VT-C-VC (Vocabulary Tests + Constitution + Voter Coalition)
Civic education, centred on our constitution, needs to be provided to young people so that transformation can be energised.
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000129557
Four actions are needed: -
1. eliminate the large English vocabulary deficit;
2. promote essential multilingualism.
3. centre civic education on the Constitution;
4. form a broad-based Voters Coalition.
Our education, overall, is in a parlous state:
The majority population is not highly proficient in English. The minority population is not sufficiently multilingual. Kaschula and Docrat found that “multilingualism, is generally seen as a problem rather than as a rich resource."
https://theconversation.com/multilingualism-must-be-celebrated-as-a-resource-not-a-problem-90397
There are 35 languages spoken in RSA. Eleven are official languages: Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swati, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu, Afrikaans and English. Barney Mthombothi notes that "language, not race, has now become the great divider."
https://headtopics.com/za/moonshot-what-moonshot-the-pitfalls-of-poor-language-usage-38850203
Vocabulary deficit is a global problem. According to UNICEF, over 600 million children and adolescents worldwide are unable to attain minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics, even though two thirds of them are in school.
Civic education is most productive in an enabling and language rich environment. As the principles of participatory democracy prevail in RSA, a Voters Coalition has to exist to demonstrate that strong civil society action is a metaphorical 'big stick' not to be trifled with.
Unfortunately, our model Constitution which regulates the formation and functioning of government, is scapegoated by leaders entangled in political or legal wrangles. Acting Deputy Chief Justice Khampepe berated former president Zuma’s “malevolent attitude” towards the Constitution, the Constitutional Court and the judiciary in general.
RW Johnson reports a similar hostility from other senior leaders:
"As Lindiwe Sisulu put it, if the Constitution doesn’t work well for the African majority, then what use is it, and why have it? Similarly, Paul Mashatile has made it clear that in his view democracy means that whatever the ANC or the African majority does is right. Even Ramaphosa has begun to sing this song."
https://www.politicsweb.co.za/opinion/the-liberal-order-is-under-threat-in-sa
Some want a benevolent dictatorship.
Furthermore, the ANC has persisted with the Closed List Proportional Representation system against Mandela's 1999 advice.
In 2017, the Motlanthe-High-Level-Panel reported thus to parliament:
“One of the major challenges with the current electoral system is the weakness of the proportional representation system in holding politicians to account to the electorate.
Members of Parliament are appointed not directly by voters, but rather by their party .... This makes them beholden to the party and its leadership rather than voters, and places party politics and loyalties ahead of effectiveness and delivery.”
As party interest supersede those of citizens, nothing happened. Consequently, interest in voting is declining. Only 74.6% of the 35.86-million eligible voters registered to vote in 2019, did so; and only two thirds of those registered, voted.
https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/south-africas-2019-general-election-post-analysis
A powerful Voters Coalition, is the 'big stick' needed to keep the government constitutionally bound to these foundational values: -
a. equality
b. Non-racialism and non-sexism.
c. Supremacy of the constitution
d. regular elections, accountability, responsiveness and openness.
The solution begins with the use of my custom-built software, being developed by Indigo Vision in Johannesburg, to provide online tests to shore up English vocabulary acquisition among learners. Hundreds of these tests are ready to deliver to grades 8 - 12.
For learners who can pay, a modest fee of $20 to $30 per annum will apply. They will receive +/- 100 tests in the course of a year, three times a week and 20 minutes per session.
With the assistance of the 9 provincial departments of education, schools in poor districts will be identified where learners will receive the same tests free of charge. This is where real change has to occur and must occur.
Learners will need to have a prescribed dictionary and thesaurus. Vocabulary will be tested from one side of the dictionary to the end. About 200 - 400 words will be tested per week. With regard to the dictionary, learners will be asked to look at what a word means, what part of speech it belongs to, which words function in more ways than one and perhaps which phrase/s that particular word appears in.
Grade 8 learners will study 4 and 5 letter words. Higher grades will study progressively longer words.
