What Education Must Do For Our Youth

One of my favorite small talk questions when I meet someone new is to ask them what they do. My follow up question is always what they would like to do. This is always a fantastically interesting question that makes for engaged conversation. People, particularly young people, get really passionate about their aspirations and that passion is excellent for conversation.

What becomes abundantly clear after engaging in many of these conversations is that people, particularly idealistic young people, are more than mere certificate chasers. The human spirit pushes us to equip ourselves with the means and ability to do something meaningful with our lives and help those around us. People aspire to making a contribution and doing something great and achieving excellence in things. I can attest to this because I have asked many people this question.

School has traditionally been seen as the institution that provides young people with the means and ability to go forth into the economy and make something of themselves. A matric certificate is meant to illustrate to potential employers a level of employability, at least for less skilled positions.  This thought has been the driver behind the decision to lower the matric pass requirements with the rationale that a higher ratio of individuals get a matric certificate to increase their employability.

It seems to me that this move is completely wrong-headed. It in any case, as is noted by Jerry Schuitema in this article, fails to solve anything because there arises the natural distinction between a good matric and a bad matric such that the people who pass only on account of the lowered pass requirements are just as disadvantage as they would be if they did not have a matric at all.

Beyond this however there is a more significant variable which is overlooked in the debate about whether lowering the pass requirements is a good thing. Jerry Schuitema in this article hits the nail on the head. What the debate neglects is the willingness to strive for excellence. Certificates, grades, and pass marks speak only in a small degree to having a limited set of means and ability. What is not included in these certificates is willingness. Willingness is the ultimate and essential ingredient of empowerment.

Willingness is crucial for unleashing human potential. Everyone has aspirations, and most of these are noble. Not everyone has the willingness and commitment to pursue those aspirations wholeheartedly. We live in an age in which such commitment and energetic pursuit from as many people as possible is essential.

It should be the job of our education institutions to cultivate this willingness. I think the cultivation of the willingness must involve a number of things. Firstly our educators must cultivate the benevolent intent of our young people. One of the most powerful motivators is a commitment to a cause that is bigger than one’s self interest. If educators cultivate the capacity to easily adopt such causes we will see a greater willingness in our youth to strive through adversity in pursuit of something truly noble.

Another important thing that must be cultivated in our young people is trust. Educators have the obligation to cultivate optimism and trust in our youth. It is important for anyone who is striving to achieve something that they are naive enough to believe that it just might work. A sad fact about a lot of the poor majority in South Africa is that they have no hope that they can make something of themselves. They do not trust that there endeavors will be worth it. I have seen it regularly where youngsters avoid trying because they have a deep conviction that they will fail. We have to convince our youth to trust that there is no such thing as failure, just unforeseen outcomes.