Student A
South Africa has had a rapid rate in development since the election of a democratic government in 1994, but a lot of problems still prevail along with a string of new problems. A lot is being done to try and solve those problems and there’s still much more to be done, but it must be accepted that these problems can’t be solved over night and patience, perseverance and dedication towards solving these problems is needed. After all Rome wasn’t built in a day!
A harmonious interaction is needed between government, business institutions, media and religious organisations to set programs in motion to counter South Africa’s foremost prevailing problems. Some of the biggest problems encountered by South Africans are poverty, HIV/Aids, crime and a lack of education and skills.
In this essay I will focus on the issue of poverty in South Africa. I will then discuss globalisation as a means to alleviate poverty in South Africa.
Poverty can be subdivided into two different dimensions. The first one being absolute poverty, which refers to, those people who have an insufficient income to fulfill the basic needs of either themselves or their families. These basic needs being clothing, shelther and food, which are all necessities to mantain a healthy living.
The other dimension of poverty is relative poverty and this dimension refers to people whose income is far below average in their particular community.
The situation in South Africa is such that there is a huge economic gap between the rich and poor within the boundaries of our own country. I feel it is government’s responsibility to bridge this economic gap in South Africa by even distribution of wealth in the country.
One possible way of doing this is by working together with the media and introducing programs to people especially in the rural communities to inform them of the many career, business and learnership opportunities available. These programs could be advertised on television, radio and print media. Road shows could also be created making sure that people are always in the know. This would also create jobs because road shows would require a considerable number of staff, as different responsibilities would need to be catered for.
Government needs to work with businesses, both public and private sectors, by subsidizing all companies that offer free skills training seminars and learnerships to young people who show a lot of promise. And although programs have been put into place, government needs to intensify its decentralization programs to not only stop, but to reverse the influx of people into big cities.
Since 1994 South Africans have unequivocally experienced greater equity, hence the Employment Equity Act of 1994, whereby all citizens regardless of race, gender or disability have equal opportunities for employment. Yet according to statistical services 47% of South Africans are poverty stricken. How then can we address this issue? The only alternative would be to invest significantly in our education system by adopting a more globalised approach.
Globalisation is an intricate phenomenon with far reaching effects. It has been taking place over several decades and has been characterised by unparalleled levels of interaction and interconnection, both economically and politically worldwide. International trade, cross-border financial flows, information and communication technology as well as an expansion of competition for global markets have given rise to it.
It is however, not a complete new phenomenon, as people have been interacting socially and politically from great distances for centuries. The rate of this interaction has advanced tremendously though. Countries have opened their economies to trade and capital through the execution of a free-flow market, economic systems and the debasing of boundaries to international trade.
There are differing schools of thought regarding globalisation and the eradication of poverty. Some believe that globalisation can alleviate poverty, while others are of the opinion that it leads to growing poverty and that the rich become richer and the poor even more destitute.
I am of the opinion that globalisation has created a wealth of knowledge, skills and opportunities. With knowledge and skills come employment opportunities, which in turn lead to a stronger economy.
This then brings me to another critical issue- that of globalize education.
Globalised education makes provision for citizens to acquire knowledge and global skills to adapt to rapid changes in order to survive in the global society. This will thus necessitate that education adapt to such changes and that it be made available anywhere and at all times.
The demand for education in South Africa is rapidly growing. We need to educate citizens from all walks of life, from different social backgrounds, different races, and gender. Different aspects with regard to education thus need to be looked at i.e. rural education, education for the poor, migrant education, street children education, women’s and girls’ education, partnerships for education, university/business relationships as well as educational financing and school organisation.
The education of women is important in order to alleviate poverty and its effects.
Educated women are more likely to have smaller and healthier families and are more productive. They are also more likely to send their children to school and encourage them to further their studies.
Globalisation affects employment and it is therefore important for schools to prepare learners for work by equipping learners with the necessary knowledge and skills to adapt to the changing demands of the corporate world.
This can be achieved by using cooperative education or work integrated education. It can also reform to a more globalised approach by making experiences from different countries available to students either by real experiences via exchange programs or virtually through internet communications.
Although the Internet and other advances in information technology have opened many opportunities to improve the quality content of educational opportunities, it is not accessible to thousands of learners in South African schools. Partnerships between government and IT companies should be encouraged so that every school has a computer center to expose learners to technological advances.
A stronger collaboration between education institutions, industries and private sectors and the government must prevail. This collaboration should work together to establish appropriate systems of governance, share knowledge and resources and establish a means of financing activities.
In South Africa, globalisation has had an effect on our educational system and cooperative education is advancing, hence all the changes in our education system thus far.
A serious issue that needs to be addressed is that of children and adults who do not have access to schooling or training. The answer lies in deregulation and privatisation to foreigners. This will access foreign capital that can be used to increase our own growth.
Another issue worth mentioning is that of privatisation in local government. Local government must be elected by the local communities and not appointed by the state. The community members must also participate in the design, execution and maintenance of projects meant to benefit them. Officials on the other hand must be held accountable to the community they serve. By empowering communities, less power is given to local government and officials and the chances of mismanagement are lessened.
Numerous initiatives can be encouraged for government departments and private companies to fund educational opportunities for such communities.
Such initiatives are possible due to globalisation.
In conclusion I believe that as South Africans we have to continue fostering a culture of life-long learning, encourage optimal skills development as well as cooperative learning by creating favourable opportunities made available through partnerships between government, educational institutions, private organisations and foreign companies.
