"Black students still suppressed - Vavi"

[zulgin]

"Black students still suppressed" - Vavi

Black students still suppressed - Vavi
2011-01-21 22:12

Johannesburg - Black students are still suppressed, Congress of SA Trade Unions general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said on Friday.

"They give you D's so that you do not proceed further with your studies and others unjustifiably collect A's, but always know what this is meant to do... destroy your confidence in your own intellect," he said.

"But what you must never allow, comrades, as you fight against these practices, is to let them instil in you a sense of self-doubt, a lack of confidence in your intellect."

Vavi was speaking at the launch of the the SA Students' Congress (Sasco) "Right To Learn Campaign" in Stellenbosch.

"...I think you should not let up on the continued suppression of black students in general and African students in particular.

"This Right to Learn Campaign must escalate the issue of preferential treatment and discrimination ... so that those discriminated against are blocked from proceeding further with their studies," Vavi said, adding that the biggest threat of all was the remnants of neo-liberal macroeconomic policies.

He told those in attendance that they shoulnt be surprised to hear that all promises made to the tertiary education sector have been rolled over to the next administration.

"Therefore you should use this Right to Learn Campaign as a platform to launch your own engagement process with the government’s new growth path."

Vavi said administrative injustices were still rampant in many institutions.

"The role of the revolutionary student movement in this conjuncture must be to serve as an 'ear on the ground' for the ANC-led government."

There was also a need to expand the entire tertiay education system, he said.

- SAPA

apart from the obvious spelling error in this article, (wake up news24)...

I would be one of the first to agree that black students in township areas, no wait that poor students from poor backgrounds where the majority happens to be black are worse off than the suburb kids. However there are different ways to go about it, bridge courses for example can help these kids, citas, Unisa has a matric program, you can even go back to school for another year, the reality is that there is a way out.

Now SASCO is suggesting that it is immoral to give them D's......and not let them go to varsity, HOWEVER we all know what the principle of lowering standards can do to a nation. Seriously these people should wake the hell up...How is it unjustifiable to obtain an A if you answered 80% of a paper correctly...

I'm going to market a T-shirt: "WAKE THE F*** UP THE STRUGGLE IS OVER"

 

[Wimhotep]

Well we've had 16 years of ANC rule , thats more than a generation of school leavers , grade 1-12 , that have not been under the "apartheid" regime. So who they going to blame now for failing their own people , for lack of delivery , for lack of education , for the poverty. Its time the ANC start taking the blame and responsibility for their IN-ACTIONS. Their lack of delivery since 1994 is a worse treatment of the poor than apartheid ever was. IMO

 

[Nothxkbi]

Black students still suppressed - Vavi
2011-01-21 22:12

Johannesburg - Black students are still suppressed, Congress of SA Trade Unions general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said on Friday.

"They give you D's so that you do not proceed further with your studies and others unjustifiably collect A's, but always know what this is meant to do... destroy your confidence in your own intellect," he said.

"But what you must never allow, comrades, as you fight against these practices, is to let them instil in you a sense of self-doubt, a lack of confidence in your intellect."

Vavi was speaking at the launch of the the SA Students' Congress (Sasco) "Right To Learn Campaign" in Stellenbosch.

"...I think you should not let up on the continued suppression of black students in general and African students in particular.

"This Right to Learn Campaign must escalate the issue of preferential treatment and discrimination ... so that those discriminated against are blocked from proceeding further with their studies," Vavi said, adding that the biggest threat of all was the remnants of neo-liberal macroeconomic policies.

He told those in attendance that they shoulnt be surprised to hear that all promises made to the tertiary education sector have been rolled over to the next administration.

"Therefore you should use this Right to Learn Campaign as a platform to launch your own engagement process with the government’s new growth path."

Vavi said administrative injustices were still rampant in many institutions.

"The role of the revolutionary student movement in this conjuncture must be to serve as an 'ear on the ground' for the ANC-led government."

There was also a need to expand the entire tertiay education system, he said.

- SAPA

 

[adrianx]

Ya right! "[C]onfidence in your intellect" will make you rokket sighentist. Confusions say.

 

[KillerX]

IMG

Lol @ that.

Obviously getting D's has nothing to do with students being either dumb or lazy. They all deserve a's! DISCRIMMMMINATTTTION!!!

 

[Milano]

Ironically this only illustrates the dangers of empowering those with the intellectual capacity of a 'D' student.

 

[Necuno]

"I will have my gravy via your fees..." - Vavi

fixed.

 

[Lightscribe]

Ironically this only illustrates the dangers of empowering those with the intellectual capacity of a 'D' student.

