Posts by AnnekeScheepers:
Thinking Today – the impact of tech savvy on the ability to think
March 20th, 2013
By Anneke Scheepers.
We live in a world where there is no shortage of information and the flow of this information seems endless. There is a bombardment of high paced information flow that we devour on our smartphones during tea time and South Africa is no different. I speak for myself however when I say that there is difficulty in keeping the pace in that thorough understanding of this information is in fact undermined by the intensity thereof; that one is exposed to daily. By this I mean that there is no real room for thinking as we are spoon fed neatly pre-packaged thoughts and ideas. The headlines and blurbs about issues that deserve greater attention in discourse do not do it justice and there is no time, nor structure for the receiver to really think it through before clicking ‘like ‘and ‘share.’
I say this because in my understanding of the process of gaining understanding, there needs to be engagement with text that is being understood; by text I mean any phenomenon that reflects meaning. So if there is meaning but no time to explore it ourselves, how can we really have an understanding of that meaning that goes beyond what the author wants the reader to understand or know? We cannot. Reflection is arguably the most critical aspect of understanding because that is when one holds the text and its potential meaning / interpretation, up against context. Let me here say that it is my belief that there is no knowledge alien from context and in saying this I will admit that I am not personally for the notion of universalism however, in this case I recognise that such a statement may tend towards it (universalism) but not without virtue.
So if we can understand that there is no knowledge without context and that real consideration in which one has time enough to consider context (in thought / reflection about text), then we can see that is and undermining of the thought process. I am not saying that it illegitimates knowledge or that based hereupon, we can decide that what we are getting is not knowledge; I am rather pointing out that the quality of knowledge we possess is comparatively low. Take for example when one reads a book as part of a course; perhaps one reads twenty pages per day and the next day attends an hour long lecture in which that which was read is discussed and reflected upon. This happens each day for five days of the week. Compare this to reading a book with no time to reflect upon it and cramming before writing an exam… which of these instances is more likely to result in the higher quality of understanding? It is quite clear that the former would be it and that only for the fact that it encompasses time enough to reflect and consider.
There are those of us who are more equipped to grasp concepts and instantaneously understand these concepts in light of a framework of knowledge that we build over time and the context in which understanding occurs. In the same token there are those of us, like myself, who need a moment to stare at the window and think about the text that was just encountered and what it could mean. In this zeitgeist of quantity over quality – I find there is difficulty in attaining a firm grip on a topic, for as quickly as it flows onto my smartphone, it flows off.
Kgalema Motlanthe’s Madiba Magic
March 6th, 2013
By Anneke Scheepers.
Towards the end of 2012, we saw a boiling over of the pot that is the South African political arena. We need little reminder of the lives lost due to strike action, and the spread of these strikes throughout South Africa. We saw and heard rumours of increasing unrest due to the ever lagging and poorly addressed issue of Land Reform, another topic entirely.
However the instance of where the soup hit the stove that we will be looking at here pertains to the ANCs Leadership Elections which were held at Mangaung. Despite there being many talking points supplied by this events that could have us criticising to the point of near exhaustion; there was a brief ray of light amidst the tumult.
Before we get into why Kgalema Motlanthe’s actions can be said to be reminiscent of the beloved Madiba Magic, let’s take a look at the milieu in which it occurred. In the build-up to the ANCs leadership election, Jacob Zuma abruptly dropped charges that he had made against the political cartoonist for his depiction of Jacob Zuma about rape lady justice. It was said that the President realised that these charges were impeding on freedom of speech. On the ground however, the story was quite different, it was rumoured that President Zuma was worried at the fact that Motlanthe could pose a threat to his being re-elected as the President of the ANC, thus also threatening his Presidency over South Africa.
In addition we also the Free State delegation of ANC in Mangaung were not there legitimately but they were still allowed to vote because if they had not been deemed eligible, threat to Zuma’s campaign would have increased. These two events indicate that there was some worry in Zuma’s camp. In the end Jacob Zuma won the Leadership Election and for that we congratulate him, as he received two thirds of the vote. However, the true praise ought to go to Kgalema Motlanthe.