The next stage will require the use of the thesaurus. Learners will look for synonyms and antonyms for the words they are studying.
To make this work interesting, learners will be encouraged to form groups or involve family members. Teachers, hopefully, will also pick out a few words from the relevant section to be tested, to explore in the classroom. Principals will be encouraged to have a board at the entrance of the school where 10 words of the day will be written.
The government is well aware of the reading crisis. Its plan to improve reading has not progressed at all. See;
Our project is needed.
The second part will be to use more online tests to encourage the learning of high frequency words in two other languages that are dominant in a given area, to facilitate inter-racial communication and bridge building as well.
Former President Mandela reminded us that speaking to someone in a language they understand, goes to their heads, but speaking to them in their own language, goes to their hearts.
Winning hearts is our cherished goal.
The third part involves using free online quizzes to strengthen knowledge of the Constitution among learners. This will be supplemented by holding speech contests and debates across the country.
The fourth part will involve forming a broad-based Voters Coalition to bring a large body of voters together, irrespective of their political party affiliation, to increase their bargaining power and clout in the political sphere. Both political parties and public representatives need to be held accountable in respect of what they do, do indifferently, or omit to do altogether. By having such leverage over every government policy and performance, better government and better service delivery will prevail.
The target population whose lives we will be working to improve directly and meaningfully will be young people at school, in college and university campuses, and those who dropped out with an incomplete education. We will work to reach them all, via the internet. The challenges are not insurmountable.
As we have 35 languages spoken in our country, the vast majority of our children are underserved in respect of English, the de facto language for education, business, science and so on.
By helping them to become very proficient in English, a wider world of opportunities will open up to them. Consequently, they will embrace a wider world view. They will also begin to participate fully in the politics of the area and the nation. They will take action to improve their own lives and those of their families as well.
With our education in an unenviable space and poor governance being emblematic of our woes, South Africans are thoroughly fed up:
https://businesstech.co.za/news/lifestyle/683789/south-africans-have-had-enough/
By encouraging minority groups in our country to become multilingual, better dialogue will take place across the racial divide, and more harmony will prevail. Having enough knowledge of an indigenous language will be a game changer in race relations in our country. Whole segments of society will benefit in many ways. The emergence of greater trust will be a major gain.
By bringing the Constitution back into the limelight, young people will understand the history of how expensively it was bought and why we are so favoured with the extensive range of rights enshrined therein. They will also learn how the government is formed, how it functions, and what benefits accrue to society from its being the supreme law of the land.
They will understand, also, why we have a duty to defend the Constitution and cherish our democracy.
By taking active steps to form a Voters Coalition, young people in particular and citizens at large will have a vital forum to discuss and debate issues affecting them. With knowledge of the Constitution and the clout that a Voters Coalition will give them, they will be able, with their proficiency in English, to negotiate from a position of enormous strength.
Civic education is an imperative. The four constitutionally enshrined values on which the South African state is founded on, must be so imprinted in their young minds that they will use that knowledge as a compass to navigate through every political hurdle and challenge, and overcome them.
To negotiate with the government at every level with enormous strength is the best way of succeeding. It will show young people how much more efficacious it is to do so than to engage in violent and destructive protest.
As no one in our country, whatever their age or race, has ever had the benefit of belonging to a broad-based Voters Coalition encompassing all voters from all sides, people have yet to learn how empowering our Constitution is and how powerful a Voters Coalition will be.
Over many years, I straddled both education and politics.
I was also privileged to have interacted personally with Cyril Ramaphosa, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Mosiuoa Lekota and others.
My wife, a former teacher, speaks English, Afrikaans and isiZulu. We are very well paced, therefore, to design and deliver a solution that strengthens English proficiency among young people, promotes essential multilingualism, awakens an interest in the constitution and in the operation of government, and to take the lead in forming a Voters Coalition so that citizens are in a strong position vis-à-vis the government.
