Eusebius McKaiser Argues for Quality of Life Versus Education as an Essential Service

In his latest column for News24, Eusebius McKaiser, author of A Bantu in My Bathroom, put to the test president Jacob Zuma’s recently uttered theory that education is an essential service, or should be considered one.

McKaiser tested this statement against what the law says an essential service actually is. He says education could be seen as the way to a better quality of life, but that one wouldn’t necessarily die from not having a good education. The essential service that one most likely would die without is healthcare, which has to be legislated in the context of essential services in the event of certain strike action, according to a broader legal definition.

McKaiser also found that “it is simply lazy to try and deal with education challenges with a blunt legal concept”.

True story: President Jacob Zuma has started the year with a fascinating thought of his own, and one that was bluntly expressed at that.

On CNBCA’s Political Exchange on Monday evening he told the host, Karima Brown, that teaching should be declared an essential service if that is the only way to ensure that wayward teachers do not compromise our children’s education. But should we hasten to agree with the president just because education really is a crucial determinant of whether you will flourish later in life? I think not. Here’s why.

• Complete article: News24

Book details

• A Bantu in My Bathroom: Debating Race, Sexuality and Other Uncomfortable South African Topics by Eusebius McKaiser
  EAN: 9781920434373
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