Opinion
Behind My Pipe Smoke
By Fanzo Skhova
01/07/2016
Now that we are out of Youth Month, let me address a topic I had an issue with from the press release issued by the Congress of South African Students (COSAS) on school uniform etiquette on June 16.
Before I share with you the construct of the reasoning of these young fellows, let me remind you that we still need a round-table to resolve whether they should or should not address themselves as learners instead of students. If you had the fortune of going through the press statement, you will find seven important issues raised in it.
First and rightly, COSAS objects to adults who symbolically wear school uniform and loose their compass then end up in a taverns instead of a classroom. They associate their school uniform with youthfulness and innocence. Secondly, they say it is improper and “disgusting for irresponsible adults” to disgrace the school uniform. Thirdly, the young and bright youth say the uniform, especially when worn with respect and kept clean, spurs them on to “academic excellence”. Fourth, the uniform, we are told, instils in them a sense of responsibility and patriotism because in that uniform they find inspiration to “focus“ and go on to attain professional qualifications by which to serve this country. So far am loving COSAS and the way they see the world. I guess after all, that is what it means to see the world in the eyes of a child. Fifth, I was fascinated further by their conviction, so much that they promised to exercise discipline should any adult find themselves on the wrong side of the COSAS law. The last and more intriguing is the warning that if any adult breaks this law, they will “have no choice but to strip naked anyone” found drunk in school uniform. I admire this attitude of decisiveness.
After going through the statement I embraced the issues raised by these young ones. I found it tasty that we are truly blessed with youth with such elements of discipline and decorum. I guess I made a mistake by reading the statement because I met ten problems in it.
1. COSAS do not seem to observe the key principle of relations on which harmony stands. Namely that, we have parents and children, employers and employees, the prey and predator, chief and subjects, speakers and listeners and so on. Adults remain adults and so do children. What COSAS need to know is that there are three rules to apply when dealing with adults regardless of their low or high levels of sobriety. Rule 1) Adults make rules; children obey them. Rule 2) Adults are always right! Rule 3) In rare instances where adults are wrong, rules 1) and 2) apply.
2. COSAS seem unaware that the wearing of school uniform on June 16 is symbolic. When adults wear the school uniform, they should not be expected to become children. Similarly, when children put on civilian clothes or even wear a size eight shoe, it does not translate them into adults.
3. In the statement, these youth would like me to believe that they associate school uniform with academic excellence. That is narrow and misleading. There is no substitute for commitment and hard work. It is a short-sighted view as bad as believing that typing “AMEN” on your Facebook timeline you will receive tons of blessings including a cars, houses and cash.
4. In the statement, these lads refer to themselves as “soldiers”. Soldiers indeed because when you read it, you find all elements of military attitude and suggestions of violence.
5. To this effect, the mighty COSAS threaten to shut down taverns that sell alcohol to “minors” (adults) in school uniform. This war-talk draws a picture of a youth that derive their construct from a fibre of anger and ruthlessness.
6. In their own words, they say they are the future of this country. I forbid them from running this country in future or any time after that. They represent everything in dictatorship.
7. They say according to their knowledge of the law, minors should not be sold alcohol. I agree. The question remains whether the law recognises attire or age or both at the point of sale.
8. This understanding of the law by COSAS seems to lead us to believing that the definition of a “minor” is constrained to a school uniform instead of the legal age of 16. Accordingly, their interpretation seems to suggest that you may be 25 years old but if you dare wear a school uniform, your age will be chopped down to 15.
9. COSAS is disturbingly undecided about whether on June 16 we commemorate or celebrate the efforts of the youth that challenged the regime of the day on June 16, 1976. The statement objects to the “incorrect commemoration of June 16 which is characterised by parties, festivals and drinking specials”. Hello government! Are you listening? Further on they suppose that they “can use the day to celebrate excellence of young people…”. I care less about what exactly that means but am keen to know if they make a distinction between a commemoration and a celebration.
10. In the statement, COSAS use phrases such as “disgusted by irresponsible adults”; “mindless drinking sprees” and “strip naked”. I think the press statement contains imaginary scenes of violence, strong language and nudity thereby qualifies for an age restriction of 13. It makes me exceedingly nervous to read the length and breadth these youth are willing to straddle in the name of defending the prestigious school uniform.
Perhaps it is time for COSAS to draw a sound, relevant, learner-centric programme that encapsulates issues requiring attention and advocacy within their own world. I am yet to hear them raise standard issues plaguing their schooling experience such as insufficient schools, classroom over-crowding, lack of libraries, laboratories, sports fields, learner-teacher support material and basic ICT infrastructure.
Please pass me my pipe.
Skhova
