DEAR Editor,-
Education is supposed to be used as a tool to deconstruct oppressive ideologies that muzzle the voices of the masses into submission of dictates by guardians of hidden agendas. It is supposed to be a liberating force that is provocative, powerful and progressive in its quest to empower the citizens of our country.
The Department of Education ‘appears’ passionate about promoting the ‘quality of teaching and learning’ at school level. All stakeholders sign pledges to enforce the QLTC vision.
A great deal of ‘paperwork’ is done for regular submission to the department to monitor that schools are functioning at optimum levels. Teachers engage in IQMS to evaluate teacher performance so that limitations are identified and improvement programmes developed. School improvement plans are submitted annually to indicate plans for the following year. Pupils are compelled to write annual national assessments (ANA) to check their academic performance in maths and English. Department officials have routine visits to evaluate basic functionality at schools, etc. etc. etc.
Sounds encouraging indeed! However, the reality is that most of the above activities (and a lot more not mentioned) are merely done to comply with departmental mandates. The irony of all ironies is that the education system has created a passive workforce that is mandated to sit back and implement its authoritarian policies.
What is particularly disturbing, is the manner in which pupils are being promoted. Pupils who have failed outright and have no chance of being successful the following year, are pushed through because of ‘policy’ – they cannot fail more than once in a phase or they are too old to be in a particular grade and should ideally move to the next grade with their ‘own age cohorts’. In other cases, ‘Father Christmas’ visited schools early this year to give ‘mahala’ marks to pupils so that they could pass subjects like maths and English. Pupils must now get 50 percent (10 percent more than last year) in primary schools (with English as the home language) to pass English, even though their mother tongue is not English! Many teachers are perturbed by this situation.
An even more disturbing directive was given to principals at a meeting by an Ugu District Department official recently, who instructed them to write ‘RP’ (Ready to Progress) on the reports of the above-mentioned categories of pupils, even though they failed! Where is the ‘logic’ in this instruction? Clearly if they are not ‘ready’ to progress, they should fail or be considered for condonation (pardon), and parents should be informed accordingly. However, for some unbeknown reason ‘condonation’ is no longer given as an option in promotion schedules.
Where are the voices of the teachers? Have we become stooges of the department, who sit back and passively implement policy without questioning its veracity and validity? What is Sadtu doing about the promotion of mediocrity in our schools? Are standards of education really improving qualitatively?
As far as I am concerned, there are no real standards set by our provincial department as far as pupil promotions, among others, are concerned. The ‘criteria’ for promotion is just a farce, like many other policy implementation practices. It does not authentically measure the academic performance of pupils.
Teachers have to adopt a revolutionary stance in 2014 if Tata Madiba’s vision of a better South Africa for all is to be realised. Teachers, let us collectively stand together and denounce the fraudulent ways in which we are mandated to operate in our schools. We do not want to enable pupils to become high school or university drop-outs. We work hard and expect the same from our pupils and if they do not make the grade, they should fail. In this way, authenticity would prevail and parents will not be duped into believing poor performing learners are ‘ready’ to progress!
DR MALIGA ÇHETTY
Acting Principal, Woodgrange-On-Sea Primary
School
