People all over the world have been in awe of South Africa’s seemingly seamless transition into democracy, the passing of the baton from the previous government to, the then and current ruling party, the ANC and, most of all, they have been impressed with our Constitution, which has been deemed the most liberal in the world. Indeed, it is a thing of beauty, as was its predecessor, the Freedom Charter.
Every person has a right to life, basic amenities, freedom of choice … To education. Sadly, fifteen years into democracy, cracks are starting to show in the stone on which these beautiful sentiments were carved. The deepest crevices I have seen are, tragically, in the realm of education.
Aside from the mind-numbing format and newly-revised ‘more easily understandable’ syllabus and terminology, I am shocked to the core at how the principles echoed in this document have been perverted and twisted in South African schools. We are all aware that the rights of children are guarded closely in all schools (specifically, because of the ways in which children had been abused at the hands of teachers and fellow students in the past); even now, they are regarded as being vulnerable and often fall victim (South Africa is notorious for its shockingly high levels of violent crimes).
Understood.
Having said this, I often wonder if teachers are afforded the same rights spoken of in our Constitution. Teachers have decades of experience (in terms of educating and, indeed, life itself), but they are rendered almost children themselves.
Children must not be shouted at, belittled or hit because it diminishes their self-esteem and stunts their emotional and psychological growth but a 52-year old educator, with 30 years of experience can be completely ignored (or shouted at) by a class of arrogant 17-year olds. Teachers have been threatened, almost pummelled and sworn at, for merely doing their jobs. How is this being true to the Constitution?
Children must not be thrown out of the classroom if they are making noise and disrupting a lesson; instead, they should be allowed to stay and disturb the handful of learners who are paying attention. What of their rights?
What angers me is not just the apathy displayed by students, but the seeming lack of value and respect given to teachers by everyone. According to Hindu scripture, there is a hierarchy with which one approaches the people in one’s life:
Matha (Mother) Pitha (Father) Guru (Teacher) Deva (God)
As can be seen from this structure, one’s teacher is supposed to come before God. This is an indication of the high regard once held for teachers.
As South Africans, where is our spirit of Ubuntu? The principles of ‘I am, therefore you are’ have been forgotten by this generation. Teachers play a role of tremendous significance in shaping the futures of those whose lives they touch. Unfortunately, their students do the same for them …
I think that South Africa got it seriously wrong in terms of it’s educational policies.
Not only is the schooling system itself inadequate to create a generation of well educated individuals, but the issue of discipline has also been handled incorrectly.
Quite frankly I do not buy the argument that a child’s self esteem will be eroded if he/she is shouted at or hit by a teacher. What this seems to suggest is that before the 21st century the world was absolutely overrun by people with little or no self-esteem because they were chided or struck by their parent, guardian or teacher. What rubbish.
One need only look at the how children in the first world behave to realise that being overly protective of children’s “rights” in this particular context is not the way to go.