Although he did not win, Motlanthe showed a true spirit of democracy, in that when he was given an opportunity to address the attendees, which usually doesn’t happen, his words were that of congratulation to Jacob Zuma and homage to the ANC and its democratic mandate.
The two shook hands and it was clear that there was no animosity, which was a breath of fresh air. Lately in South African politics we have seen all the more that opposition is misconstrued to mean enemy and that when there is opposition it is not seen as it ought to be seen, as consolidating democracy.
Kgalema Motlanthe was also offered a spot on the National Executive Committee, which he refused. The fact that he did this shows that he had cause to oppose Jacob Zuma and that he has a commitment to this cause that was not to be undermined by a high ranking position. Motlanthe also remains a member of the ANC, supporting its mandate and elected leader, Jacob Zuma. We have seen that disagreement in the ranks can lead to factions or breakaways and while these do occur for legitimate reasons, Kgalema Motlanthe did not follow this trend.
While we can agree that Nelson Mandela and his legacy is in a league of its own and ultimately represents our spirit of democracy in South Africa but it has been a long time in South African politics, since we have seen someone exhibit the some of the traits of Madiba, touching on the Madiba Magic and the actions taken by Kgalema Motlanthe in light of the ANC Leadership Election of 2012, can be remembered as such.
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The Wealthfare State: Government Spending Undermining Social Stability
February 17th, 2013By Anneke Scheepers.
It is not that there is no wealth in South Africa – in that the growth of the South African Economy if a good deal better than that of its neighbouring states, we still see a severe lack in the distribution of that wealth.
In South Africa we are not unfamiliar with political show that is perpetuated in South Africa as well as Africa at large. The elaborate escorts, multi-million rand homes and the like. Newspaper headlines consistently call attention to reports of the elaborate expenses that government officials end up being to tax payers. The South African President costs tax payers R103m per year – R200,00 per minute (Sowetan, August 21 2012). This is worrisome on two scores, firstly there are long lists of social issues that need financial assistance; secondly the percentage of tax payers in South Africa is so minimal that funds attained from tax payers ought to managed correctly.
The trouble is that it is not only the president who has the country’s coffers largely at his disposal. The mind-set has trickled down into various other levels of government. There are rumours of state budgets covering weigh-less classes for individuals. Rumours are not to be mistaken for proven fact but where there is smoke there is fire. In addition it is common knowledge that there is a huge lack in productivity when it comes to civil servants and that results take time to be met if at all.
While it is not that the South African government is all that bad but nor are we all that good. It is not the purpose of any government that acts in accordance with the interest of its people and that practices good governance, to extract capital from largely impoverished population and those who are in a better economic position are taxed highly. A ‘Robin Hood State’ does not work in essence, what then of such a state that does not give to the poor. A state which taxes its work force and then keeps the wealth within its ranks only illegitimizes and discredits itself.
It is not that there is no wealth to distribute among struggling South Africans, the problem is that the wealth does not reach its end. An example of this is further that when fuel prices rise and the cost of living increases and people are less and less able to sustain themselves, it is guaranteed that those people will become angry. With this comes strike action and protest – which when left unattended results in the sweeping wildcat strikes that South Africa has seen in the last year alone. We cannot keep treating the symptoms without drilling to the root of the issue and that is that people are not receiving what they were promised while the are expected to give more (in the shape of tax especially). Consequently – South Africans are bracing themselves for a devaluation in the value of the Rand.
Those who are meant to ensure that the above does not happen are in actual fact championing the cause in the complete opposite direction.
Malawian President, Joyce Banda, is in the favour of Brittain as well as the World Bank – for two reasons. In terms of the latter, Joyce Banda has taken the World Bank’s advice and devalued her currency, which has encouraged investment. She has also received a 220m Pound Sterling injection of funds into her country’s economy which was due to her cutting back. Her presidential jet has been sold, the fleet of Mercedes Limousines were sold off as well as President Banda giving herself a 30% pay cut which results in her earning similarly to mid-level South African government official…
So while schools have no books, the grand convoys continue. It doesn’t follow that a country ranked #90 in the world in terms of its economic growth would have a president whose income is ranked the 11th best in the world. We cannot expect a law abiding citizenry if those who are meant to set the example are failing in their task. This leaves a lot to be desire in terms of how the South African government and more specifically, the presidency, is to be understood. As afore mentioned; it is not that there is not wealth. There is just no wealth to share.
