CAPE TIMES – 1933, July 17
“Johannesburg is unhappily not in the same fortunate position,”
said Mr. PR Stanton, employment officer, in an interview in regard to the
report from Port Elizabeth that the Juvenile Affairs Board there was no longer
able to supply the demand for educated boys and girls.
There was less difficulty in placing the Educated youth, but
they had by no means absorbed the waiting list. According to Mr. Stanton,
Education was not the only criterion. On various occasions he sent boys with
only Standard VI education, together with matriculated lads, as applicants for
the same vacancy.
The Standard VI boy usually got the job, the reason for this
being that the better educated modern youth’s failing was that he mistakes
impertinence for independence and confuses civility with servility. This habit
was not only reprehensible, but, from the materialistic point of view,
extremely unprofitable.
MATRIC VERSUS MANNERS
Experience had shown that, while the majority of youths and
their parents looked upon a reasonable standard of education as not merely desirable
but essential, little or no attempt had been made to acquire social assets.
Mr. Stanton added: “To put the matters bluntly, the issue
was largely one of matriculation versus manners.”
He asked a prominent business man whether he considered
courtesy essential in the modern business world. His answer was most
emphatically that politeness was the lubricant which made the wheels of
business run smoothly.
No comments:
Post a Comment