Much Ado about Symbols

Yesterday, thousands of learners entered their examination halls to write their first paper of Grade 12. This is a gateway to success for them as this will open opportunities for College and University entrance and hopefully, some of them may join the job market. They will, as the year ends, know how they performed and whether their hard work and the kind of tutelage they received will earn them good symbols.

In South Africa, a mere attainment of matriculation constitutes a great leap into a future of unknown opportunities. Quite unfortunate that some of these opportunities are non-existent or blocked by the kind of economic trajectory that was adopted since 2008. Although the entirety of society bears the burden of ensuring that learners pass, the pressure always lies on the shoulders of the learner to perform better. This is unfair. It leads to learners who fail their examinations to commit suicide, whilst others condemn themselves to failure and believe that because they did not pass their Grade 12 examinations they are worth nothing.

To obtain success in Grade 12, let alone further and higher education is definitely a deserved status in society. Young adults find solace in the fact that, no matter what they studied, they at least went to varsity. Certain quarters in society who have attained their degrees or are university students, are held in high regard in their communities because of this access. The capitalist mode of our society also gives much value to the University degree because not everyone can obtain it, let alone have access to education.

So to the class of 2008, we say, go and get those symbols

This brings me to another issue which I think the media has basically blown out of proportion. The Star newspaper have published the Grade 12 results of the President of the ANC Youth League, Julius Malema. The ANC Youth League, through its spokesperson, has denied the validity of these results.

But that is not my preoccupation.

In the first place why did The Star newspaper, the Department of Education and the University of South Africa take interest into disclosing publicly the academic performance of the President of the ANC Youth League? Is this because they want to demonstrate that the reason why they and some people in society who disagrees with Malema are right to do so solely on the basis of his academic record? Is this because they want to devalue his contribution into the political discourse by suggesting that he is not certificated?

Academic performance is a very important part of anybody's life. But academia is not the embodiment of cultivating the intellectual life of individuals. Robert Mugabe, in his 10 year spell in prison, has attained countless degrees. But look at what a mess the old man has made that country, even with a ton of his certificates. Some may argue that it is because of his greed for power and his commitment to rule forever, but are these not the things he should have learned from his books.

To be elected as a leader within the Mass Democratic Movement does not only require academic performance and qualification, albeit these are important. We do not go to school to learn about democracy, mandate, passion to service people and working with people on the ground. These are appropriated in the terrain of struggle. The Democratic Alliance have advertised for people to apply with specific requirements in order for them to be elected as Members of Parliament. I suppose the DA's next line would be to ask people to vote for their candidates because they have Grade 12.

What will happen to democracy if leaders who are preferred by the people do not have the required academic record because they did not have access to exorbitantly costing Universities? Better still, we would not have had the many trade-union leaders whose main service is to and for the people had we opted for their academic qualifications. It is very elitist and snobbish to try and discredit leaders on the basis of how far they have gone school-wise.

The ANC Youth League revolutionized its mother-body because they believed it was led by a bunch of traditional leaders, lay-ministers and educated gentlemen whose preoccupation was sending emissaries to the colonial masters. They changed the leadership of the ANC into a radical lot irrespective of their academic qualification. Walter Sisulu was not a great academic guru, but he managed to lead the ANC as its Secretary General and oversaw a huge transformation of the movement that ultimately brought our democracy. Many other leaders of the ANC, PAC, Azapo and all succeeded in this regard. The people we remember in history are not quoted because of the academic performance in a University classroom, but because of the change they made in society. This is irrespective of whether they attained these on the basis of their education or not.

This is obviously not an anti-academia statement, because the tradition of the YCL is to encourage learners to go to school. Thus our joint campaign with Malema's Youth League for Free Education for all South Africans. But we cannot condemn people for not having what society has denied them, access to quality education.

We wish all those learners sitting for the examination the best of luck, and let their hardwork and quality tutelage pay off as we go and buy The Star to check their results in December. That's the Bottomline, cos the YCL said so!

This article by Buti Manamela, national secretary of the Young Communist League, first appeared in the YCL online journal The Bottomline Issue 22, Vol 5: October 30 2008