Given

·            We are living in a fossil fuel blip, expending energy at the rate of 3500 Watt per person in South Africa (Switzerland 5000 Watt), the equivalent of each having  30 personal assistants. Unless nuclear energy comes to the party, the party will be over in 100 to 200 years.

·            Historically, human societies have by and large comprised plus minus 25% of the people much better off  than the others, by appearances anyway.

·            The average standard of living in a country depends upon the total amount of energy accessed by that country (mainly in terms of goods and construction). Quality of life is something else.

·            Industrialised countries without mineral or fossil fuel resources of their own have to be 'clever':

              a) in a materialistic way in order to survive (eg with "Audi" or "Nokia"),  

         or b) in a political way (by effectively colonising others).

·            Countries with their own mineral and/or fossil fuel resources make these resources available to other not-so-lucky countries in exchange for stuff they think they need or want.

·            It is very plausible that the research study, which found that Bangladeshis are on average a happier people than very affluent Westerners, is valid.

The basis of our current education system

·            At the end of the 19^th century it became apparent that there were not enough skilled workers to service the accelerating industrial revolution.

·            The school education system was changed with much more emphasis on science and maths. Numbers (after 100 000 years of nonentity) became public property.

·            A rigorous sieving process ensured that top performers were identified and encouraged to obtain tertiary qualifications in the technological fields. This was a radical departure from the previous 'entitlement solely through money and/or position and/or sponsorship' system.

·            The sieving process in the maths and science school subjects was extended as a tool to produce inferiority feelings in the 90% non-performers. This has the effect of increasing respect for technology and feeds materialism.

·            Binet's IQ and the concept of (spatial-, abstract-, numbers- and language-) intelligence was elevated to high prominence to further fuel class-thinking, materialism and acceptance of debatable working conditions. Estimates are that IQ is one seventh to one third part of a persons Effective Intelligence (EI), which can be defined as a measure of the ability to obtain results using own and others' resources. Correctly viewed, IQ is simply one of the many talents a person may have, comparable to musical-, athleticism-, story telling-, hands-on-, net working talent, etc.

Personality Development in hospitable and inhospitable regions on earth

·           Hospitable regions for human life are warm regions with not too much and not too little rainfall. Humans have an easy life. Type B (easygoing) personalities abound.

·            Inhospitable livable regions have severe winters and food is more scarce. In order to survive, humans in these regions adopted paediatric behaviour designed to produce neurotic Type A personalities, blessed (or burdened) with a high need to work (prove something).  The aggression sometimes associated with this personality type was an unwanted, unfortunate byproduct.

·           The combination of 'access to limitless energy through exploitation of fossil fuels' and 'Type A personality' has had near disastrous effects, with Mother Earth threatened in many ways and humans facing new viruses, overpopulation, the chemical and pharmaceutical industries  and other dangers.

The Dream

Imagine a remote valley with a warm climate, fertile soil, plentiful clean water, effective birth control practices and mostly Type B personality (not fussed) people. Life is easy, though quite physical, in a pre-industrialisation  sort of way.

Culture is big, with much music, the Arts, sport  and many events. Engagement with spiritual matters is encouraged.

The relatively few type As are catered for with valley competitions, missions (or 'gap' travels) to the outside world (where they may opt to stay),  and appropriate community sponsored jobs (mayor, public works, R&D,…).

And everybody is happy.

The most important facts about (lucky) South Africa

·            Mostly no severe winters.

·            Fertile soil.

·            Plentiful water.

·           Very cheap electricity generation using large near-surface coal deposits.

·           2^nd richest country in the world by mineral resources.

·            Population increasing rapidly due to illegal immigration.

·            One of the highest unemployment rates anywhere due to illegal immigration, misguided labour regulations (fuelling automation and do-it-yourself), and a disappointing education system including crippling corruption.    

·            The most unequal society anywhere.

·            One of the shortest life expectancies anywhere.

