A youngster standing up for others
A 20-year-old of the African Youth Union Commission said he is on a mission to give all young people an equal shot at education.
Musa Mdungase who was recently appointed Senior Programme Specialist for Education by the African Youth Union Commission said he is on a mission to give all young people an equal shot at education.
Only 20 years old and a Sociology student at Nelson Mandela University, Musa said he is passionate about achieving his goal – to bridge the educational gap between kids who are well off and those less privileged.
“I want them to have the same advantages when looking for jobs. I will be looking at the education system and its challenges, come up with solutions to address these challenges and ask the youth what they need,” Musa said.
He said a current issue in the education system is that there is no decolonisation.
“Those who are in school should be taught about their history, not other nations, so that they know who they are. The education system has to be flexible. The youth unemployment rate is at its highest – even people with qualifications cannot get work so something has to be done.
“You sit and listen to the government saying they will create jobs, that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is coming and we therefore need to prepare this young generation, but are they really bridging these gaps?”
Another issue Musa pointed out is that kids from rural areas often are at a loss when they go to university because they are not used to the standard of English in which lectures are presented.
“They are forced to adapt and most often are thrown into the deep end. Whether they swim or sink, the system does not care.
“We need to bridge the gap to ensure that children from rural backgrounds have the necessary tools and information way in advance so that they can be as proficient like their counterparts,” Musa added.
