Drops of Dust
[quick nav bar:....search my blog| browse by labeling| view big projects im currently involved in]
Thursday, September 13, 2007
the desperate need for discourse amongst student s
As south africa strives desperately to hag on to its graduates, i cannot help but ask a question which has been dancing annoyingly on the edge of my mind for a while now. its an important issue in the circles of higher education in this country. Logic tells us that the few(in relative terms) proffesionals that the country does produce are at the top of their game in many respects if they are so sought after in other countries. My question is, for how much longer will this remain the case?
The true quality of a graduate is measured not only by the depth of knowlegde and understanding he/she has of that specific field of study, but also very importantly on the range and quality of skills the graduate acquires during the period of study. this is an undeniable fact- those students who have chosen to utilise the various extra facilities, programs and activities that are offered or take place at institutions of higher learning in this country, have better overall capabiltities.
This brings me to worrying tendency. The existance of i commonly term the 'world of ideas, debate and discourse,' amongst students is experiencing an alarming fading in South Africa. The general student population acrosss the country has slipped into a trend of apathy, restricting their participation at campus level to merely their degree and course of study. The various extra sporting, social, academic and cultural activities which offer student the opportunity to develop a better insight into the world they live in, is experiencing a dangerous fall in participation. this trend threatens to leave students with a 'one dimensional' education.
Part of the solution to this problem lies in the urgently needed revival of the discourse between students - to those in a position to ignite and fscilitate the sharing of ideas and debate, let us not waste another moment.
The true quality of a graduate is measured not only by the depth of knowlegde and understanding he/she has of that specific field of study, but also very importantly on the range and quality of skills the graduate acquires during the period of study. this is an undeniable fact- those students who have chosen to utilise the various extra facilities, programs and activities that are offered or take place at institutions of higher learning in this country, have better overall capabiltities.
This brings me to worrying tendency. The existance of i commonly term the 'world of ideas, debate and discourse,' amongst students is experiencing an alarming fading in South Africa. The general student population acrosss the country has slipped into a trend of apathy, restricting their participation at campus level to merely their degree and course of study. The various extra sporting, social, academic and cultural activities which offer student the opportunity to develop a better insight into the world they live in, is experiencing a dangerous fall in participation. this trend threatens to leave students with a 'one dimensional' education.
Part of the solution to this problem lies in the urgently needed revival of the discourse between students - to those in a position to ignite and fscilitate the sharing of ideas and debate, let us not waste another moment.
posted by irshaad at 6:51 AM
2 Comments:
but how do we do it? Its fine enough that some of us can participate in the extra curriculars but how can we motivate others to do th same? The problems you face at wits seem to be the same faced here at ukzn. and even more worrying is the fact that its the muslim students who have the "don't know, don't care" attitude.
hi
this is all very 'deja vuish'. It's the perpetual ebb and flo that has charaterised the muslim student condition - which is get to campus, get a degree, and walk away as if it never happened. Good luck in your venture to instigate a discourse. My guess is that, unfortunately, you'll be writing most of it yourself...
Post a Comment
<< Home