·            Corruption at the tipping point (regarding reversibility).

·             Population comprising mainly Type B personalities (with the lowest measured neuroticity anywhere, as in the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa) .

A South African Dream

·            Economy: Based on cheap electricity from our coal, minimum mineral export (no coal exports!), maximum mineral beneficiation, minimum import of luxury goods, huge tourism, agriculture output limited to own needs (organic emphasis),  30h minimum working week, significant tax breaks for anti-automation, IT only as far as it is local-based (!)

·            No media-advertising of materialism.

·            Denmark's labour regulations (Danes with 72% union membership score highest on a satisfaction with life – index).

·            Vibrant culture-, arts- and sports scene.

·            Society in tune with our Constitution, which happens to be one of the best anywhere!

A New Base for South Africa's Education System

·          Base: A positive mindset in learners and teachers.

·            No attempt to force Type B learners to become like Type A learners (ie. avoid 'sweat and tears' workload applicable to Type As needing to prove something).

·            A strong emphasis on Culture, Sports and the Arts.

·            Solid primary school education with good 3 Rs: Reading, Riting and Rithmetic.

·            A positive enjoyable learning experience for the large majority.

·            Approx 150 000 matriculants with appropriate university exemptions to fill the available study places (year 2013).

·            School leavers with a positive attitude towards further learning.

·            School leavers equipped to function as responsible citizens.

Changes needed in Schools/Education:

·            Everybody does  Citizenmaths (not the current overly demanding mathematical literacy) and  Citizenscience, with 90 to 100% final pass rate.

·            Mathematics and Science are voluntary subjects.

·            There is much, much more sport, arts and culture.

·            Matric is done only by the 150 000 intending to go to university.

·            Everybody does 11 years with a School Certificate finish, + further education.

·            The state ensures that lack of money is not a barrier to anybody's education.

·            Teachers are appropriately (well) paid.

  Related necessary changes:

·              Drastically increase employment prospects by fixing Zimbabwe, controlling illegal immigration, anti-automation measures, more labour-intensive organic farming, minerals beneficiation, compulsory further education (skilling), ….

·            Tertiary education must come off its high horse and get 'real'. There is too much content/specialisation not needed in the real world. That year after year 80% of accountancy students fail can't be right. Focus on the 'doing the job' professional's library, and the tools needed to utilize these books (eg the American 'Machinery's Handbook', which is superb for mechanical engineers)

Key thoughts

1. South Africa is uniquely blessed

·           by having the cheapest coal in the world for electricity generation,

·           as well as by having the second richest hoard of minerals in the world, which it can use to trade for any goods it needs or wants (and yes, rather beneficiate).

2. South Africa's population largely comprises the easy-going Type B personality  (in line with other countries with a history of hospitable living conditions). That is also a blessing, when combined with point 1., because it makes an essentially non-competitive society feasible.

3. All Westerners have achieved so far is to ensure they have the highest standard of living (nothing wrong with that), at some cost to the others (hmmm), with the pharmaceutical and chemical industries about to ruin the planet and the human species, and a depressed quality of life for themselves. Without media advertising everybody would instantly see that. The chase for the pot at the end of the rainbow is natural for the Type As, and a substitute activity for Type Bs in the absence of solid sports, art and culture interests. Media must be used to change people's perception of  'paradise'; of what constitutes a 'good quality of life'.

4. South Africa's advantages allow it to adopt a non-materialism-oriented  education system.

5. Sport, Arts and Culture must be increased massively to facilitate a reduction in materialism.  (Of course all that is needed is a ban on media advertising, direction Botswana!). This can be the best route to reducing the inequality  gap without pain.

6. The new base for education is a positive mind set.

Presented at a national conference on education in Johannesburg in Nov 2010 as part of a 20 years strategy of 'Steter Tropfen hoehlt den Stein' and ''There is always a final straw' and 'Hope springs eternal'.