Ukufuna Imfundo Enhle
IMFUNDO enhle ilungiselela izingane ukuba zibhekane ngokuphumelelayo nokuphila emphakathini wanamuhla. Izihlomisa ngamakhono emfundo, kuhlanganise nekhono lokufunda nokubhala kahle nokwenza izibalo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ithonya ukusebenzelana kwazo nabanye futhi iqinisa izindinganiso ezinhle zokuziphatha.
Nokho, ngenxa yokuthi lezi izikhathi ezibucayi, kunzima kakhulu ukulungiselela imfundo enjalo. Uthisha othile wase-Australia ongumakad’ ebona wakhononda: “Amakilasi anezingane ezinobudlova, ezisebenzisa ulimi olungcolile, olunenhlamba; izingane ezikhathele ngenxa yokungalali zibuka i-TV; izingane ezingondlekile noma ezilambile; nezingane ezikhuliswe ngaphandle kokuyalwa.” Othisha nabo bakutshela ukuthi: “Kunzima ukufundisa izingane ezingamahlongandlebe.”
U-Albert Shanker, umongameli we-American Federation of Teachers, wachaza usizi lothisha: “Kumelwe bafundise ngezidakamizwa notshwala, bafundise ngobulili, . . . baqeqeshe abafundi ukuze bazethembe, bathungathe amalungu amaqembu, . . . nezinye izinto eziningi. Benza konke ngaphandle kokufundisa kwangempela. . . . Abacelwa ukuba bakwenze ngempela ukuba izisebenzi zezenhlala-kahle, omama, obaba, abelaphi, amaphoyisa, izazi zezokudla, izisebenzi zempilo zomphakathi, ochwepheshe bezokwelapha.”
Kungani kudingeka othisha benze lokhu? Ukubukeza lokho okwenzeka emakilasini kwelinye idolobha elikhulu lasenyakatho-mpumalanga ye-United States kubonisa isizathu esibangela lokhu. I-New York Times yabika amazwi kachwepheshe othile ngokuphathelene nekilasi elivamile elinabafundi abangu-23. Wathi “abangu-8 kuya kwabangu-15 cishe babephila ngobumpofu; abathathu bazalwe omama abasebenzisa izidakamizwa; abangu-15 baphila nabazali abangabodwa.”
Ngokusobala, umkhaya uyawohloka. E-United States, cishe umntwana oyedwa kwabathathu abazalwayo uyivezandlebe, futhi umshado owodwa kwemibili uphela ngesehlukaniso. Kodwa inani lamavezandlebe eDenmark, eFrance, eGreat Britain, naseSweden liphakeme ngisho nakakhulu. Yimiphi imizamo eyenziwayo ukuze kubhekwane nenkinga ebangelwa yilesi simo ezikoleni?
Ukufuna Amakhambi
Kuye kwasungulwa izikole ezihlukahlukene ezinohlelo olukhethekile lwezifundo. Ngokuvamile lezi zincane—okwenza kube lula ukunakekela ngokuseduze—futhi eziningi zizenzela izinhlelo zazo zemfundo ukuze zihlangabezane kangcono nezidingo zezingane. ENew York City, kuye kwavulwa izikole ezinjalo ezincane ezingu-48 kusukela ngo-1993, futhi kuhlelwa ezingu-50 ezengeziwe. “Ubudlova [basesikoleni] obabangela lomzamo,” kuphawula i-New York Times. Ngo-1992 kwase kuqalwe izikole ezinohlelo olukhethekile lwezifundo ezingaphezu kuka-500 eRussia, ezinabafundi abangaphezu kuka-333 000.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, i-Toronto Star yabika: “Izinkulungwane zithumela izingane zazo ezikoleni ezikhethekile ezingezona ezikahulumeni.” Esifundazweni sase-Ontario eCanada kuphela, izingane ezingaba ngu-75 000 zifunda ezikoleni ezingezona ezikahulumeni. Lezi zikole sezitholakala nakulo lonke elaseRussia, futhi umagazini i-China Today uthi eChina ziye zachuma “njengotshani ngemva kwemvula yasentwasahlobo.” I-Handbook of Private Schools inikeza uhlu lwamahhala lwezikole ezinjalo ezingaba ngu-1 700 e-United States, lapho imali yezifundo ekhokhwa ngonyaka ingaba ngu-$20 000 (R72 500) noma ngaphezulu.
