Survival in a hostile environment

Tshwarelo Hosia | Monday May 25, 2026 06:00

A limping and half-baked education system can only go as far as preparing graduates to fit into environments where opportunities are guaranteed and function in a familiar, predictable environment. The teaching of the conventional curriculum sadly falls short of preparing students for the practical realities of life. This approach to education makes no sufficient provision (if any) for unpredictability and uncertainties. On the contrary, a properly designed education system adequately equips learners with versatile skills, enabling them to navigate unexpected hazards and unpredictable circumstances in the labour market while giving them a toolkit to navigate the terrain that comes with life itself.

One of the glaring limitations of an ill-conceived education system is that it rests on a passionate, religious emphasis on the written curriculum to the detriment of an informal, life-based curriculum. Because it is highly rated, the written curriculum takes up a large share of teaching time, leaving less time for other pursuits.

This is a weakness because it does not cast its net wide to encompass all facets of life. Lack of a strong link with the world outside creates a vacuum on other fronts. The world out there remains unkind and less empathetic to the plight of graduates who are not well-equipped to cope with the rigours of a changing future. Dealing with a changing future calls for an open and critical mind. In the execution of their teaching functions, schools are ever conscious of the demands of the terminal assessment. Working towards the fulfilment of examination requirements reduces the core business of schools to a passionate, religious focus on the subjects listed in the programme, thereby relegating training in skills related to life preservation to the background. Little or no time is found to delve into the complexities of life, which are not captured in the curriculum. Here is the nature of life. It is unpredictable and riddled with hazards. Danger is everywhere. And children should be trained to stay alive and thrive amid hazards.

Electrical shocks, snake bites, Kitchen burns, and drowning are some of the common and recurring dangers which place the lives of children at risk. Education should never pay lip service to life itself. And in my estimation, the most potent form of education is one that promotes the sanctity of life by training children in survival skills. The training shops incorporate practical lessons on first aid, electrical and water safety, fire drills and how children can navigate their way home when lost. Nothing matters more than life. The sanctity of life is fundamental.