Limpopo born filmmaker and content creator, Gerald Mabasa has called on the government to transform the education system in the country by making creative arts a major subject in schools.
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The creative from Soweto, said it was high time that the government took creative arts in schools seriously.
“If we can start now to develop and empower with skills from primary level, that will put our generation in a good position to rescue our economy, because media and entertainment is among the languages the world understands better,” said Mabasa, the founder of the Gerald Mabasa Foundation.
The filmmaker said the answer the government should start with was the prioritisation of hiring artists to head creative art classes in all public schools. He noted that this would allow learners to get first-hand experience.
“The reason we want artists to head these classes is because they understand the subject matter extensively. It requires someone with artistic ability, not just an ordinary teacher. Theory and practical goes together in Creative Arts, whereas teachers rely on textbooks but artists are specialists in the arts,” he said.
According to Mabasa, arts have a critical role to play in reviving of the ailing economy and would create a “better-balanced” educational system that produces self-sufficient young people.
“I strongly believe that Creative Arts is the future of our economy, because it is all about developing and empowering with skills.
“Before covid-19 hit, the Television and Film industry had made billions of profit and contribution in our economy, which means we can grow the economy of this country.”
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In October, Mabasa took part in a 74.2km ‘The long walk to success’ fundraising walk from Dikebu Village in North West to Pretoria Central in a bid to raise awareness for emerging and struggling creatives and to stand against Gender Based Violence.
Mabasa who was joined by boxer, Lucky Monyebane and community developer Donald Mqwathi handed over a memorandum to the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture stating that creative arts be made a major subject in basic education level.
The memorandum also called on the relevant departments to hire artists as educational assistants to teach creative arts.
“By doing this means that we will be bridging a gap. These students can open their own galleries, factory shops or start their own production, which addresses the job creation crisis in our country, they can start to make income while they are still schooling and this is exactly what we call building a better South Africa together, ” he explained.
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