This past Tuesday, the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Nobuhle Nkabane, announced that the government plans to send over 100 schoolchildren to China for a skills progression initiative. The initiative, as outlined by the minister, is aimed at equipping students with “scarce and critical skills of the future” within the technology sector, ultimately bolstering South Africa’s advancing job market.
The Minister’s announcement, made at the National Student Financial Aid Scheme’s (NSFAS) launch of their application season, was especially uplifting considering that South Africa has one of the most unequal school systems in the world. This year alone, NSFAS persistently funds over a million students, and received approximately 2 million applications for funding in 2024.
Scores of students across the nation are heavily dependent on external funding bodies for their education. The fact is, for many people, quality education simply remains unaffordable. Thirty years after the dawn of our democracy, we are still contending with the deplorable remnants of the apartheid era, particularly in our education sector. From the loss of thousands of teachers in the coming year, to our devastating foundational learner’s literacy crisis, to our stratified unemployment rate, the need to advance education in SA has never been so critical.
Over half of the entire population lives within the poverty line. As of the second quarter of 2024, Stats SA reported that the national unemployment rate continues to steadily climb, sitting 33.5%. Statista further reiterated the unemployment rate, which disproportionately affects black South Africans at an unnerving 36.9%.
Since the formation of the strategic and formidable BRICS bloc, China and South Africa have made admirable strides towards bilateral cooperation and coordinated development initiatives. At the beginning of the month, the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) took place in Beijing, shining a light on the commendable and consistent strides made between China and SA, in advancing their bilateral relationship. Oftentimes, bilateral relationships between nations are largely focused on economic cooperation and improving trade deals. The collaborative efforts between China and SA have been pleasantly diverse, with a mutual exchange of cultural resources, power and technological initiatives, promoting cooperation where development initiatives take place, and many more. This is exemplary of meaningful ties between nations, ones that aim to embrace one another’s unique cultures, and the use this in the promotion of an effective, advancement of society.
Now, with the announcement by the minister, new doors will be opened for the future of our nation. As such, the educational collaboration and cooperation between SA and China is coming at a critical time. Insight into other sectors and forms of development that are currently unexplored will give us a crucial advantage in the ever-changing landscape of the modern world. Globalisation is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with, and every civilisation across the world is forced to keep up with its demands. As such, collaborative efforts in development, education, innovation, and technological advancement are crucial to our survival.
The benefits of technological education and the advancement of skills in this industry are immeasurable. We are living in what has been termed by scholars: the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” (4IR). Education around technology is critical to preparing students for the future. This is not only ensuring that students, whom are leaders of the future, are equipped with unique unbounded skills, but also unlimited information – and most importantly, interminable access. The empowerment of our learners in this way ensures that we are developing educated, uniquely skilled citizens of the future. It allows for greater potential in spreading this type of knowledge across our society, and implementing these skills within our own sectors, for our own advancement. Technology goes beyond the boundaries of space and time and allows for unfathomable opportunities for collaborative initiatives. The advancement of our society needs to be at the forefront of our national agenda, across all sectors of our society.
The world has and continues to become increasingly dependent on technology. From the immeasurable power of social media to the proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI), our society is engulfed in a new technological era, and it is vital that we empower ourselves with the knowledge needed to advance ourselves.
As the outstanding author Sukant Ratnakar observed,
“Our future success is directly proportional to our ability to understand, adopt and integrate new technology into our work.”
Scores of citizens of all ages are leaving the nation in hopes of opportunities for self-advancement. With all of the inequities and obstacles that are contended with in our society, it is extremely refreshing to see the government pick themselves up by the bootstraps and implement tangible solutions and opportunities that will advance our citizenry. The future of our education lies in the balance. As a society, we have a responsibility to prioritise education as a tool for advancement, and the building blocks for a successful, empowered future.
Tswelopele Makoe is a Gender & Social Justice Activist and the Editor at Global South Media Network. She is a Researcher and Columnist, published weekly in the Sunday Independent, Independent Online (IOL), Global South Media Network (GSMN), Sunday Tribune and Eswatini Daily News. She is also an Andrew W. Mellon scholar, pursuing an MA Ethics at the Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice, UWC. The views expressed are her own.
