Education

I think that my education is of a different class to Micheles education, and is definitely not what they are taught in schools now! The emphasis now seems to be politically motivated. I have long known that to choose to be a teacher was to choose so, because you would never be rich. However, now they strike if the salary increase offered is 7.5% and not the demanded 8%. What they seem to ignore is the "No work, no pay" rule! If you are on strike for 4 weeks, you dont get paid for those weeks! Eventually they cave in and give you the 8% but by you striking, they have saved this half percent increase - for the next 200 months! Try to tell the disadvantaged strikers that though, and they will not believe you, even when they lose their homes and cars because they cannot afford the repayments.

For a huge number though, the next 200 months is not a problem as given 2 years (24 of those 200 months) and they will have died of AIDS.

There is nothing in SA like Strike Pay, paid by the Unions! And the Union Bosses are heroes because they have forced an extra .5% increase - that goes plus more - in increased union fees, taxes, medical aid and food prices! Whilst the "wekkas " (workers) are on strike - and not being paid anything - the Union bosses get their full pay - plus bonuses - because they are doing what Union bosses should!(???)- even though it is not in the interests of the workers at the coalface!

Mugabe is a hero - he made the Zim $ so worthless that even the poorest was a multi millionaire. Sad thing is that bread was selling for billions of dollars a loaf, and literally, doubling every day! I saw photographs where trash bins were lined with $ million notes because they were not big enough to buy loaves of bread! When I was at school, half cents were treasured as you could buy "Nigger Balls" (that is what they were called - by the manufacturers) at 2 for a cent! There was nothing racialistic about this name, it is just what they were called!

Christine is having difficulty in passing tests on biology! She however truly believes that she will be able to do a Doctors degree - Degree, Honours then a Doctorate - and to qualify as a Heart Surgeon. When I was at school, you needed distinctions (over 75%) to even think of medecine, and to be a heart surgeon, took school marks of over 95% - consistently - in everything! I think that the Black Economic Empowerment initiative where if you are "previously disadvantaged" you get into University! Literacy is a benefit but not essential! If you are "previously disadvantaged" you pass even if you cannot read or write! How fair is that? They leave school after 5 years of striking and not learning - even being literate - and get a certificate they cannot read, then cannot get jobs - not in SA or especially if they go overseas!

Christine is at a private school, where they actually teach something, but some of what she learns is that you get what you want irrespective! Her Mom married a Chartered Accountant, and then when I would not buy her a house that I could not afford, she moved on to bigger fish and when he was not good enough, she divorced him and "upgraded"! Seems to work for some, but not for everyone!

I dont want to come across as bitter, but that is how I see things! It scares me that money means so much to some people that everything else (including your Eternities)goes by the wayside!