The ANC government is failing South Africa’s youth with regard to education and is thus holding them hostage.
More than half of the country’s citizens under the age of 24 is unemployed. The majority of grade four learners are illiterate. An international report published in 2016 on literacy levels among young people, ranked South Africa last among 50 countries – and many of these countries are much poorer than South Africa.
Only 29% of students who started their tertiary studies in 2011, completed their degrees. The rest of them failed to do so, mainly due to academic reasons. South Africa’s basic education system is letting the youth down.
As long as basic education, and in particular early childhood development, remains inadequate and as long as mother-tongue education is not a priority, free tertiary education will not solve the problem.
South Africa must learn from the mistakes of the past, but must also direct its focus to the present and look to the future. The past is blamed for everything and the future is given no thought. The youth are not free.
The government is holding them hostage by keeping them illiterate and by blaming all the problems on past injustices for the ANC’s own short-term political gain.
This is achieved through mismanagement, skewed political priorities and a weak political will. The youth, black and white, have a contribution to make. The government, however, is creating racial polarisation through race-based legislation and thus the youth’s potential to make South Africa a better place is not utilised.
The government keeps talking about promoting the youth, but even in Parliament younger Members are discriminated against. The time for change is here.
Contact numbers: 082 674 6670 / 065 801 7216
;
