Value Lost

Something in the last while made me reread two of my archived posts. Hurts my fkcing head really. I think I am going to attend one of those karmic resolve-past-lives over-priced drug-you-up-and-let-the-trip-run-wild group-sex-with-the-guru-after-lunch courses.

My trend is just ridiculous by now. I can’t even get past Step One anymore.

And people wonder why I prefer to get focused and angered on the “Bigger Picture”. Things do make more sense to me there. The anger and reasonability is more clear cut. Government Screw Ups just seem simpler. HA!

Apparently in Japan, teachers are some of the highest paid professionals. I have yet to find anything on the validating internet declaring it so though. But the point is – teachers in other parts of the world are paid nicely, fairly, a living wage. Because those states realise the value and influence of those people. And good wages attract good people. (Except maybe in the world of Investment Banking, but I think that is getting back to my personal issues).

Back over here our government has lightbulb moments of utopian townships, and declares certain schools to be “No Fee” schools. No worries about not paying, dear parents and learners! We know you barely can, even though some of you would half kill yourselves to get your kid an education.

But then, the government forgets to give the schools the replacement cash. Sorry teachers, no salaries for awhile. Sorry kids, no textbooks. Sorry school board, no money to run your institution. Or our dear DoE drastically under budgets how much is needed to keep the school functioning. Schools are nearly running on empty. And I think the journo was as scared as the reader to ask, and what happens when empty hits?

This is our country’s education!! ANYONE knows the value of a basic education. Hell, it is even a human right (Article 26). Or constitutionally:

According to the Bill of Rights contained in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act 108 of 1996), everyone has the right to a basic education, including adult basic education and further education, which the State, through reasonable measures, must progressively make available and accessible.

How do we expect to develop our nation, to get people employed, to close the wealth disparity, to have any international credibility when we cannot even give significant importance to teaching kids how to read, write and do maths?

Pre-Planning. Research. Question and Answer moments. Interviews. Budgeting. Costing. Always works for me. I have heard it is kinda recommended when creating programmes and projects.

When I read the M&G article, I had to wonder how much of this went into the No-Fee Schools idea.

And all that the talking and venting about this did was raise more rumours about our government’s lack of value of education.

Apparently the department wants all their schools to be equal. So even if the parents have the money to give to the school (read: ex-Model C schools), money they are willing to invest for the hire of more teachers or for improved teachers’ wages, they cannot. They’re not allowed to.

It is 40 children to a teacher. And a certain amount of teachers ratio’d against the number of children in each school. No more!

The department is quite adamant that you WILL NOT invest in your children’s education. Not if they are going to government schools at least. And so…. the people with any semblance of cash move on out.

At some schools the fees were higher, but these extra funds were used to sponsor children who could not afford any education. You paid more, but you also knew that some kid born into bugger all opportunity would receive an education. Now, if the rich guys move out of government schools, so goes the richer guys’ cash, so can less children be sponsored.

All in the name of equality.

We will all be equal in our ignorance.

Gawd, actually, how attractive that does seem to me. Ignorance.