The Parliamentary appointed High-Level Panel Report of 2018, recommended in section 2.12, p 129, that "a radical improvement of the quality of teaching and improving access of learners to online learning resources," should occur.
We are going to be doing just that.
We are well positioned to provide a much-needed educational resource. My decades long work in the field of English vocabulary enabled me to build up a huge stock of English vocabulary tests.
We will have custom-built software delivered any day now. Furthermore, using the Reader's Digest Multi-Language Dictionary and Phrase Book, we will also be able to provide tests encompassing English, Afrikaans, Northern Sotho, Sesotho, Tswana, isiXhosa and isiZulu. Each test will comprise high frequency words. English, Afrikaans and one indigenous language will be simultaneously tested in different configurations.
The High-Level Panel also reported on page 407 that multilingualism "presupposes a more fluid relationship between languages and culture" and that "the two can and should be mutually reinforcing and, if properly managed, should give rise to and sustain genuine respect for the variability of the communities that constitute our emerging nation." (Cited in Orman)
A fluid relationship between languages and culture has been going on over time and needs to be accelerated. Bed is the same in Afrikaans. In Sesotho it is 'bethe' and in isiZulu it is 'umbhede'.
Everywhere in present day South Africa, people are at their wits end. Some prominent people think that it is time to look for a benevolent dictator. I am well placed with first-hand knowledge of what happened at CODESA and in parliament to know that invoking the Constitution is the greatest power we have. The expensive way has been to go to the Constitutional Court to keep the government in check.
Promoting civic knowledge, by increasing young peoples' acquaintance of the Constitution, is something we are excellently well placed to do.
I have been a teacher and a lecturer; a politician and a political researcher.
Politicians want to be unfettered in the exercise of power. Young people who possess knowledge of the Constitution will know that government works well only when accountability prevails.
We are well placed to teach young people that voting is like firing the only bullet available in the air and then that's it! Belonging to a powerful Voters Coalition, however, is to be continuously well armed.
The time is right, the experience is to hand and the internet tools are there.
- Help learners acquire key civic skills and knowledge, including how to assess credibility of information, engage across differences, understand one’s own agency, and engage with issues of power, privilege, and injustice.
- South Africa
- Pilot: An organization testing a product, service, or business model with a small number of users
Solve can provide technical assistance and linkages.
Second, I have already paid Indigo Vision, our software developers, +/- $22 000. (R400 000 in our currency). A little more financial help will give the project wings.
Third, learners globally want to achieve higher proficiency in English. Our pile of English vocabulary tests for grades 8 - 12, developed over a very long time, and our software when completed to my specifications, will fill a big need everywhere. As "Solve aims to connect all Solver teams with partners who can help advance their solutions (elsewhere) through monetary and/or non-monetary support", this application is important.
Fourth is the issue of prestige. To be recognised by MIT Solve will be excellent for what we are ready to launch - as well as for giving some impetus to my desire to get people on board regarding the 'Maths in the Park' idea:
https://www.facebook.com/mathsinthepark/
Fifth, I am applying to Solve because a friend of mine, Vainola Makan, knowing what I have been long engaged with, strongly urged me to enter the MIT Solve challenge. The 'Education for Civic Action challenge' is right up my street. I have many of the materials ready to develop a 'curriculum' to achieve the following:
1.skilling young people in 'key civic competencies';
2. helping them to 'assess credibility of information';
3. 'engaging across differences';
4 'understanding their own agency', and '
5. engaging with issues of power, privilege, and injustice'.
Sixth, MIT Solve is a Marketplace for Social Impact Innovation and social entrepreneurship. I would like to be there.
Seventh, MIT Solve has had a community of innovative problem solvers. It will help me to learn from them.
