. (Who accepts South African degrees these days??). Even if this means wholesale changes. Looking at the results, this may be what is needed.

Granted in rural areas, language may be a problem. Address it and if it asks for them to be taught in their home language, do it. However, do not neglect the need for English.

In the towns and cities, many black children speak English at the expense of their home language. So, English is the medium that should be most used and cannot be used as an excuse for failure.

Then there is Discipline. There is none at schools. Children do as they please, how they please and there is no consequences. This has to be addressed sternly. Children bunk, don't do homework, don't bother about exams because there is nothing that can be done to touch them. This needs to be addressed urgently. Bring back harsh punishment, I am sure, like us, they will survive and it will make them better people.

I would like to hear what you guys think.......

Education

We will start our week on a serious topic- but one that is handled like a joke in South Africa-namely, Education.

For years matters concerning education have been getting worse. Now, let's look at this in a logical manner. I am Minister of Education. I have a system that sucks and pupils, oops, I mean learners, that can hardly spell, read or write. And these are High School kids. Now how do I handle it? Well first I consult experts, in South Africa and outside South Africa. I look at the quality of teachers, teacher's training, school conditions. I see how I can improve the QUALITY OF EDUCATION so the teaching improves! The standard of education then improves and thus, the way the learners are educated. This will result in better results in terms of pass rates and education levels.

How does our government handle this problem, hurdle, whatever you want to call it- they, in their great wisdom, reduce the pass rate. How clever. Now for a matric pass you need to achieve (rather loosely used here of course) 40% in three subjects and an amazing 30% in the other three. (we presume people gunning for these high marks will only be taking 6 subjects, as this is the minimum they can take). So, they do not have to know 60% of their matter in 3 subjects and a hefty 70% in the other 3. Just blows your mind does it not?

Not only this, but to be granted a disctinction, you have to get 80% in 3 subjects and 60% in the other 3. A spokesman from Education said this will (wait for it) 'motivate learners'. (A subsequent statement issued denied they are going through with this distiction part of their devious little plan)

What a brilliant plan. This way you, in theory, should get more passes. In reality though, the learners will have such a low standard to achieve, they may not even try and not even make this terrible low standard. So, stimulating them to be lazier and study less cannot be the way to go.

The next problem comes along when they go to university. Granted in the rest of the world's eyes, our post school education is not amongst the best. Yet the learners passing from matric who go to university, cannot cope as the level of 'higher'education is too high.

If this were not so serious, it would be brilliant as a joke. I have spoken to teachers, in both primary and high schools, who admit that the pupils, or learners or whatever they call them now, cannot spell, read or write too well. This is serious!

It is time for the people in charge to realise that their department and education in South Africa is in shambles, and it is time for them to fix it instead of downgrading it. These are our future leaders....and this is frightening.