That's why the dumbest, were at the lowest level.

 

[wrathex]

You can't 'just' bridge the gap, between cultural groups with centuries of the written language and mathematics and one that has it for a few decades.

My parents, grandparents, great grandparents and theirs and theirs .., could read and write, it is a historical part of my culture, whereas here in Southern Africa it was not a historical part of indigenous culture.

I think everyone is too eager to see results now, but I think we need another generation or two.

It's going to be uphill all the way, for sure, because the world has changed in the meantime, the written word is no longer top of the pops, it's the visual media now and those who never had a reading culture, never will. (and sadly there are many skills that were imparted during the 'written word' era, to name but two: the development of a rich imagination; development of memory retention.

I don't judge the poor educational results, because I understand the negative impact the inability to read and write has. I understand that children with parents or grandparents who can't read, have a hellave disadvantage.

One or two more generations and the picture will be much more positive. Be patient, be understanding.

I only wish these facts would be better understood by everyone, so that the right action could be taken, instead of retarded political posturing and hijacking.

 

[MickeyD]

"They give you D's so that you do not proceed further with your studies and others unjustifiably collect A's, but always know what this is meant to do... destroy your confidence in your own intellect," he said.

This is what I have an issue with in this statement. "They" don't give you D's. You earned a D due to the effort you expended on your studies; just like the top students earned the A's on their report cards.

Granted, different students face very different challenges but this cannot be corrected by manipulating the results to achieve political brownie points.

The Basic Education system is a bloated bureaucratic mess and the sooner there is a massive overhaul, the better. However it won't happen this year due to the elections...

 

[wrathex]

I agree with you, and that's just the thing, instead of putting the focus on increasing skills or edu programs, the focus is on political maneuvering, the first step to helping yourself is to acknowledge that you have a problem - instead it is all about blame and denial.

 

[Saidar]

All trade unions please die.

Thank you

 

[klasvaakie]

I agree, they are suppressed. Blame your government...the last thing they want is for the people who vote for them to become educated.

 

[Kornhub]

LOL what? My black mates actually study their asses off.

 

[warchylde]

LOL what? My black mates actually study their asses off.

and I am sure those that do earned the marks to go with the hard work.

@Wrathex "I understand that children with parents or grandparents who can't read, have a hellave disadvantage." how did you come to this conclusion?

 

[smokey]

and I am sure those that do earned the marks to go with the hard work.

@Wrathex "I understand that children with parents or grandparents who can't read, have a hellave disadvantage." how did you come to this conclusion?

Yoda say - wonderful thing, common sense is.

All other things being equal, the child of a doctor will be a better doctor than the child of a street sweeper.

 

[murraybiscuit]

/snip

so how do you explain the success of black children at places like the opera winfrey academy (jokes aside), or children with bursaries etc.
the fact is that if kids go to a private school, they will come out at the level of their peers. if they go to a township school, they will come out at the level of their peers.
i was at a private school with black children who had parents busting their gut to give their kids what they had never had. they worked hard and did ok.

it's not so much about the kids than its the failure of government to effectively channel & administer funds, retain teaching talent and set the example of hard work paying off.
when the leaders are getting jobs because of their contacts instead of their capability, what incentive is there for the kids to work hard?

i'd hazard to say that zimbabwe and kenya, despite a lower gdp than south africa, have traditionally had better grades because they have esteemed education.
if you cheapen the value of the grade, you make education something which is easy and kids don't have to aspire to.
it's time for people to take pride in education again. we're not competing against ourselves, it's a global market and skills that aren't globally competitive aren't going to cut it.

sorry. i'm not normally this negative. but the way leaders play with education in this country really doesn't sit right with me.

 

[grok]

Vavi said administrative injustices were still rampant in many institutions.

Yeah, like in the education dept where hard-working students are penalized by mark-fiddling. Idiot.

 

[warchylde]

Yoda say - wonderful thing, common sense is.

what a crock - it's all excuses - I come form a poor background where my parents worked 16 to 18 hour days and never spent any time with me to assist with anything educational. I turned out quite ok even if I say so myself. If you are given the right tools to achieve something and you don't use it you are a failure (I know that some of the schools have a lack of text books and classrooms and even teachers but that is the whole point of the discussion no?)

This is survival of the fittest in human terms. It's fine and well for all the bleeding hearts to be high on hippy juice but at some point people have to take charge of their own lives and stop making excuses for their own laziness and incompetence.

 

[Flanders]

I'm going to market a T-shirt: "WAKE THE F*** UP THE STRUGGLE IS OVER"

Let me know when your first batch comes out. I'll buy 'em all.