Eighth, I would like to get membership to Solve so that I can be assisted to establish my fledgling organization as a leader in social impact and as a provider of cutting-edge innovation. The pinnacle of education for civic action is to tackle noxious legislation through the tabling of privately drafted amendments. In this regard, see the Electoral Laws Second Amendment Bill (B34-2020) which I authored for Dr Michael Louis and Mosiuoa Lekota and which now sits in parliament as a Private Member's Bill. An important requirement there is for every political party, contesting the elections, to submit a list of candidates, "accompanied by a personal manifesto signed by each candidate setting out how and to what extent that candidate was committed to making real the rights enshrined in Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996."
https://www.parliament.gov.za/bill/2294692
The amendment seeks to make the rights enshrined in the Bill of Rights attainable and justiciable. Unfortunately, the ANC has been unwilling to take it forward.
Ninth, I am applying to Solve because our approach to Civic Action is highly suited for a country where English proficiency is generally lacking and where society is 'gatvol' (fed up) at the serial lack of accountability.
- Financial (e.g. accounting practices, pitching to investors)
- Monitoring & Evaluation (e.g. collecting/using data, measuring impact)
- Product / Service Distribution (e.g. delivery, logistics, expanding client base)
- Public Relations (e.g. branding/marketing strategy, social and global media)
- Technology (e.g. software or hardware, web development/design)
I am offering, in phase one, a 4-parts solution to deal with the following: -
1. focus sharply on shoring up English vocabulary across the country via www.tests4u.com;
2. promote multilingualism at the level of communicative competence through www.test4u.co.za;
3. bring the Constitution into the limelight through speech contests, debates and quizzes;
4. form a Voters Coalition to enable society to push the government where it needs pushing and to hold it accountable where it is reluctant to do so.
In my days as an MP, I was one of the top two interrogators of Ministers in our parliament via written and oral questions. Not being there anymore, I have been urging citizens to establish a National Voters Coalition to achieve real clout.
Zoom Enterprise, Twitter and WhatsApp Business will serve as the main platforms to discuss voter concerns and take resolutions.
Next, let me deal with the neglect in resorting optimally to the Constitution. We have one of the best constitutions in the world. Our courts have issued many landmark judgments upholding the rights enshrined in our constitution. If only everyone knew the force of the Constitution in the political sphere, they would go to the Constitution rather than to the streets to protest violently.
Finally, let me come to dealing with the enormous vocabulary deficit in respect of English vocabulary. As the main language of law, politics, education and commerce, it is imperative to shore up English by growing vocabulary systematically over a period of months and years.
How will these 'catalyze' broader positive impacts from others in this space'? When a National Voters Coalition forms, followed by young people starting to show a genuine interest in the Constitution, citizens and organisations will see how effectively the Constitution and the Voters Coalition will be serving them.
People will adopt what works and what works very well, will influence others to follow suit.
What impact will such success have in all spheres of life?
Education and politics have always been intertwined. When poor policies are put in place and colleges of education are shut down, for example, new teachers will not have adequate pedagogical training. When education suffers, the economy will suffer also; and both poverty and inequality will remain uneradicated.
Still having pit toilets is a political hot potato. There is also political dissatisfaction that schools serving disadvantaged communities are under resourced. If they have no laboratories, very few computers, no electricity at times and no Wi-Fi, the situation will be tough for everyone.
By tackling educational issues separately on the one hand, and politically on the other hand at the same time, through a Voters Coalition for example, the government will be made to act with earnestness and competence.
I submit that increasing English proficiency amongst learners, promoting multilingualism, awakening an interest in the Constitution and showing voters how they can wield a big stick via a Voters Coalition will indeed be an innovative way of achieving responsiveness from the government at every level.
Our SMART goals are:
1. English Vocabulary
a. Enrol at least 1000 learners in each of the top 5 grades to take the weekly tests.
b. Jeanet Masiuana, of the Gauteng Department of Education’s Strategic Partnerships Directorate is requesting an MOU to provide free tests to learners from selected schools. Another Department must come on board.
c. Measurement of progress in respect of vocabulary acquisition and across the curriculum will be done via self-generating data.
d. Appropriateness of test material for each grade will come from users.
e. Relevance will be established through officials and educators critiquing the tests by request or voluntarily.
f. We will ascertain from learners whether 20 minutes per test and 3 tests is acceptable.
