'We ain't got no education!'

Recently I attended the Franschhoek Literary Festival and was privileged to listen to various debates and talks by respected authors.   The one I enjoyed the most was one named ‘We ain’t got no education!’

Prof. Jonathen Jansen, The Vice Chancellor of the Free State University,  Nicholas Spore a well know Education Activist who is doing his PhD in Education and Arthur Atwell from Book Dash who is an electronic book publisher, were grilled about the education in South Africa today.

Here are some interesting statistics.

One million children on average start Grade 1 every year.   Only 450,000 children matriculate every year and at least half of those children have been passed up each year despite the fact that they have not passed the grade.

By the end of Grade 3 children should be fluent in reading English and their mother tongue.   By Grade 4 they should be Reading to Learn not Learning to Read!

This is not happening.

60% of Primary Schools in South Africa have NO libraries.

6% of Primary Schools in South Africa have more than 5000 books.

Only 4% of all South African children are in Private Schools which have proper resources.   That leaves 96% of all South African children at a disadvantage.

There is a plan a move by the Department of Education to introduce a ‘one text book per subject’ in all High Schools hoping to level the playing fields.   However the educationalists such as Prof. Jansen disagree wholeheartedly with this.   In his article ‘A textbook case of bungling’ The Times May 23, 2015, he says ‘I cannot think of a more dangerous curricular decision – the state effectively decides what you must know’.   ‘Here comes another policy that, contrary to Utopian pronouncements of officials, will actually deepen the divide between the privileged schools and the disadvantaged schools.’

Prof Jansen has written a book called ‘How to fix Schools’ which is a resource for Principals.   It comes together with a video and is an invaluable tool to help educators to cope with today’s learners and the classroom situation.   He feels very strongly that a school that succeeds is a school where the Principal arrives before the children and only leaves when everybody else leaves.  

Accountability and Capacity building is lacking in our Education and the only way to solve it is to get other teachers to mentor teachers,   especially in the Foundation Phase.   Departmental audits should be done on a regular basis and when technology in going to be introduced into the classroom, which must happen, then teachers should be trained how to use it.

There should be a programme where those who have the skills to teach a subject at a level of confidence should use their skills to empower others.   He called these schools - ‘Master Schools’.

The knock on effect of a one text book policy would see small publishing houses folding and ‘government would save a lot of money for itself, and some authors with political connections are about to become filthy rich’ Prof J Jansen, the Times, 23 May 2015.

There is hope if the Department of Education acknowledges the crisis Education is in and takes a stand against SADTU and accepts help from retired teachers who care!

Written by Marilyn Mills