February 12 2004
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February 12 2004 |
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Some "feel good" stories this week. 14 April is election day and was proclaimed a public holiday. As if we don't have enough of those already in April. Eventually managed to sort out the London host - all is working well after Bill from the States checked it out for me. Thanks again Bill. The Cape Town gallery is up with more photos following soon.
The Krugersdorp News reported a heartbreaking as well as a "feel good" story this week. Two boys aged 11 and 15 were found on a small-holding after their father passed away in December last year of a heart attack. These kids have never been to school. They don't know their mother (who reportedly lives in Springs) and have been "surviving" by themselves since their father's death. The two white boys were taken care of by their gardener. Once the gardener (Petrus) realised that he could not take care of the boys anymore, he approached a neighbour who contacted the relevant authorities. Now that's what the new South Africa is supposed to be all about! Why did the guys who took care of the dead father not do something at the time? No-one knows, but shame on them!
Then a story of a brilliant 14 year old who enrolled at Unisa. Sanesiliswe finished school three years before anyone else. She's studying BCom and is the youngest student ever at Unisa.
Then there's the funny story about our beloved Tshabalala-Msimang. She of anti-smoking fame dined at her regular restaurant in Cape Town when she complained about "smelling" smoke - that is cigarette smoke. The owner offered her meal on the house with which she was satisfied. The best part is that she did not report the establishment (as is every non-smoking citizens' right). Now was the minister a bit short of cash, over budget or just trying to teach Hatfields Restaurant a lesson? Suppose we'll never know. What we do know is that she's a regular there.
Now on to the nasties for this week (can't go without those now, can we?). I love the Sunday Times. I wouldn't be a subscriber if I didn't. Last week they reported on education (once again). This time on the lack of qualifications of teachers. It was not that long ago when the ANC government got rid of a whole bunch of teachers. This obviously (in hind site) was a plot to get rid of the old guard in order to replace them with the more "liberated" and "enlightened", pro ANC people. Quick stats as published by the Sunday Times revealed the following:
Limpopo - 64 289 teachers of which 10 000 are not qualified. Free State has 23 055 teachers of which 3 114 are under qualified and 615 have no qualifications at all to teach. The Western Cape comes in at 27 523 teachers with 1 696 under qualified. The Northern Cape has 77 under qualified out of a total of 763 teachers. Out of Mpumalanga's 25 838 teachers, 2 926 are under qualified and KwaZulu Natal had 12 145 under qualified teachers in 2001. Figures for this year are not available.
R95 million is being spent to upgrade these teachers. Senior teachers will earn up to R134 thousand per annum this year. With a pass rate of 73.3% of matriculants last year there are serious questions about our education levels, especially with a pass mark of only 35% required.
Now isn't it great that newspapers can report on these issues without being banned like the only independent paper in Zimbabwe?
Then there is the report that Nokia, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Embassy of Finland in SA are to invest around $1.9 million in SA to extend the Make a Connection education program until 2006. “Statistics show that 42% of young adults in the market are unemployed and university graduates are failing to secure jobs. Without the prospect of employment, the youth are becoming disillusioned. "Make a Connection therefore has the potential to make a difference, equipping them with life skills and helping to place them in jobs or learnerships,” remarked Kirsti Lintonen, Finland's ambassador to SA. Read the full story here.
The DP came out with their plan for the future, which sounds very good. We will have to wait and see now, won't we?
