Don’t appoint hyenas to look after flocks

Poor matric results in the ILembe District cannot be understood in isolation from challenges facing our education in the republic. Good performance in Gauteng and Western Cape must also be understood and the socio-economic conditions of the two provinces considered.
Gauteng province opened a first class school, Chief Albert Luthuli High School, in the East Rand but the one built in Groutville is not of the same standard. Both are in communities populated by the poorest of the poor. Such comparison is important mainly because there is a set of minimum infrastructure norms and standards that the Department of Basic Education must meet this year. Physical and human resources speak to the performance of schools, hence former “model C” schools perform better. Parents of learners in the upper classes will do well due to additional financial resources they pour into supplementing class work at homes.
There was nothing wrong with Outcome Based Education. We did not have highly trained human resources to achieve it. Most of us were trained in Bantustan and National Christian Education or what is known as a Fundamental Pedagogics curriculum.
The destructive “industrial action” by SADTU contributed to bad results and students and parents deserve a public apology from SADTU. A move by the department to clip the wings of the union has to be welcomed because, with the high rate of corruption in the state and man “hyenas” hidden in the ANC and unions, we might go back to the old system in which “inspectors” became “panty preneurs”.
We still have schools without proper infrastructure. As the deficit widens and and spending continues on Inkandleyihlekisa mansion, assisting the president to look after his huge family, we will see a slowing down of infrastructure development in schools. We must ask a sober question: if we face a stagnant economy, what comes first between school infrastructure, clinics, houses, street lights, water services, electricity connections and the bling lifestyle of the Zuma family, an expensive jet for the presidency, an unnecessary 35 member cabinet and 36 deputy ministers?
As we move towards local government elections, food parcels will be in abundance but after elections, we will be told “there are no funds” as if people get hungry only two months before elections. Food parcels for electioneering must be replaced by school books. The people deserve better education.
The South African “political class”, including SADTU leaders, take their children to better schools. They have medical aid schemes and close public hospitals when engaging in protest, but are silent when textbooks do not arrive on time. In private schools and former Model C schools, learning and teaching start on day one.
In newly built schools in Groutville the teacher-learner ratio is still at 1:50 but SADTU does not march to Model C schools demanding a decrease in the ratio. They attend school meetings and help their kids to do homework, indeed, hypocrites!
The poor cannot march against racism but be silent about unequal education. There is enough money to fund students from poor families but the problem is we appoint hyenas to look after goats and sheep and when our livestock are consumed, we wonder why?
SIYANDA MHLONGO
KwaDukuza