Former president president Jacob Zuma has encouraged students to be job creators rather than to be jobs seekers. Zuma is delivering an education lecture at the Walter Sisulu University’s Mthatha campus this afternoon.
"We cannot be educated to be only workers, but we should also be educated to be creators of work. We should be so educated that we don’t sit at home when there is no work, but we should be able to create jobs ourselves, that is what we are looking for. That challenges our understanding of freedom and democracy,” he said.
Zuma said a nation that was not educated and empowered could not walk proud among other nations.
"When our results were a subject of criticism, it was very difficult to move among other nations. Even the nations that we thoughts were weaker than us, produced better results and I am happy that the situation has changed and that is no no longer the issues,” he said.
Zuma also took a swipe at the institutions of higher learning for depriving students from poor families a chance to be educated.
“Many children from poor families and working class households have struggled to gain entry into universities because their parents could not pay the fees. So if came from a poor family you are condemned forever, to remain an inferior person,” he said.
He said so many young people have been expelled from the universities because they could not pay, others had to pick up demeaning jobs to obtain money to further their studies.
“Some universities have decided to withhold the results of students who could not afford to pay, that is destroying may futures of individuals. They (universities) are not worried about the the would contribution the student would make in developing the country,” he said.
'Create your own jobs,' Zuma tells students
Image: FILE
Former president president Jacob Zuma has encouraged students to be job creators rather than to be jobs seekers. Zuma is delivering an education lecture at the Walter Sisulu University’s Mthatha campus this afternoon.
"We cannot be educated to be only workers, but we should also be educated to be creators of work. We should be so educated that we don’t sit at home when there is no work, but we should be able to create jobs ourselves, that is what we are looking for. That challenges our understanding of freedom and democracy,” he said.
Zuma said a nation that was not educated and empowered could not walk proud among other nations.
"When our results were a subject of criticism, it was very difficult to move among other nations. Even the nations that we thoughts were weaker than us, produced better results and I am happy that the situation has changed and that is no no longer the issues,” he said.
Zuma also took a swipe at the institutions of higher learning for depriving students from poor families a chance to be educated.
“Many children from poor families and working class households have struggled to gain entry into universities because their parents could not pay the fees. So if came from a poor family you are condemned forever, to remain an inferior person,” he said.
He said so many young people have been expelled from the universities because they could not pay, others had to pick up demeaning jobs to obtain money to further their studies.
“Some universities have decided to withhold the results of students who could not afford to pay, that is destroying may futures of individuals. They (universities) are not worried about the the would contribution the student would make in developing the country,” he said.
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