There's been a huge outcry over proposals to allow Grade 9 learners to opt out of conventional schooling so they can pursue a more technical field of study.
It’s called the General Education Certificate and it aims to benefit learners who are interested in non-academic career paths.
It’s not entirely new, as I remember the days when people could leave school in Standard Seven or Nine and go on to apprenticeships.
The new proposal doesn’t mean kids get to leave school entirely.
It’s merely a type of aptitude test to see where our children will perform best.
It is the kind of thing that is working very well elsewhere in the world and makes a lot of sense.
But I think we have been so blinded by traditional education and wanting our kids to become doctors and lawyers, that we are unable to see the logic.
Kids’ brains are simply wired differently, some are just no good at studying Maths and Science at school.
But it doesn’t mean that they won’t make excellent tradespeople - plumbers, builders, mechanics or even dancers and artists.
Obviously society needs those skills as well, but if it’s future income security you’re worried about, then I urge you to get a quote from a plumber for an urgent job.
Personally, I would rather my kid be happy as a passionate electrician, than trapped fighting depression as a lawyer.