2. Vocabulary for Communicative Competence in 2nd and 3rd languages
a. These will be theme based: transport, food, etc.
b. Two languages will be tested online.
c. Charge of $10 for +/- 100 tests will apply.
d. Online surveys on our platform will be used to assess relevance, appropriateness and usefulness.
e. User requests will be met.
3. Constitution
a. Test knowledge of the Bill of Rights.
b. Measure weekly progress?
c. Work with the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution to create tests, run quizzes and promote inter-school debates.
d. Provide a test or quiz once a week for the year free of charge.
4. Voter Coalition
a. Establish a working group by 30 June 2023 to draft a constitution, determine the structure, start fund raising, publish promotion material in each official language, have the inaugural meeting, and manage the official launch. The Voters Coalition should be functional by December 2023.
b. Measure the speed of uptake in each of the 9 provinces, on college and university campuses and within NGO organisations; and decide on what measures to take to help those needing assistance.
c. Use the Mass Democratic Movement (MDM) copybook to make citizens enthusiastic about the idea of starting a new coalition of voters to compel accountability and responsiveness from different levels of government.
d. Promote its relevance by drawing attention to the role played by the Mass Democratic Movement (MDM), the informal coalition of antiapartheid groups active during the 1970s and early 1980s. The MDM was relevant earlier in our history as most people know. The continued use of the Closed List Proportional Representation beyond 1994, in spite of the urging of Mandela to change it, will make the Voters Coalition relevant as the clamour for electoral reform escalates.
e. The Voters Coalition has to be set up by December 2023 as South Africa will be going to a General Election in mid 2024.The voters coalition will grow in strength because the population is so fed up at the moment that they will looking for a new way to make the government work for them.
Furthermore, we will make the four founding values of our state, set out right at the beginning of the Constitution, important topics for speech contests and debates.
- 4. Quality Education
- 5. Gender Equality
- 8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
- 10. Reduced Inequalities
- 11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
- 13. Climate Action
- 16. Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
- 17. Partnerships for the Goals
The project is about to launch. When it launches very soon, the following indicators will be used to measure progress in 3 area: online vocabulary tests, traction with the constitution, establishment of a Voters Coalition.
Cost Indicators
1. The cost of developing the software will be below $30 000. An amount of #22 000 has already been paid to Indigo Vision.
2. The cost of hosting will be in the region of $4 000 per annum. If Amazon's offer of free hosting for a year for a start-up holds, it will relieve cost pressure.
3. Delay in the delivery of the software will mean a delay in starting the flow of income.
4.The marketing will be through the 9 departments of education, private and government schools, teacher unions and social media. No budget will be created for this purpose up front. Expenses for the launch will be not more than $500.00.
5. The costs for Zoom Enterprise to activate a Voters Coalition will be in the region of $1 000 per annum. This part of the project will only be initiated when the income from test takers grows.
6. Hosting quizzes on the Constitution will be on the same platform. Prizes will come from sponsors.
Time Indicators
1. The task of compiling tests in MS Word for grades 9-12 has already been completed.
2. Tests for pronunciation and lexis will be undertaken from July.
3. Getting templates for the question types not delivered by end of May, will have to be initiated in July. This will also encompass software enhancement. An amount of $5 000 will be required. That work will have to be completed by end of September 2023.
4. The first month of the project will have free tests both to detect bugs and for purposes of marketing and evaluation.
5. The establishment of a Voters Coalition will have to happen by end of this year. The General Elections will be held a year from now.
Quality Indicators
1. The software for tests will generate data to show how learners are performing and what progress they are making.
2. Criticisms and complaints will be invited via email.
Project Advancement
1. The rate of advancement will be measured by judging against initial enrolment.
2. The target must have at least 1 000 test takers for each grade by September 2023.
3. At least two departments of education should be trialling the tests with learners from disadvantaged schools.
4. The software should be cutting edge by December 2023.
5. All role players will begin judging the project in favourable terms.
6. A small staff complement will be in place.
7. An income stream will have come into existence.
Heraclitus held that change is the only constant. Indeed, that is so.
