Jansen speaks out on state of education

2011-11-21 11:36

Johannesburg - University of the Free State rector Professor Jonathan Jansen said the government has an uncaring attitude towards its people, Beeld reported on Monday.

"A person just has to walk into a state hospital, a weak school or a department of home affairs to see the government has a fuck you attitude towards the people," he was quoted as saying.

"We must, like the Occupy Wall Street campaign, occupy the offices of the education department in every province," he said.

Speaking at the anniversary of the Federation of Governing Bodies of SA Schools, Jansen said education had enough policies, but lacked workable plans.

Implementation

"The Planning Commission of Minister [in the Presidency Trevor] Manuel looks good, but we need a plan that specifies how policy and proposals will be implemented. How will trade unions be controlled?"

He said President Jacob Zuma would never take the SA Democratic Teachers' Union to task because they belonged to ANC alliance partner the Congress of SA Trade Unions, Beeld reported.

Since 1994, South Africa's schools had become worse, even though they received the most money.

"Nobody has the balls to fire a pathetic principal," Jansen said, adding that mediocrity was a big problem in South Africa.

Three-quarters of South Africa's schools were weak and needed support from the quarter that were doing well, he said.

There were too few male teachers, and teachers at the foundation phase, where mother-tongue instruction was very important, and not enough teachers being trained to replace those dying or retiring.

- SAPA