Education, in an ideal world, should not be tainted by politics. Unfortunately reality is not an ideal world, and even the noble cause of learning is often swept along by political undercurrents. Yet, after completing formal education, a significant part of our education continues through the media. This is why I cannot pass up the opportunity to comment, as an educator, on South Africa's Black Tuesday.
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| Black Tuesday Resistance. Image: Gulfnews.com |
Tuesday, November 22, 2011 marked the passing in South African Parliament of the Protection of Information Bill. In a nutshell, the Bill claims to restrict publication of sensitive state information that could damage national security. So far so good. However, it has been formulated in such a way that this "sensitive information" includes governmental corruption, which is a national pastime barely rivalled by soccer, rugby and blowing the notorious vuvuzela (see image). The free press has been a hallmark of this fledgling democracy, and has been instrumental in exposing corruption in government and business. (The two are more entangled than instant noodles - occupy that.) Corruption, meanwhile, fills - and sells - newspapers. The present Bill will make such reporting a criminal offence.
Politiking aside, my concern is that this impacts educational function of the media in society. The news media enable ongoing civil education, specifically in emerging economies where access to formal education remains limited. Transparent reporting provides information that citizens need to make informed decisions about their future - not least when it comes to who deserves to represent their interests in government. Moreover, a steady diet of investigative reporting has been the lifeblood of newspaper sales. Without sales, newspaper budgets would plunge (further - the intelligent publications are suffering as is), reducing the budget for broader educational functions of the press. The bottom line, educationally, is that Black Tuesday threatens to make you stupid. On so many levels.
One silver lining to the dark cloud is that this crossroads in my country's history has provoked unprecedented unity among South Africans. Traditional and social media shone in spreading the word, raising awareness and galvanizing civil action. Locally and internationally, the deafening cry for justice went unopposed. And that is the seething irony that leads us back to the vital role of education. How did an outrageous proposition pass parliamentary muster if the only audible voice is that of its opposition? Very simply, this "secrecy act" protects the corrupt majority of South Africa's current parliament, who were voted into power by the miseducated, ignorant citizens they are exploiting. If ever there was an argument for education, this is it.