My theory of change is that for change to happen it must be needed and every project aimed at getting change, must continuously show how that change is happening, at what pace it is happening and how it is visibly delivering on its promise.
Nelson Mandela attuned the nation to the fact that education was "the most powerful weapon" we could use "to change the world.” He rationalised that a difficult thing "always seems impossible until it's done.”
Many people in South Africa are willing to opt for a dictatorship if basic human rights were guaranteed.
The mood for a massive change is discernible.
African Americans, also looking for change, have been exploring the impact of Assistive Technology on Vocabulary Acquisition to support students with learning disabilities and limited English proficiency.
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1139312.pdf
It is no exaggeration to say that the vocabulary deficit is the biggest societal problem word wide.
According to Indigo Vision, my software developers, the following is possible:
"The number of users being tested at any given time is unlimited and only limited by Server capacity. Once live, we will place it on a scalable server to allow for auto scaling prior to tests to ensure that we can accommodate the load without strain. Multiple grades and subjects can be tested simultaneously."
With tests in hand and technology to help, we can bring about the change everyone wants to be part of and wishes to see.
The departments of education will have to identify schools in disadvantaged where regular testing can be done for free. This is where the extent and speed of the desired change can be best measured.
The test platform will also allow me to host quizzes on the Constitution. This will be supplemented by interschool debates and speech contests offering attractive prizes. Young people will energize change.
In 1999, in his last speech to parliament Mandela urged leaders to undertake electoral reform because he wanted to see changes that would help our democracy. This did not happen. Consequently, there is a loss of confidence in democracy, parliament and the constitution.
We need a Voters Coalition to give citizens the kind of big clout they need to make the government genuinely responsive.
My theory of change is that desirability provides fertile soil for the seeds of change to be planted. How the seeds sprout, how well, how fast and how robustly they grow, will reveal to the initiators and the target group whether or not the outcomes are being achieved and at what scale.
Third-party research will provide an honest and deeper reflection on whether or not the strategies and actions for change are working.
We theorise that through a general proficiency in English, communicative competence in two other languages, better understanding of the Constitution and the formation of a Voters Coalition, a desirable and measurable change in education and civic action will happen and be sustained for the betterment of all.
We are supremely interested in EdTech and microlearning. By creating custom designed software, as the core technology, we will utilize the hundreds of vocabulary tests we already have, to deliver online tests, to attack the problem of English vocabulary deficit in our country and globally.
The custom designed software will also deliver question-metadata, analytics and the export of results. Alternatively, it must allow for tesy results to be viewed online.
Over $22 000 has already been spent on developing the software. IndigoVision in South Africa is the lead developer. It is being assisted by WPWeb Infotech Pvt. Ltd., from Ahemedabad, in India to get the plugin necessary for bulk import and export of questions to integrate with what was developed.
We seek to create a niche in the rapidly evolving E-learning environment. We would like to use a variety of testing techniques to make our tests interesting, but the creating of the necessary templates for exporting questions to MySQL and importing therefrom has proven a steep challenge.
That is what is holding up the launch of the project.
We will therefore start with the first 5 question types for which the templates have been sorted out and engage with developers later to provide the full panoply of templates for the question types listed below:
- True or False
- Multiple Choice
- Categorization
- Drag and Drop
- Fill in the Blanks
- Highlight text
- Matching
- Placing words correctly in a sentence
- Annotate pictures
- Hotspot
- Calculate
- Sequencing
- Cloze Procedure.
Our wish is for the tool to be powerful and cutting edge. We will continue to pour resources into the software development so that it will have the functionalities we seek.
We are very keen to build an online community so that the users of our product can enjoy a sense of connection. Such a platform will be a meeting place for people interested in tests, educational technology, discussions on the constitution, the role that the Voters Coalition is playing.
