Sunday 31 July 2011

State of the youth


In the past month I have visited a number of schools as part of my continuing tour. The main aim of this tour is to motivate the matriculants or should I say Grade 12. I did not choose between the so-called multi-racial and township schools, I visited both. A number of realities struck as I went from school to school, township to township, village to village and suburb to suburb, our youth in is a desperate state of destruction, hungry for leadership and guidance. I am meeting thousand of young people whom still have no idea of what they want in life, where they are heading, why are they studying what they do and most have not even applied for financial assistance nor admission to tertiary institutions, this here is the future of our country, our holy grail. 

The kind of leadership that I have observed differed from one school to the other and with it the level of discipline, courage and zest to succeed measured in learners. Some of the principals and teachers I have met from schools perfectly describe the word shame and have not place in a schooling system, individuals that embarrass the profession, this is a mirror reflection of some of the officials at the department of education. If things are to change we need to real have a look at what role are we as individuals playing and our contributions in the building of our youth.