“It’s all part of the plan”, I said over a glass of Sibebe beer to him, “the plan to rob the former colonies of their foremost thinkers and brilliant minds.”
Isn’t it strange how the push towards leaving the country for “greener” pastures begins from high school in our country? As an alumnus of one of our country’s “Elite” schools, I have noted with concern how we lose our best and brightest to other countries. “If you want to succeed, leave this country. Do not come back.”
This is a common refrain. Perhaps those who leave genuinely believe that there is no way in which they can help shape the course of this nation, perhaps they have never been shown the path of change that needs their participation for it to be a success.
None of South Africa’s luminaries went into exile with the thought that they would never return. Even outside of their home they lifted their voices, calling for reform and change. The only people who can save Swaziland are emaSwati.
Miseducation begins in the halls of our schools and continues into institutions of higher learning.
We exit high school with little or no history of our nation’s modern politics. Instead, we are burdened with Greco-Roman, European, and American history and cultural ideals. SiSwati becomes a tertiary language whilst English and French command first place. Even apartheid is glossed over, we know more about the American Civil Rights movement, less about Chris Hani, Kwame Nkrumah or Patrice Lumumba. Erasure of communist and socialist narratives in favour of the Western capitalist tale of globalization and prosperity.
Some of these schools were specifically created to cater to the children of expatriates and not the local populace. Hence, their curriculum emphasises external events and history and their encouragement of emigration is to be expected.
This is different from the historical mission schools that we have. Which were constructed for the education of the local “native” population.
When we reflect on the people involved in societal changes in the country, we tend to find that they are alumni of St Marks, St Michaels, Ebenezer, Salesian, St Francis etc and this is with good reason.
Unfortunately, those who ascended to the upper echelons of Swati society see it fit to send their children to Model C schools, with nary a look at their alma mater. Which are in sore need of funds and support.
Ultimately, we must confront the reality that many of the upper middle class in Swaziland would rather instil aspirations of leaving and escaping the socio-economic climate here, than instil ideals and philosophies of changing things for the better.
This, in turn, stunts the socio-political development of the country; whilst simultaneously encouraging the brain drain of young and brilliant emaSwati. They enter tertiary institutions in SA, UK or Canada and rarely return. After all, the values they were inculcated with are neither patriotic nor community centred.
The problem here is that any investment by a parent into Model C (private) secondary education, becomes a divestment to either the West or Western-owned corporations in South Africa.
This is the “plan’ that the engineers of globalization have, weakening local ingenuity and development by using the pen and not the sword.
This is one of the many faces of neo-colonialism.
Isn’t it strange how the push towards leaving the country for “greener” pastures begins from high school in our country? As an alumnus of one of our country’s “Elite” schools, I have noted with concern how we lose our best and brightest to other countries. “If you want to succeed, leave this country. Do not come back.”
This is a common refrain. Perhaps those who leave genuinely believe that there is no way in which they can help shape the course of this nation, perhaps they have never been shown the path of change that needs their participation for it to be a success.
None of South Africa’s luminaries went into exile with the thought that they would never return. Even outside of their home they lifted their voices, calling for reform and change. The only people who can save Swaziland are emaSwati.
Miseducation begins in the halls of our schools and continues into institutions of higher learning.
We exit high school with little or no history of our nation’s modern politics. Instead, we are burdened with Greco-Roman, European, and American history and cultural ideals. SiSwati becomes a tertiary language whilst English and French command first place. Even apartheid is glossed over, we know more about the American Civil Rights movement, less about Chris Hani, Kwame Nkrumah or Patrice Lumumba. Erasure of communist and socialist narratives in favour of the Western capitalist tale of globalization and prosperity.
Some of these schools were specifically created to cater to the children of expatriates and not the local populace. Hence, their curriculum emphasises external events and history and their encouragement of emigration is to be expected.
This is different from the historical mission schools that we have. Which were constructed for the education of the local “native” population.
When we reflect on the people involved in societal changes in the country, we tend to find that they are alumni of St Marks, St Michaels, Ebenezer, Salesian, St Francis etc and this is with good reason.
Unfortunately, those who ascended to the upper echelons of Swati society see it fit to send their children to Model C schools, with nary a look at their alma mater. Which are in sore need of funds and support.
Ultimately, we must confront the reality that many of the upper middle class in Swaziland would rather instil aspirations of leaving and escaping the socio-economic climate here, than instil ideals and philosophies of changing things for the better.
This, in turn, stunts the socio-political development of the country; whilst simultaneously encouraging the brain drain of young and brilliant emaSwati. They enter tertiary institutions in SA, UK or Canada and rarely return. After all, the values they were inculcated with are neither patriotic nor community centred.
The problem here is that any investment by a parent into Model C (private) secondary education, becomes a divestment to either the West or Western-owned corporations in South Africa.
This is the “plan’ that the engineers of globalization have, weakening local ingenuity and development by using the pen and not the sword.
This is one of the many faces of neo-colonialism.
Soliloquys 
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