Johannesburg - Life is all about embracing change and that has certainly been the case for Gauteng’s top-achieving township learner of 2021, Raymond Mamabolo.
The former pupil from Chipa-Tabane Comprehensive High, a township school in Cullinan, might have aced maths, life science and physical science with a 100% pass mark, but he has since learnt that he had to alter his way of thinking if he was to succeed at university and beyond.
And this Youth Month, Mamabolo, who is currently a student at UCT, is urging his peers to not fear the unknown – even, in his case, if it means changing what you thought would be your life path.
“When I was in matric, I had a burning desire to study actuarial science, however, during my orientation week at UCT, I realised that although actuarial science had many mathematical applications, it was only in fields like finance, insurance and investments,” he explained.
“As a maths enthusiast, I wanted to study something that had mathematical applications in the real world, and in a much larger subset.”
Mamabolo then spoke to his subject adviser and decided to instead study applied mathematics and mathematical statistics.
“This would allow me to explore the theoretical applications of maths to fields like physics, biology and engineering, and so far I have learned many incredible lessons about academics and life.”
Mamabola added that while many strategies he used during his schooling years might have brought him success, he has since realised that this was not necessarily the case in university.
“One of the realities I have had to come to terms with was that the study techniques I used in matric did not work here in university. I had to learn how to approach learning for a degree.”
And although it took a lot of trial and error, Mamabola believes it has all been worth it; so much so that he has since been appointed as a maths tutor at UCT as well as head tutor at his residence.
“I have always had the desire to help other people succeed, so with the help of God, I am grateful that I can share my experience with other students and help them do well.”
Mamabola also admitted that during his time at Chipa-Tabane Comprehensive High, he had limited resources and experienced financial difficulties. But these are all challenges that he managed to overcome with the help of those around him.
“As someone who loved studying ahead, and wanted to learn beyond what the teacher would present, not having adequate access to the internet and other resources became a huge barrier,” he said.
“Luckily, my school teachers were able to help me overcome this and some of them helped me even when I would call them at 1am.”
Another difficulty the youngster faced when he left Gauteng for the Western Cape was the challenge of being away from everything he had ever known.
“Adjusting to my new life and experiencing a new city, a new environment and a new way of living with no family and friends was very hard,” he admitted.
“I would be homesick and constantly call my mother, but eventually, I made friends here in Cape Town, and they have made me feel welcome and very appreciated.”
And as a previously disadvantaged pupil, Mamabola wants to be a role model for his peers who come from similar backgrounds. He notes with concern the current youth unemployment figures as well as the recent Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, which revealed that 81% of South Africa’s Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning in any language.
“Our country’s unemployment rate is currently sitting at 32.9%, however, our youth unemployment rate is standing at 46.5%, so that’s almost half of our youth unemployed.
“Another concern is the lack of leadership and I believe we do not have great leaders in our current government, and this is why we have still not found solutions to our power crisis.”
Mamabola said it is “very saddening to see the leaders, whom we elected, doing nothing about the rising crime levels in our townships, our education system and our unemployment crisis”. “Our nation risks languishing in a state of disrepair.”
To tackle the challenge of unemployment, Mamabola suggests a restructuring of the education system, which he believes will equip youngsters with essential skills for the labour market.
“Globally, we are moving away from a job economy to a skill economy, so in other words, skills will be more important than traditional degrees,” he said.
“I am not saying that traditional degrees are not important, but if degrees do not equip the youth to compete in the 21st-century labour market, then it’s not helpful.”
“We are also moving into a digital era, when skills like software engineering, data science and artificial intelligence (AI) are the future.”
As a technology enthusiast, Mamabola believes that AI and machine learning are the future and that youngsters need to be equipped with skills like coding, to allow them to compete in the digital economy.
His message to his peers this Youth Month is to take a stand.
“We are the future of this country, and if we allow this country to continue moving in its current direction, we will have nothing left,” Mamabola said emphatically.
“We cannot rely on our government to bring change. We know that our dreams and aspirations are worth pursuing. Let’s embrace the power of education, as it unlocks many opportunities for us. Let’s have faith in each other. Believe that South Africa’s story is still being written and that we are the authors.”