Managing Schooling for Political Awareness, Economic Emancipation and Social Activism by Current Secondary School Learners

In view of the rife unemployment rate in Africa, there is a need to tap into schooling to instil in learners economic emancipation ideals that are likely to discourage them from resisting schooling and turning them into job-creators other than job-seekers. This paper diagnosis and examines how political awareness, economic emancipation and social activism could be instilled in learners displaying resentment of schooling. A good number of parents inclusive of teachers are in dilemma regarding why some of the 21st century learners resist and resent schooling. This is being vindicated by the exponential number of teachers who opt out for either early retirement or quitting the teaching profession because of some learners rebelling and revolting against schooling. The persistence of this teaching hurdle could lead to public secondary schools being bereft of competent and productive teachers. The research question guiding the paper is: to what extent could the emerging culture of anti-schooling by some learners be contained through the utilisation of political consciousness and emancipatory economic ideals? The research methods employed to emerge with data germane for this paper were interviewing technique and literature study. Out of the population of 13 African public secondary schools of one circuit in Capricorn District of Limpopo Province, three African secondary schools were conveniently sampled. In each school, three respondents were interviewed. Three of the findings are that lack of political consciousness by pupils destroys their learning enthusiasm. Secondly, hostile schooling conditions are an impediment to training entrepreneurs from the crop of learners. Finally, inadequate encouragement of positive social activism by learners, is doing a disservice to schooling. As part of the conclusion, the investigator recommends that entrepreneurial spirit be spread in schools. In addition, the researcher recommends for the good utilisation of the schooling social space to salvage the future of myriad pupils.