Zoom Enterprise and WhatsApp Business will allow for these discussions and will accommodate those who are interested in different aspect of these projects.
At some point we will have fun quizzes, digital vocabulary flashcards and vocabulary contests with prizes to keep alive an interest in vocabulary.
With the recruitment of tech-savvy personnel, increased connectivity, cheaper data, better access to computers and smart phones, we will keep pace with innovation.
The testing of English lexis will be more demanding than testing single word vocabulary.
Testing mathematics will also require more advanced technology.
The use of artificial Intelligence (AI) will allow for adaptive testing and assessments in real-time based on the learner's strength and weaknesses.
As the database of questions expands, learner inputs pour in, requests accumulate and technology evolves, where we will be in five years will be different from where we are at the starting point.
Researchers will have their own reflections and analyses on our four-part project, and we will learn from all sides to achieve better outcomes and keep abreast of technological developments.
We are starting something very big, and we are not daunted. The knowledge that the right idea at the right time will find the right response, is what spurs us on. What we need to deliver is on the dispatch table.
Finally, on 27 April 2023, ENCA carried the following news:
President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged all South Africans to contribute to taking the country forward. Ramaphosa says it's up to citizens to come up with solutions to the problems the country is facing. #DStv403 #FreedomDay
- A new application of an existing technology
- Big Data
- Crowd Sourced Service / Social Networks
- Internet of Things
- Software and Mobile Applications
- South Africa
- Angola
- Botswana
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
- Hybrid of for-profit and nonprofit
Incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusivity into my work is fundamental. What I am doing is for South Africa and will have use elsewhere in the world. I will have laid a solid foundation on which others can build and take the project further.
Diversity in post-apartheid South Africa has required a conscious effort from all of us to accommodate people of different race, gender, religion and culture in the workplace, sports and politics.
Inequality in South Africa is a time bomb. Social justice and inclusion in education must obtain. It is for that reason that our tests will be given free of charge to the schools that the educational authorities select.
We want to see black learners achieve proficiency in English. We want our progressive Constitution to underpin everything we do and to be appreciated for what it offers us.
When it comes to building a Voters Coalition, it is of fundamental importance that it fully reflects our demographics. It must be inclusive. The stronger we are at a societal level, the more stable and prosperous our country will be.
Our effort at tackling the vocabulary deficit will open access to many disadvantaged youths to a variety of opportunities and advancement. A direct offshoot of such an endeavour will be more effective political participation and use of the Constitution. Both of these will make a Voters coalition a place for vibrant debates and an instrument for effectively holding politicians fully accountable.
My tweets, @faroukee, have continuously promoted the need for electoral reform and the establishment of a Voters Coalition. I have also been a strong advocate for the establishment of Citizens Energy Cooperatives based on the German model.
I have hammered away at these issues. As funds become available, the ideas will be implemented.
To sum up, we are a nation characterised by diversity. That diversity is important for all of us. I fully subscribe to the principles of Ubuntu which encompasses essential human virtues, compassion and humanity. We are what we are because of those who strengthen us and enliven us in our humanity.
Equity is what we have to comply with to redress the aggressive discrimination of the past. Access to opportunity and advancement for those who were most oppressed is a must for our society. This project will support that goal fully. The playing fields in education have to be levelled.
This project will ensure inclusion. Affordability issues will not keep anyone out. The departments of provincial education will select schools where learners will not have to pay any fee. In our country there are schools which are fee paying and others which are exempted.
Discussions with the Gauteng Department of Education are already underway.
There are three problems to be solved using the software in combination with Zoom Enterprise and WhatsApp Business: -
1. Remedy the English Vocabulary deficit in the school population with a particular focus on learners from disadvantaged schools where the vernacular prevails.
2. Attract a large number of test takers from grades 8 - 12 by setting the annual fee for +/- 100 tests at the low figure of $20 to $30.
3. Use the income thus derived, to offer the 9 provincial departments of education free testing for learners from disadvantaged communities.
