KESCON 2016 talks eduction
JOBURG - KESCON, the annual education conference held by King Edward VII School, took place at the prestigious public school in Upper Houghton.
The conference served as a platform for politicians, advocates, scholars and old boys to unite and talk about education.
A number of influential public figures and political leaders made their way to the school to discuss the challenges facing the South African education system and touched on every contributing factor from the government to the contribution that can be made by each school itself, to improve the current situation in the country.
Among the esteemed speakers was vice-chancellor at Wits, Adam Habib; Justice Johann Kriegler, judge of the Appellate Division and the Constitutional Court; Zakhele Mbhele, MP for the Democratic Alliance; Khume Ramulifho, Shadow MEC of education; and head of department of Gauteng Education, Edward Mosuwe.
“There’s too many of us in South Africa saying that we’re still too young [as a country], but I don’t think that I buy into that,” Ramulifho commented on progress made in education.
“We have potential and we can therefore break that cycle. If we get the people who are committed and passionate about what they’re doing we’ll get there faster than what we are.”
According to Mosuwe, 63 percent of pupils who are granted National Student Financial Aid Scheme bursaries drop out and this is a clear indication that much work is still needed to get the level of education to where it needs to be in the country.
All the people who attended the conference recognised this need and were working together for better education in the country
“We have great leaders, teachers and great tools in South Africa – we just need to make sure that we allow them to shine,” Ramulifho concluded.
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