The key challenges currently facing Higher Education in South Africa
February 7th, 2013
By Anneke Scheepers.
When considering tertiary education, it important to take into account that there need be a holistic approach rather than looking at tertiary education in isolation, since there is an array of contributing factors: on that score, there also an array of challenges which impact tertiary education in the South African context. As part of a holistic approach to unpacking where the greatest challenges lie in this regard, one must firstly look at the starting point. This can be done in great detail; however for the purpose of this discussion, a high level approach is sufficient.
Tertiary education begins where secondary education ends and so one of the most important factors impacting tertiary education is the extent to which secondary education institutions are equipping scholars in preparation for tertiary studies. In the South African context, this is a controversial issue in that the standards of secondary education do not gel with or reflect the requirements of tertiary institution which leaves a fissure which in most cases cannot be bridged for various reasons ranging from cost to eligibility.
Another variable, relevant to the discrepancy between the standards of secondary and tertiary institutions is the fact that there is not enough economic support in this sense, which further aggravates the problem is that there is insufficient support from the state. Education is the most important investment that a state or government can make, this can be seen in the economic growth which took place in Asia over recent decades.
Aside from a strong work ethic these states realised the importance of having a capable work force and invested in education. In South African case is quite the opposite in that the state does not invest public money for the purpose of cultivating a well-educated youth. This results in the poor administration of the education system which in turn leads to a sub-par turnout of scholars.
Where this becomes controversial is with regard to the discourse pertaining to whether or not institutions of Higher Education ought to adjust their admission requirements to adapt to the status qou. In other words, whether the bar needs to be lowered to accommodate those who would not other gain entry due to their secondary education not bringing them up to the required standards is a hot topic since something needs to be done. Initially one may be inclined to dismiss such a notion in that it undermines the mission of tertiary education; which is to strive for excellence so as to produce well-adjusted graduates who are capable of attaining success in the respective fields and as a part of the South African work force.
However, something still needs to be done about the gap between secondary output and the requirements of tertiary institutions but it is the position of this paper that lowering the entry or admission requirements should be ruled out as a solution as it would only lead to a host of further challenges such as failure, higher drop-out rate and further disillusionment among scholars. A prospective solution should rather focus on the root of the matter; which is that schools are not producing the quality in learners which would make them eligible for tertiary studies. Arguable the best way in which to address this challenge is to bring up to par those who want to pursue tertiary studies, however the generic or classic bridging courses would most likely not yield the desired results.
Thus: firstly there ought to be research done in light of how best to improve the level of aptitude among prospective tertiary students; secondly this research need be relevant to various variables and contexts as opposed to a ‘universal’ approach in that each region may have different needs, although it may be tricky, it is also quite important to understand the ‘why’s’ and the ‘how’s’ and where they are applicable; thirdly the findings ought to be taken into account so as to allow for the best possible level of understanding of what went wrong and where prior to deciding on how to organise and tailor programs which would begin to resolve the issue; lastly, this should be done cohesively by all relevant role players such as the state, mainly the Department of Education, secondary education institutions as well as tertiary institutions.
Institutions of higher learning can contribute to the addressing of this challenge by opening its channels to come up with a practical approach to educate these learners. This can be done by affiliating with secondary schools which offer subjects that are relevant the tertiary courses offered by Institutions of higher learning, since there needs to be validation for investment by the Institutions of higher learning into such programs. Upon linking up with schools, these institutions can work parallel with the schools as well as the Department of Education to determine where the areas of development and to improve upon them.
In order for such a program to work, it will take more than the efforts of one or other institution. It is therefore pivotal that the state needs to come to the aid of this issue and avail funding to this end so that there may be a cohesive approach, focused on attaining results needed. The challenge of secondary standards not matching up with that of tertiary institutions is also very closely correlated to monetary issues.
Please feel free to contact me via Twitter to discuss this post!
@AnnekeScheepers