Zuma: Learn from 'old white schools'
2010-01-07 22:33
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Johannesburg - If township schools want to improve their matric results, they should learn from "old white schools" about discipline.
And instead of driving South African farmers out of the country, agricultural and commercial farmers should be cherished for the good of the country, since this is such an important sector.
According to Free State Premier Ace Magashule, this was president Zuma's message to a delegation of the Free State executive council earlier this week.
Magashule and the Free State MECs met with Zuma on Tuesday in Nkandla (the president's hometown, where he was married the day before), Magashule said on Thursday at a news conference about the Free State's matric results.
Attitude change needed
According to Magashule, Zuma said if South Africa is to be rebuilt, the country should focus most of its resources on education, and not poverty or unemployment. That way, recovery and rebuilding will happen on its own.
Furthermore, a change in attitude is necessary, so that apartheid or subsidies to commercial farmers don't always get the blame.
"When he addressed school principals [at the meeting], he said they can go and learn about discipline from the old white schools where they teach for seven hours a day, while schools in the township teach for three or four hours a day and then expect to do well.
"He emphasised the fact that schools must understand the truly important issues at hand, such as teachers being punctual."
'Black kids can achieve'
According to Magashule, Zuma also said that when commercial farmers' subsidies were cut, they relocated to Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Mozambique where they added value, instead of in South Africa.
After the news conference Magashule told Volksblad that black pupils' achievements in "old white schools", such as Grey College, Eunice and Brebner in Bloemfontein, thanks to the changing demographics of South Africa, show that black children can also achieve excellent academic results with the appropriate discipline and tuition.
"It's not just about resources, but about who the leader is and how you work together."
Learn from "old white schools", says Zuma.
"And don't alienate SA farmers."