BuaNews (Tshwane)
25 April 2008
Cape Town — Western Cape Education MEC Cameron Dugmore earlier this week said education played an important role in ensuring that learners understood democracy.
"Although our schools can do more, the education system is nevertheless not failing to educate our learners for democracy," he said.
MEC Dugmore was speaking during a debate on what could be done to promote and develop compassionate, caring citizens to prevent future violence.
"It is important for learners to be politically literate, that is, to know and understand democratic processes."
The importance of volunteerism, social service and involvement in a democratic society wee emphasised, and the causes, consequences and prevention of pervasive social ills, such as violence and abuse, were addressed in the National Curriculum Statement, he said.
He said learners could learn about democracy, organisation and public office through Representative Council of Learners (RCLs).
Through the RCLs, learners can play important roles in promoting a positive attitude to the school environment.
"Through the pioneering work of our department, a proportion of learners have also been selected as Peer Educators on the basis of their ability to become opinion leaders, role models, facilitators of learning and community activists," MEC Dugmore said.
Over the past years more than 15 000 Grade 10, 11 and 12 learners have been recruited and trained and are guided through a rigorous two to three year programme.
They are called Peer Educators and are trained to positively influence their peers through role-modeling, assist Life Orientation teachers in teaching about sexuality education and HIV and AIDS in the classroom and counselling and referring their peers for support.
This also includes initiating or supporting school-community based HIV and AIDS projects and related projects that develop the social capital in school communities.
The debate was organised by the Harold Wolpe Memorial Trust and Shikaya, an education non-profit organisation, and included a panel discussion with Professor Jonathan Jansen of the University of the Witwatersrand, and Gail Weldon, Senior Curriculum Planner at the Western Cape Education Department.
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Do you really call what is practised in South Africa today Democracy? it sure dont seem so.