Abanye abazali baye bakhetha ukufundisa izingane zabo ekhaya. E-United States kuphela, kulinganiselwa ukuthi amanani abafundela emakhaya anyuka kusukela cishe kwabangu-15 000 ngo-1970 kuya kwabangafinyelela esigidini esisodwa ngo-1995.
Imiphumela Ehlukile
Akuzona zonke izikole kulo lonke izwe ezithola imiphumela efanayo. Ngo-July 1993, uShanker watshela iqembu labafundisi base-United States: “Amanye amazwe aqhuba izikole futhi athola imiphumela engcono kakhulu kuneyethu.” Ukuze aveze leli phuzu, wakhuluma ngokuhlangana kwakhe nombhangqwana othile waseRussia owawuthuthele e-United States. Walandisa: “Wangitshela ukuthi nakuba ingane yawo efunda ibanga lesithupha isesikoleni esihle kakhulu esingesona esikahulumeni, yayifunda eyayikufunde ebangeni lokuqala ekhaya.”
Izwe elaliyiSoviet Union lasungula isimiso sesikole esafundisa cishe bonke abantu bakhona ukufunda nokubhala. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ngokokulinganisela koMnyango Wemfundo wase-United States, amaMelika ayizigidi ezingu-27 awakwazi ukufunda uphawu lwendlela noma inombolo yebhasi. Futhi i-Canberra Times yase-Australia yabika ukuthi “izingane zesikole esiphansi ezingafinyelela kumaphesenti angu-25 zazidlulela esikoleni esiphakeme zingakwazi ukufunda nokubhala.”
Ngokwezinga elithile inkinga yezikole ikhona cishe kuyo yonke indawo. Incwadi ka-1994 ethi Education and Society in the New Russia ithi “amaphesenti angu-72,6 othisha baseSoviet okwaxoxwa nabo avuma ukuthi isimiso sesikole sasisenkingeni ebucayi.” NgokukaTanya, uthisha waseMoscow ongumakad’ ebona, isici esiyinhloko kulenkinga siwukuthi “abazali nabafundi ngokwabo abasayazisi imfundo.” Ngokwesibonelo, waphawula ukuthi “uthisha uthola iholo eliyingxenye yeholo lomshayeli webhasi ovamile—noma ngisho nangaphansi.”
Imfundo Enhle Ibalulekile
Njengoba umphakathi wesintu uba inkimbinkimbi ngokwengeziwe, imfundo enhle iba nokubaluleka okwengeziwe. Ezindaweni eziningi imfundo edingekayo ukuze osemusha okhulile athole umsebenzi ozomondla yena nomkhaya wakhe wesikhathi esizayo isiphakeme kakhulu. Ngakho-ke, labo abaye bathola amakhono ayisisekelo emfundo bayoba namathuba omsebenzi angcono kakhulu. Abaqashi bakhathalela kakhulu isimiso esiyisisekelo—ofaka isicelo somsebenzi angawenza kahle kangakanani lowo msebenzi.
Umphathi wehhovisi elithile lezemisebenzi waphawula ngokuqondene nabafundi abaningi abaphothule esikoleni esiphakeme: “Abazange bafundiswe ukusebenza.” Wanezela: “Lapho besebenzelana nentsha inkinga abaqashi abaningi abangitshela ngayo njalo ukuthi ayikwazi ukufunda noma ukubhala kahle. Ayikwazi ukugcwalisa isicelo somsebenzi.”
Ngokuqinisekile abazali bafuna izingane zabo zithole imfundo enhle, futhi nezingane ngokuhlakanipha ziyayifuna. Kodwa kubalulekile ukuba zisebenzise izihluthulelo ezidingekayo. Ziyini lezi zihluthulelo, futhi zingasetshenziswa kanjani?
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 6]
ERussia, “uthisha uthola iholo eliyingxenye yeholo lomshayeli webhasi ovamile”