Hi there Cyber Junkies
I listen and watch with much enthusiasm the deliberations about the youth of '76, with due respect to the legacy. I am astonished by all the focus, glorifying and praise accorded to them, whilst the current youth is deemed doomed. We live in a society that is characterized by all the anomalies one can find in a dysfunctional society. Kids as young as 15yrs are alcoholics or cigarettes addicts if not dagga; household are headed by children; educators are alleged to have sexual contacts with their learners; a female is raped every 10 seconds; crime is a common act; corrupt officials; need I go on and on.Young people are accused of displaying apathy. Our learners lack commitment with regard to their school work; educators and parents blame the system for this behaviour. Young people are carefree with their future, sex, and use alcohol and drugs as if they advance a cause. Some school kids spent their school days in rehab centres than in classrooms. School going age female kids are walking around in bulging tummies or falling pregnant as if to outdo one another. Churches are flourishing, with members of the congregation overwhelmed by debt in their quest to tithe. A convicted rapist, murderer, thief is allocated a meal three times a day; a law abiding citizen has to fend for themselves. Prisoners are afforded skills development programmes as part of rehabilitation, whilst disadvantaged matriculants has to devise means to pay for their tuition if they are fortune to be registered with a tertiary institution.
Remember the saying: "Children live what they learn." What happened to credible role-modeling? A dad/mum is telling his son/daughter that liquor is not good, whilst his drowning in a cheap or expensive bottle of whiskey, brandy or beer. A mother complains about her youngster watching porn at 01H00 AM, where is she at that time, out? We continuously yell that 'crime' doesn't pay', however criminals are glorified, live better in palatial houses than the educated folk. How do we expect children to be in school? Affluent citizens migrate to the "enclosed suburbs" for security and tranquility, leaving township kids to be role modeled by thugs, nonentities.
If we want to judge or complain about the direction that the current youth is headed, let's scrutinize our leadership. Whose fault is it anyway?
As long as we keep on trying to "better" ours and our children's lives as "we think we are", we really are bound to be headed to what you reffered to as a "Lost Generation". Think of the olden days,children were taken to circumcission schools to be taught values,their culture and other things that will mould a child into a resposible being. There was never things like taking children to the movies with friends, having pyjama partys for children, having your children spending the night at a friend's house amd mainly leaving your children to the entire care of a helper.You might not know what happens in your absence, it could be that what the child manifest, (as you have also rightfully stated "Children live what they learn")is what he learnt, as Vygotsky puts it, from the competent peer, from an adult, from the interactions that you are "thinking" to be the "good life".I really do not know who's fault is it Vusi and i think it will be unfair to fault the leadership.Lets do the introspection.
ReplyDeleteParenting
ReplyDeleteCharity will aways begin at home.Some of the parents never went through formal education and complete it. The recent technonly cathes with them.You find drop out still rife as early as grade 9.The community that we live and share with is made up of peolple who die for themselves.It is OK to have sex or drink every and any where you like vibe or home with parent or siblings. Guidance is replaced by lifeorientation which in itself perpertuate this behaviours.