There is no doubt that many cynics believe South African education is a lost cause. I too have serious reservations. Notwithstanding, it is only when schools become safe havens that real learning will take place.

It is so distressing to see parents who are meant to be role models for their children looting and destroying schools. A dysfunctional community means a dysfunctional school. It is imperative, therefore, to first deal with the crime and the myriad issues that are implicitly embedded within the community. Only by understanding all the nuances can one envisage a contextual representation of all the problems within a community.

Crime

Crime is without doubt the most iniquitous barrier to a free and fair education in South Africa. It is sinister by nature, and is usually driven by greed or poverty. The latter implies desperation and can be remediated, provided there is a caring government in place.

However, the first source of crime rooted in greed is the worst form of crime because as crime escalates, criminals become guided by a lack of morality and ethical principles. This usually results in an erosion of values and a lack of care. It’s a ferocious cycle that’s hard to break.

When human beings stop caring for one another, trust becomes redundant and values are negated. The dominant acts of crime and their causes include thousands of reports of corruption and mismanagement in government, significant unemployment, violent crime, insufficient infrastructure, and poor government service delivery to impoverished communities. These factors have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Responsibility and accountability

It is impossible for any form of learning to take place in communities that are infested with crime. Instead of tackling the school system, it is essential to repair the communities first. After all, schools can no longer be expected to compensate for all the wrongs of society.

It is time to place things in the right order – for the adults to lead and children to follow. Only when adults are responsible and accountable and can clearly demonstrate that they can be role models should they be involved in any form of reformation.

Communities therefore urgently require leaders who are not afraid to take on this initiative of building communities rather than destroying them.

Strong leadership – with no nepotism

What is required is the right person in the right position. The damage incurred by placing the wrong person in the wrong position is reprehensible. Sooner or later this action will boomerang. A leader must be able to make decisions and resolve issues based on values.

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Greed, no doubt, has brought with it extreme poverty, the two being inextricably linked. A few more Robin Hoods and a sympathetic sheriff would go a long way to improving the situation.

Values are core to meaningful change

Communities should be involved in finding authentic leaders who care about people and want to facilitate change. They need to build values and principles into the foundations of their communities so that they have a common goal. There must be a focus on schools and education within the community if South Africa is going to be credible to the rest of the world.

Developing a community

It will take a lot of work to build a strong community that can clearly see the power of education and its constructive influence. There is no arguing that quality teachers are professionals who can bring about productive change within a community, provided there is no interference in the form of crime or any other misdemeanour.

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That being said, teachers must be well educated themselves so that they are capable of meeting the high expectations. Above all, they must be held accountable for their actions, and well remunerated – to the same level as other professions.

Regrettably, this is not the situation now, since many teachers have limited training, coupled with inadequate knowledge of subject matter or didactics.  

Teacher education

Teaching is a difficult, multifaceted profession that requires specific skills and a very high degree of professionalism. This cannot be underestimated if teachers are going to be role models and imbue pupils with values – examples must be set, not only by teachers but the community at large.

Teacher training colleges and universities need to upgrade the teaching profession. There needs to be better education for potential teachers and a more selective entry policy, otherwise teachers will be set up for failure.

Redress – equity, equality for all schools

Teachers must be capable of educating children in both urban and rural schools. To this end, it is absolutely crucial that the overall standard of education is lifted so everyone benefits in the same way.

In summary

Although almost 30 years have been wasted in education, there is still a glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel. But before schools can operate effectively and efficiently it will be necessary to develop communities that are supportive of education.  

Sustained energy focused in the right areas in communities, including but not limited to violence and criminality, lack of leadership, poor values and inadequate teaching, will be necessary. The apparent lack of care within society must be negated. DM