Education (or lack thereof) in South Africa

This video from The Economist concerning South Africa's failing educational system supplement's my earlier post on the downturn of South Africa. It clearly shows a link between the quality of education of a country and economic growth/decline. Over half of young people in South Africa are unemployed because many do not have the requisite skills for a job. This mismatch between the labor market and the job market is endemic, and only a revamped educational system will solve it. The teacher's union will have to concede that it must not pursue policies that  promote and protect lazy and ignorant teachers. Nelson Mandella's party, the African National Congress, needs to ensure that both blacks and whites have equal access to quality education. (Note the gap between the educational attainment of blacks and whites in this video.) The party should engender a higher level of respect for the teaching profession and ensure that those who enter the teaching profession are compensated according to their competence and ability. If the problems of the educational system are properly addressed, the future of South Africa's economy will look much brighter.