"I am particularly concerned about the short-term as the country approaches the general election. Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga, who in certain fields has performed admirably, is politically driven to achieve results. The next minister will have quite a task to improve or even maintain the results; we all know what Isaac Newton said - 'what goes up must come down'." Jansen was appointed vice-chancellor and rector of the University of the Free State on 1 July 2009.
He is an honorary professor of education at the University of the Witwatersrand and received an honorary doctorate in education from the Cleveland State University in the US in 2010 and was elected a fellow of the Academy of Science of the Developing World in the same year. He is also a visiting fellow at the National Research Foundation.
The Education Department will have to deal with the fact that in the majority of schools there is no routine that encourages a rhythm of learning.
"In my province, the Free State, we brought back retired teachers and principals who speedily inculcated a routine and sense of urgency. That is why we achieved the best matric results in the country last year. The learners had direction."
No school can change for the better without strong leadership. "The principal, as the head, must give that leadership. In the high performing pockets of excellence in the deep rural areas of the country there is a common thread that runs through all the top schools and that is that the principal is in his or her office by 06:00.
"A good teacher cares for the learners.
"That is how respect is gained and the reward for teaching must be measured.
"No one says they liked a teacher because of their knowledge of the subject, but everyone will remember a teacher for the compassion and understanding shown when it was needed."
If we can improve a school for just one year it will filter down and can become the standard to which all will strive towards the following year.
The sponsors of the evening that ensured that Prof Jansen could address the critical education issues that touches everyone in the country were Jetline e.com, Jakkelsvlei Private Cellar, Coetzer de Beer Attorneys, Lumenrock Financial Services, Mitanoya Training College with the George Herald was the media sponsor.
Front, from left: Freda Kooij, Rian Horn (Coetzer de Beer), Greg Fleet (Jetline George), Prof Jonathan Jansen (guest speaker – University of the Free State) and Blanche Herbst (Mitanoya). Back: Jantjie Jonker (Jakkelsvlei), Ilse Schoonraad (George Herald), Jandré Botha (Mitanoya) and Pieter Esterhuizen (Lumenrock). Photos: Myron Rabinowitz
ARTICLE: MYRON RABINOWITZ, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
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