My thoughts on Affirmative Action/quotas and other nasties
All this talk about "lack of transformation" and allegations of "racial discrimination" has got me thinking. Why do we have policies in place to effectively protect the majority of citizens by keeping a minority race (yes I'm bringing race into this) at bay? I thought the idea was to develop our country into a country where you cannot be discriminated against based on the color of your skin, your gender, religion or sexual preferences.
It makes me sad to see politicians moaning about the "lack of transformation" in sports (specifically Rugby and Cricket) when nothing is being done to really address the issue. In my opinion if you want to see a more diverse range of players at senior levels you need to invest in the youth. You need to bring the sport to the people you want to see in the sport. How many rugby/cricket academies have been set up in rural areas or informal settlements? What about setting up youth development programs? Introducing kids to the sport at school level? What about recruiting high-school students into club structures? Setting up new clubs in areas with poor representation?
Yes, you will not see results overnight, but in 10-20 years you could potentially have a gigantic pool of talented players who have been groomed from a young age that are eligible for selection based on MERIT.
Why do we as South Africans have to accept mediocrity? The matric pass rate for one was dismal, so they lowered the standard. Now the pass rate is better, but our senior certificate is actually worth less. However very little is being done to address the issues. The quality of some teachers can be described as poor (and I'm trying to be positive here) with some of the teachers not understanding the classes they are giving. Some teachers have issues with language. So many times you have a teacher that can barely speak English that presents a class in English. While I'm all for receiving basic education in your native tongue, its very difficult for say an Afrikaans speaking teacher with limited knowledge of English to present a subject they are not familiar with in English to a class full of students who also have difficulty with English (because they're also not bought up in a house where English even features as a daily language). Ever tried explaining a technical course's material in Afrikaans? What about Zulu? Xhosa? It becomes very difficult. Why don't we have secondary schools that focus on the other 9 official languages? What about higher education facilities to cater for these?
I'm quite disappointed at the attack on Stellenbosch University for perceived "lack of transformation". Maties have for a very long time been an "Afrikaans" varsity, which started presenting some subjects and courses in English. This is due to a number of factors, and it makes sense to present STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects in English as this is the language in which most of these fields operate and share information.
Now to get back to AA, it's been 21 years, yet we as South Africans still deem it necessary to boost "born frees" by subjecting them to policies that have been touted as policies to address the inequalities of pre-94 South Africa. Don't get me wrong, if a number of people apply for a job (all have 90% pass rate for the same degree and no experience) and one is a white male, one white female, black male, black female, indian male, indian female, etc. I'm quite happy for the default selection to be black female, followed by black male. However the key here is that as an employer I want the person who is the best qualified for the position, irrespective of race,gender, religion or sexual preference. I want us to become truly free from discrimination, I want us as a country to start breeding a culture of excellence. To stop feeling sorry for ourselves and look at how we can really benefit not only ourselves, but society as a whole. We need to be hungry, hungry to achieve more. We should stop accepting mediocrity and start embracing that which is exceptional. However, we should also strive to help those less fortunate than us, help those who need a little help.
By help I don't mean shoving a wad of cash into the hands of a beggar or NGO. I mean truly help people. We should breed a culture of enlightenment. A culture where we are hungry for knowledge. Get less fortunate people fed, get them trained and get them to become a meaningful part of society that contributes to our economy.
Ok, I'm done ranting for now.
i wish everyone could see like this. Sports programs should also be introduced into all schools, for example, baseball. Not many people know but our team is currently in japan with almost no support apart from families, but i must say ive seen a child living at one of the clubs become a prominent player (he has no family in the country), and his brother is currently living overseas playing for the Pittsburgh pirates, which is quite an achievement.
Originally Posted by Donisia
