What I would do If I ran SA

[Dave A]

I have a (not so little) list...

My top priority would have the short title of "Quality education for all", and it would be a priority with two parts.

The first part would be primary education. Quite simply we cannot waste another generation on the pitiful excuse for primary education so widely prevalent today. This would not be an apex priority - it would be the apex priority. Nothing will be allowed to undermine, water down, render ineffective or in any way diminish the efficient, effective equipping and deploying of resources to achieve this, right down to truant officers wandering the streets during school hours. Failure is not an option!

I'll get to tertiary education tomorrow.

[Blurock]

I have a (not so little) list...

My top priority would have the short title of "Quality education for all", and it would be a priority with two parts.

I can not agree more. But we should also consider adult education. I cringe every time I see barbaric hordes running amok in our streets. People who think that they can fix everything with violence. People who are intimidated and manipulated like puppets because of their insecurities and superstition which can be blamed on a lack of proper education and upbringing.

Information plays a huge role and allowing people access to news from all over the world keeps them informed. The information bill should never be allowed to be passed.

I also question the accommodation of the tribal system where everything belongs to the king or the chief. People will never become land owners and therefore development is stunted. We live in a republic with democratic rights for every citizen. Not so in the tribal areas. The tribal system belongs to the stone age and should be scrapped.

[tec0]

Education... I had a good long talk with a few educators and apart from being brash and narcissistic they really don’t give a damn about their students. Now there are acceptations but that is not really the problem.

The problem is this; regardless of studying very hard a student can still fail. Not because he/she made lots of mistakes but because of the person marking the paper has no clue what he/she is doing. Or so goes the rumours. Not so you will say clearly if you study hard enough you must pass! The proof is in the high scoring students, students that score 80% and higher and then suddenly fail there end examination spectacularly so.

Rumours include the following: Those who mark there examination papers will discriminate against minorities, do not have the education to figure out if what the student answered is actually correct or not. And may even draw a line trough a question paper if the person’s surname doesn’t look right. (this include both majority and minority)

Now the proof comes in strange form, if the student asks to have her/his question paper remarked they simply deduct two or more marks to shut them up. But when the student pays to see her/his marked question paper it disappears or the student can wait for a reply indefinitely.

So in the end the student will just have to redo her/his subjects and they just keep on making more money!

But again proving anything is impossible.
Thus education is questionable as are there practices behind closed doors.


Please note my Disclaimer

[wynn]

Legally your kid has to go to school!
If you get him/her to write O levels it doesn't matter what the local pass mark/certificate says.

People used to get a 'Rhodes University Diploma' now it is a 'Fort Hare Rhodes Campus Diploma' who anywhere in the world knows what 'Fort Hare' is?

But if you had a Diploma from the 'Greater Birmingham Technical School' it would probably carry more weight.

[tec0]

I can tell you this I am currently doing subjects to secure my second trade. Do you know how carp it feels when you see that you get up to 25% less then what you where suppose to get? Now I am not new to politics and all the BS. But imagine a 17 year old that worked his a$$ off to get a good mark and fail? It is really a horrible experience. But the worst thing is they don't get answers just BS.

But you must hear the excuses that the moms and dads get!!! It is beyond believe...

[Citizen X]

The problem is this; regardless of studying very hard a student can still fail.

Tec0, what you say have great merit! I'm of the opinion that all University exam papers are not designed to test you but rather to trick you! A student may have prepared thoroughly for an examination, studied diligently and studied everything. It's disconcerting to be faced with a paper that is ambiguos and aims to trick you! I firmly belive that if I can explain the subject matter to another person in an easy to understand and practical manner then I've understood the content and should pass! Believe me, there were times when I was expecting distinctions, even bragged about my forthcoming distinctions to many well before the fact of results, only to be overwhelmed by the fact that I just managed to pass!

[Blurock]

Fail is the First Attempt In Learning. It is not a disgrace. There may be circumstances beyond your control, but try again. Never give up!

[wynn]

I'm of the opinion that all University exam papers are not designed to test you but rather to trick you!

I have said that for many years!
I believe all exams should be open book with a shortened completion time, if you know the work you will pass, if like me, you have a s#!t memory, you can check your facts and still pass, if you haven't done the work having an open book is not going to help unless you have a mega speed reading gift.

Like I have said before, when asked a question about a theorem an open book will assist with the exceptions, if you haven't studied the theorem you won't be able to answer the question in the time given.

[cyppok]

I have said that for many years!
I believe all exams should be open book with a shortened completion time, if you know the work you will pass, if like me, you have a s#!t memory, you can check your facts and still pass, if you haven't done the work having an open book is not going to help unless you have a mega speed reading gift.

Like I have said before, when asked a question about a theorem an open book will assist with the exceptions, if you haven't studied the theorem you won't be able to answer the question in the time given.

Whats the point of learning? It used to be that you needed to know things through and through so you could create solutions to known problems from memory and adapt what you learned. Then we got expansion in politically correct history and morality/ethics of society and how it applies to various aspects that skewed real solutions into unreal, unusable, and to some degree worthless knowledge.

Sadly this is still propogating further. To some degree since everything is online you could say simply searching for an answer is possible. The problem is understanding and practical application is non-existent in schools it is not thought at all. Those chemistry and physics labs were about that pure and simple understanding of forces around you and how to manipulate them at least in basic aspects. Sadly it is all getting dumbified and zombified through e-learning and other aspects that really leave people breeze through without any understanding at all.

[Phil Cooper]

1. Ban minimum wages - let people offer what they want, the worker can accept or reject. Better to be earning R2,000 a month than starving with nothing.

2. Allow hiring and firing without all this CCMA cr#p! If you look at the fastest growing economies they have the easiest hire and fire legislation.

3. Boost taxes to schooling, hospitals and law enforcement. Put qualified financial people (CAs etc) in charge of the funds.

4. Tenders will be opened transparently, in public, and the cheapest tender which complies with ALL requirements is awarded it - open to challenge from cheaper tenderers.

5. Ban unions.