Education Minister Kader Asmal, who studied at Springfield Teacher’s Training College in Durban, reflects on his days as a teacher
What are your impressions of teaching in your days at school?
In my days the “spit factor” was the only teaching aid of note (putting spit on the finger to turn the textbook pages).
What does one need to become a good teacher?
A good teacher must have a genuine interest in young people, be accessible and receptive to young peoples interests in music, lifestyle and so on. I believe that with good teaching we can instil the right value system, Teachers must be torchbearers of the African renaissance.
Who inspired your love for books and reading?
A Mr Keerath, who had a genuine love for literature and language. He helped create an interest in me in books and dictionaries. He encouraged me to learn 10 new words everyday.
Was there anyone else who had a great influence on your life?
Albert Luthuli, who lived six kilometres away from our home in Stanger, was the greatest influence on my life.
What did you learn from him?
He gave me a vision of how one could be a South African in this country beset by religious intolerance, racial divisions and fear. It was to him I turned as a role model – a teacher by example rather by prescription.
What effect did Luthuli have on you as a person?
It was my first contact with a free African who was not a gardener or a night soil remover. The making of me came through Luthuli. His sense of engagement with a young person had a lifelong affect on me. He has made me see the possibilities of a country freed from racism, chauvinism. It was electrifying. He also drew my attention to the fact that you cannot maintain literacy without reading. Kader Asmal’s “School Daze” was adapted from a previous interview the minister had with the Teacher.
– The Teacher/M&G Media, Johannesburg, July 2001.