Articles

October 4

'Culture of learning was destroyed in South Africa'

His lectures to parents and teachers are so popular you have to book months in advance.
Dereck Jackson, educator and counsellor, believes that giving practical advice to parents and teachers on how to handle the ongoing school challenges is one way to equip them with skills to cope with the government's blundering policies on education.
He says: "In most schools you will find a growing drugs problem, in many a gang problem, in some a problem with violence, in others a problem with the selling of exam papers. Overall the problem is one and the same - discipline."
Jackson believes that the problem is the lack of consistency from the Department of Education. He believes that they completely undermine the teachers' and parent bodies' authority when the schools want to take disciplinary action against the culprits.
According to Jackson, the Department of Education is too soft when dealing with troublemakers. "Disciplining troublemakers is a paper-chase that allows them to intimidate teachers and disrupt classes, giving the public the message that anarchists are in control."
Jackson says: "The ANC used students to fight against apartheid politics, in doing this they destroyed the culture of learning in this country, especially in the townships. Now they protect troublemakers in schools with the constitution.
"Troublemakers have more rights than the decent kids who come to school to learn. It's all wrong!"
But Jackson believes that South Africa is not the only government to make the mistake of "over-liberalising" the education system.
He says: "In Britain it's the same. Some of those schools are chaotic; to be a teacher in an inner city school in London is like taking your life in your hands. They cannot get their own teachers to do the job so they poach ours.
"Recently I did a stint of relief teaching there and it's like a war zone, teachers are demotivated and they may as well be talking to a brick wall for the notice they get. In Britain if a teacher excludes a disruptive child from the class, the child then claims they have been sexually harassed - it's a minefield of manipulation.
"The Problem is simple, - a lack of basic authority. Someone has to draw the line and then when the line is crossed the consequences must be consistent.
"It's the same with warning letters, the child is not scared when nothing happens. Eventually when the principal and the parent body has had enough they should have the right to exclude the child, but now that is not allowed.
"When the principal has enough and sends the kid off the

school premises, the kid runs off to his parent who goes to the Department of Education, who have ignored the school's repeated requests for assistance, and they insist that the child is reinstated. The whole process is a farce. It undermines authority and discipline.
"Jackson believes too many modern parents are uncomfortable with authority and instead try to be their children's "buddies". He says this is a tragic mistake because children need authority figures to set boundaries so they can feel safe.
He speaks frequently at the Funda Centre in Soweto, which is always packed with parents wanting answers on how to tackle education issues.
"Black parents want the same for their children. The problem in township schools, despite the abolition of corporal punishment, is a lack of respect for discipline without violence. Creating a respect for human rights but enforcing discipline is a challenge that requires a fresh approach."
Jackson believes that teachers face huge stresses due to racial re-integration of schools and the enormous social problems caused by Aids and economic factors.
"Teachers are given no social or psychological support to handle the problems they are likely to face," he said. "They are educators and social workers. I am inspired daily by the dedication of the teachers we have in this country who do their jobs despite the problems.
"Many teachers are faced with learners who are not first language English speakers. Many kids travel a great distance to get to school; their parents are willing to sacrifice a lot for them to get a good education. But they then find it difficult to concentrate."
One teacher in Lenasia who did not want to be named said: "Dereck's talk was very useful. We are having problems, quite a few kids come from the townships and they don't respect authority.
"When we try and tell them what to do, we are accused of racism. Dereck told us how to take back control. Our younger teachers are especially targeted by problem kids who intimidate them."
Neville Swain, headmaster of Crawford Preparatory School in Lonehill describes Jackson as an educational "guru". "He doesn't talk psycho-babble; it's all in practical and understandable language."
Rabia Nuruddin, a representative of the South African Democratic Teachers Union, organised Dereck to address a regional meeting of Sadtu in Laudium recently. She said: "I've been flooded with requests from teachers who couldn't attend wanting him to come to their schools. In my case his advice was helpful."

16 November 2003

Skole oorsee vaar niks beter nie

Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysers doen oor die algemeen uitstekende werk. Suid-Afrika het, veral met die ou model C-skole, steeds 'n beter stelsel van staatskole as die meeste ander lande, sê mnr. Dereck Jackson.

Jackson, opvoedkundige en sielkundige, besoek gereeld skole in ander lande en spreek gereeld wêreldwyd opvoedkundige instellings toe.

"Staatskole in Europa, Australië en Amerika sal wat wil gee om ons geriewe en onderwysers te hê. Wit mense in Suid-Afrika het 'n persepsie dat ons onderwysstelsel in duie stort. Ouers sê hulle wil die land verlaat omdat die ANC sê "pass one, pass all". Wel dis die stelsel oor die hele wêreld. Jy kan nie 'n kind in Australië of Europa laat druip nie."

Hy sê in Brittanje mag kinders se antwoorde nie meer verkeerd gemerk word nie. Onderwysers moet aan kinders verduidelik dat daar 'n "ander manier" is om 'n vraag op te los. Boonop kry onderwysers aan skole in die middestad van Londen al 'n gevaartoelae weens die toestande waarin hulle moet skoolhou.

Volgens Jackson word wêreldwyd 'n tekort aan onderwysers ervaar. Diè tekort is kritiek in Amerika, Brittanje en Australië, waar onderwysers eenvoudig nie meer die kinders kan hanteer nie.

Jong mense wil dus nie meer onderwysers word nie. Oor die klagtes oor die verlaging in standaarde sê hy dis nie soseer standaarde wat verlaag word nie, maar'n besef dat die werklikheid verander het. In die verlede het wit SuidAfrikaners geglo kinders moêt universiteit toe gaan. In ander lande, soos in Brittanje, waar kinders die sogenaamde 0- en A-vlakke het, is daar egter lank reeds die neiging om kinders eers net 'n basiese kwalifikasie te gee. Dan kan hulle of 'n meer akademiese of 'n praktiese rigting volg.

Jackson sê Afrikaners het staatskole nog altyd as hul eie private skole gehanteer in 'n homogene samelewing, waarin die kerk en die skool amper onlosmaaklik verweef was. Nou kan Afrikaanse skole in minder gegoede gebiede nie bekostig om eksklusief te bly nie. Hulle moes reeds hul deure oopmaak vir Engelssprekende en swart kinders.

"Die Afrikaanse staatskole in ryk gebiede kom nog vasbyt en aangaan soos altyd omdat die ouers daar bereid is om daarvoor te betaal. Ek dink daar gaan egter meer druk op hulle kom om te verander en leë plekke beskikbaar te stel vir anderstalige kinders." Dit, voorspel Jackson, kan daartoe lei dat Afrikaanse kinders uit die skole stroom en dat daar dan 'n reuse-toename in Afrikaanse private skole kan wees.