Democracy poses an education conundrum

Democracy leads to a free trade market, capitalism and the ability for self-empowerment. Therefore, if you carve out success for yourself by whatever means possible (excluding criminal activities) then you can reap the rewards of such endeavours.

Among these rewards in South Africa is benefiting from medical aid, therefore, being administered to a private hospital instead of a public hospital where patient overcrowding, shoddy service and leaking pipes awaits you.

Benefiting from our economical system also means choosing the education one’s child will enjoy, and this is sadly where the pitfalls of democracy rears its ugly head.

Let it be noted, democracy is a system that has been adopted by the new government dispensation since 1994, so the ever-growing gap between the rich and the poor cannot be blamed on Apartheid, but it rather remains a fault in the political system.

In 2014, there are many affluent black and white South Africans who through opportunity, chance, self-empowerment, constant hard work or even luck have been able to reap the benefits that comes from being wealthy in a democratic society.

However, there are also a lot of people of all races and colour who, because of bad luck, missed opportunities, nightmarish circumstances and even at times foolishness (crime does not pay), ended up on the wrong side of the proverbial railway track.

They of course do not benefit from a democratic society that ultimately rewards the affluent but remains a treacherous path for the survivalist.

The reality is that despite the obvious rewards of hard work and seizing opportunities that come knocking, some people in this land simply are on the back foot from the day they are born.

When it thus comes to education, those whose parents struggle to put food on the table, have no choice but to attend a type of school where the level of education offered remains questionable.

There are still many schools where children have to be content with bucket toilets, temporary classroom structures (anything will do these days, even a container), overcrowding in classes (no personal attention), lack of resources (IT and books) and so the list continues.

This is the fault of government, and it is not a race issue. Some schools are simply neglected, and in some cases school principals have to conduct operations out of a Wendy house.

Sure, some make the most of the deplorable circumstances, raising above all obstacles as they galvanise their staff and pupils to fight for a better tomorrow.

Good for these principals, but is it really fair to thousands of children and even teachers to undergo such misery just to complete their educational trauma?

Then there are the schools which cater more for the middle class income group, which are your run-of-the-mill schools found splattered across cities and towns.

They are certainly not cheap, but not insanely expensive – at least you get proper classroom structures, resources, sport facilities, running water, a stocked tuck shop and mostly you are not faced with hundreds of screaming pupils evading your educational space.

And then, you get the fortunate ones (some will say not fortunate, only that hard work pays) where you pay anything from R70 000 annually and upwards for education (there are about 20 of such institutions in our country, if not more).

Consider that Hilton College asks around R210 000 a year for school fees, which includes boarding. The second most expensive school is MichaelHouse (R190 000 for the year, including boarding).

To break it down, R210 000 means paying around R18 000 a month, which is basically the entire income for many middle income households, and an income that many of the poorer masses will be able to barely accumulate in a year.

Granted, those who are able to pay R18 000 a month for education, has made the most of democracy’s benefits, therefore, their children are ensured of a great future, but how does this compare to someone who sits in a classroom that could collapse any minute, and who has been waiting for six months for a text book?

We can argue it any way we choose, but the matric exams will remain a travesty – some have made it by the skin of their teeth, because of being subjected to an environment of poor education (yet still facing a daunting future), while others who have enjoyed R18 000 a month’s worth of education can look forward to a life of European travels, fancy dining and grand mansions.

It is, therefore, not surprising that some extreme political parties are questioning democracy, because while the rewards are great for those who benefit for it for whatever reason, it holds no prisoners for those who woke up one day as a newborn in a shack or in a makeshift tent next to a highway in some or other town.