Folly of the Educated

If you thought the  right to education is indelible, wait until you experience the Zambian education system. The announcement made by the Hon. Minister of Education,  Micheal Kaingu, about the givernment's decision to discontinue  paying  meal allowances to students on government bursary, not only is it a sad turn of events  but highly unreasonable.

Many of the men and women sitting on the other side of the table who consented to this decision were direct beneficiaries of government financial support programmes during their time at university. To later turn-around and want to rob others of the same opportunity that made you who you are today is unfortunate.

It is easier to wake up and make haste decisions minus much thought on the multiplier effect of that decision and another to experience the resultant  effects  of the decision.This decision not only affect the students directly but other members of their families as well, who will have to put up with austerity measures in their homes so they can raise funds to feed their child at university.In addition, Many of the beneficiaries from the government bursaries at both Unza and CBU come from poor backgrounds, the financial support received becomes their only chance to acquiring a tertiary education. As though it couldn't come at the worst time, a time where the poverty levels have soared, unemployment levels are heading  for the sky and even those who work and earn something this will be a challenge bearing in mind the prevailing high costs of living.
One may wonder what's the logic of paying the school fees but you can't  be given the means to survive? Because for most not even meal allowance can be afforded by their parents.

Or maybe this comes as a punishment for the unruly behaviour of the students whenever they are aggrieved?
I have always been against riotous behaviour  when ever you want your plight to be heard by concerned parties,  unfortunately  this has not always been the case with our public universities. Destructive behaviour  at our institutions of higher has been the norm since time in memorial. But this shouldn't  be a case at an institution of high learning. The lecture  halls should house intellectuals and not being turned into "Theatres of Thugs" lest society loses faith in the intellectuals who are expected to be the face of good leadership, role models to inspire the generation's to come.

But honestly!, how do you expect a student coming from a poor background watching all the oppulence exhibited by our leaders and being told his/her issues rank least on the priority order expected to behave?  Should they fold hands and watch their resources being  plundered by the leaders? Unfortunate the situations maybe but destructive behaviour shouldn't even be considered an answer.

We now live in a country where education, health and other social amenities are of least concern for the leaders.  Luxurious cars and moving in gulf stream jets seem the new norm. But how do we expect sustained development if we can't educate  the citizens? The argument that government is not responsible for everything and education in particular does not hold water if the leaders can plunder national resources to their benefit and self -enrichment.  Millions have been wasted on bye-elections, political expedient projects and more and more of the money which should be educating the masses now  sits comfortably in individual hands. Such greed is bad and inhumane.

But forget it, they would rather remove the meal allowances and close the universities when ever it's convenient for them since in the first place their children have a birth right to be educated abroad. The same applies to health, how do you expect good health facilities locally when all the privileged do is head to Milpark hospital  in SA?.

This country presents a great case study of 'schooled illitrates', with piles and piles of policy documents and pronouncements but no tangible action on the ground. Now they want to kill the little hope remaining to educate citizens.