If there is anything that the iconic Mandela bequeathed the nation, it was the sense of hope and belief that we can reach the promised land on our own.
Hence, one of his calls was for the youth to go back to school.
His call was heeded by millions, thereby changing our mindset from ‘liberation first, education later’ to a strong belief that in fact education liberates.
It is in that context that we should celebrate the 401 435 matric class of 2017 who made us proud, while we spare a thought and offer hope to the 314 943 who stumbled on the way by dropping out or failing in the exams.
It is heartening to note that even those who attend no-fee schools have demonstrated the innate capability in all of us.
But we should not be blind to the fact that we still have a long way to traverse.
While the announcement by the president of free tertiary education has become a hot potato, it couldn’t have come at a more opportune moment when we all agree that education would be the panacea to our socio-economic ills.
The contradictory and wishy-washy responses from those entrusted with guiding the evolution of our education is unfortunate, especially because they too know that the #feesmustfall movement cannot be delayed any longer.
Stalling the inevitable
It is time we removed inept individuals whose actions only result in stalling the inevitable.
While we understand that education is at the centre of politics which is a contested terrain, a level of maturity at political level would go a long way in addressing the fees debacle.
Political point-scoring is the name of the game, but understanding the sensitivities around education should counter-balance that.
It is for this reason then that a convergence of ideas be sought for us to bequeath the next generation with what we were denied.
If we seriously want to deal with the schisms of the past, we need to acknowledge the inequalities in our schooling system with a view to finding solutions.
Let’s agree that free education is a national debate and should therefore be treated as a top priority.
If our country is to regain its respect and status as a leader on the continent, everyone should put shoulders to the wheel. Instead of engaging in a tug of war as to where the money will come from, we should be deliberating about the quality of the education.
Hence the corporate world should come on board.
After all, what we produce will benefit business while injecting the much needed life into our fiscus at the same time.
