Lewenswetenskappe en indiensneembaarheid

Abstract

Hierdie artikel handel oor landelike werkloosheid. Suid-Afrika ly tegelykertyd onder ’n vaardigheidstekort en ’n hoë werkloosheidsyfer. In landelike gebiede is die probleem selfs groter as in metropole. Die institusionele werklikheid van onderrig is dat elke klein dorpie oor ’n hoërskool beskik, wat primêr poog om leerders vir verdere studie voor te berei, terwyl Verdere Onderwys en Opleiding (VOO) kolleges (voorheen tegniese kolleges) slegs in groter sentra gekonsentreer is. Gegewe hierdie werklikheid, is die vraag wat hoërskole kan doen om die probleem te verlig. Dit is opmerklik dat landelike werkgewers nie van skoolverlaters verwag om oor toepaslike kennis te beskik nie, maar wel oor die vermoë en bepaalde persoonlikheidseienskappe wat hulle opleibaar sal maak. Selfs dít vind hulle nie altyd by jong mense wat hul skoolloopbaan suksesvol voltooi nie. Onderwysers, ook van ’n teoretiese vak soos lewenswetenskappe, kan ‘n bydrae lewer deur enkele nietradisionele insigte by die onderwyspraktyk in te lyf.

This article addresses unemployment in rural areas. South Africa is also characterised by skills shortage and high unemployment figures, especially in rural areas as compared to urban areas. The institutional reality of education is that every rural village hosts a high school which is primarily engaged in preparing learners for further studies, whilst the Further Training Colleges (previously known as technical colleges) are mainly located in the larger centres. It is with this scenario as a backdrop that the possible role of high schools to alleviate the problem is being argued. It is clear that rural employers do not expect from school leavers to be in possession of applicable knowledge, but rather to be in possession of the ability as well as certain personal characteristics that would make them employable. Unfortunately, however, this is not always found in young persons who have completed their schooling successfully. Life Sciences educators can render a valuable service should certain nontraditional approaches be incorporated into the teaching practice. This will enable them to contribute to solving one of South Africa’s serious problems.