4. This latter group must receive double attention. Should learners fare poorly in the 3 short tests per week, of 20 minutes duration, an opportunity will be given to them to take a consolidated test on Saturday to improve their result.
5. The dictionary and the thesaurus will be brought actively into play. Learners will have 200 - 400 words to look at every week.
6. Working in groups will be encouraged: school friends, neighbours or family.
7. To generate income, 1 000 fee paying test takers in each grade from 8 - 12 @ $20 - R30 will cover the basic costs.
8. Parents, learners and teachers all know the immense value of continuous vocabulary acquisition. I personally do not know any business or educational group providing high quality tests online, systematically testing vocabulary and making available analytics. It will be a bargain.
9. The project is content dependent. Metaphorically we have a warehouse of tests in MS Word. When the templates are done, tests will be saved as Excel CSV files. The export and import of 10 questions at a time will allow for considerable efficiency.
10. Income will allow for recruitment of personnel. A secretary, two typists and an IT specialists experienced in coding with PHP, Ajax and CSS will be recruited.
11. Hosting will be via a company with the size of server to permit scalability.
12. Training freelance test makers will be undertaken to widen the scope of the tests.
13. Promoting the RSA Constitution will be through quizzes and inter school competitions. Prizes will be from us or willing sponsors.
14. Launching a Voters Coalition will be from funds that can be spared or through crowd funding. This is scheduled for end of the year.
15. Will these products be needed in our society? Good quality, affordability and high benefits will make vocabulary tests desirable to have. Will quizzes etc. create new interests in the Constitution? I will work with the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution. This is an initiative of progressive South Africans people seeking to promote socio-economic rights, judicial independence, the rule of law, public accountability, and open governance. Finally, I will work with former political colleagues and university students to establish a Voters Coalition. Hardly anybody knows what this is, but they will quickly learn that it is all about possessing clout to keep the government accountable and responsive. See my letter:
https://mv-ezproxy-com.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/article/281642489511107
- Individual consumers or stakeholders (B2C)
Allow people to try a dozen tests for free and let them understand how little is being asked for, to get this outstanding product to underpin their children's educational success.
The fact that I already have hundreds of tests ready to deliver to learners from grade 8 - 12, at a very modest fee, will attract young people. To my mind, there is no similar service anywhere that I am aware of.
The fact that thousands of children, perhaps tens of thousands, in poor schools will be given the service free of charge, will most certainly encourage large businesses to support the project, if the need arises, and enjoy brand visibility.
Our project is an enterprise and also a public service at the same time.
When the situation arises, new sources of income will be sought. We will have copious content and good software to market in South Africa and elsewhere.
The fact that many individuals in South Africa and elsewhere will be subscribing with whatever marketing support we can get, will help us to grow sustainably.
Our biggest fixed expense will be hosting fees, maintenance and marketing. This will be in the region of $25 000 per annum in the beginning. We will therefore need an income of about $3 000 per month to be able to meet our expenses for now and have a little left over.
We will also be looking at licensing our product content and software, to diversify the operation.
For a while, the project will be run from home supported by family members and will then move to a small office when the time is ripe. Many tech projects began in a garage. Ours will start the same way.
To make certain that we will achieve financial stability, we will do the following: -
- Build loyalty among learners;
- Maintain good relationships with learners, parents, teachers and educational authorities;
- Use Payfast Merchant, No 19183896, as the card payment portal.
- Focus on quality;
- Invest further in technology;
- Avoid debt; and
- Build tests in mathematics and science subjects.
My main work for the foreseeable future will be marketing and adding additional content.
The flow of funds will support the civic education and civic action parts of the project. These will very likely get support from foundations and donors keen on promoting democracy in South Africa.
We will be financially sustainable because what we will be offering will be in demand. Considering that parents are paying a fortune to send their children to both public and private schools, what we will be asking for over a year, is a drop in the ocean. See:
Not applicable at this moment.
