Down the rabbit hole: Lessons in life

The saga of our fence continues. I've finally decided that it's time to tell you about it.

After we bought the house, and before we moved in, our house was burgled 3 times in 3 years. This is mainly because the house is at the end of the row, so is more accessible. Despite our 6ft wall around the back of the development, people hop over the fence and use our road as a shortcut to get to Langa station, because the only entrances and exits to Pinelands are on Forest Drive, which is miles away. One of their favourite spots for hopping the wall is right next to our back fence. (You have to give them credit for ingenuity though - they use an earthing wire to pull themselves up and over - a bit like spiderman...)

Understandably then, I was very nervous about moving into the house. In order to increase our security we put up a palisade fence around the front of the house. What we didn't do though, was follow the plans. (Lesson #1: Read the plans/ instruction manual FIRST. Seriously. It may save you heartache and money. Don't be so bloody male about everything and dive in head first.)

We put the fence up right on the kerb. (Let's be clear about this - G had NOTHING to do with this decision. I accept full responsibility for the fence's position.) Our street boundary is about 4.5m or 5m from the kerb, at the edge of our garage. Given how easy it is to break through our garage door (which would give easy access to the house), I didn't want to make it easy for that to happen. I wanted to be able to work in the garage, with the garage door open, but still be safe and secure. I also wanted to be able to park both cars behind a security fence. Neither of those things are possible if you put the fence on the boundary. (And with a baby in the house, security is really important to me... and of course, there's the fact that I'm a woman, and my maid is a woman, and rape really isn't a pleasant experience for women.)

In addition, I don't want people walking across my driveway to go around the corner and hop over the development wall. We already have a problem with vagrants sleeping against our garage wall and leaving their faeces and rubbish behind (my dogs love it, but me? not so much). I didn't want them to be able to use my driveway as well (here lies MY boundary).

Someone complained about our fence. I'm fairly sure I know who it is (I know who you are and I know where you live!), because in the first few months of us being here (starting during our renovation works before we actually moved in) we had several complaints. If I'm right, this person just likes to complain about everything and is a general neighbourhood nuisance. (Shame on you!) (Lesson #2: Neighbours in a small neighbourhood know EVERYTHING. "We, Toys, see EVERYTHING.")

However, the complaint did make a valid point that I didn't consider when we erected the fence: being on the kerb means drivers have to slow down as they go around the blind corner. (Of course, drivers should be slowing down anyway, but some don't.) If two cars were to pass each other in front of our house (which is RIGHT on the corner), and one was to veer past the mid-line (as happens when you don't slow down around a blind corner), then the other car would bash its side view mirror on our fence if it tried to veer out of the way. (Lesson #3: Don't be so bloodyminded all the time, Woman - ask others for advice before making major decisions, because maybe they know or can see a side to something you can't or haven't.)

In retrospect, I should have put the fence 50cm from the kerb to avoid that problem. (Lesson #4: I can actually admit when I've made a mistake. Even if it takes me several months to get there. Eventually, I'll admit it.) If I had, then whoever complained probably never would have. Maybe. Anyway!

As a result of the complaint, we received a visit from the council, who immediately sent us a demand letter giving us 10 days to move our fence. The threat was that if we didn't, they would, and they'd bill us for it. I duly wrote to them to explain why the fence was where it is. I explained that I would be happy to move the fence back by 50cm or so, but I was not happy to move it back to the boundary, for the reasons I've outlined above. I also said that I didn't have the money to move the fence at the moment, and that if they did it and billed us, we would not be able to pay them either.

The council replied to say, in effect, "tough". (Lesson #5: The council doesn't care. Ever.)

We then looked at leasing a portion of the verge, but it will cost us R5000 to apply, several months to process, and there is no guarantee our application will be successful. (The monthly fee is quite small, so it would be feasible from that perspective.) R5000 is a lot of money to just throw away like that if the application is unsuccessful. Plus, in the meantime, we would still have to move the fence back to our boundary and then move it forwards again if our application was successful. (Talk about a las... I really should just have put the fence 50cm from the kerb.) (Lesson #6: see Lesson #1)

Off I went then, to double check with the council that the street boundary was where it appears on the plan, because 5m is a LOT further from the kerb than is normal (2.5m - 3m is usual). That investigation was delayed while the council tried to find their copies of our plans (our copies went missing during the kitchen renovation). After several days, the plans arrived. I scrutinised them and discovered that (shock! horror!) either everyone else also has their fences in illegal positions, or the plans are wrong. (Lesson #7: Even bad stuff can have a positive spin off...)

So today I went back to the council, with my dearest dad in tow (as he's a surveyor by trade) to help me. (Let me play the dumb blonde!) (Lesson #8: Parents never stop being needed. Children are a responsibility for LIFE. Like a life sentence, but longer, more complicated and more expensive.) What we discovered is that Field Close is, almost certainly, a private road (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF?!?!) (Lesson #9: Expect the unexpected), but that the legalities of setting up the Home Owners' Association were never followed through on. While the legal bungle is fine by me (HOAs are always a pain), what that means is that - if we're right and the road is a private one - we don't have to move the fence!!! (Lesson #10: Council screw up a lot. If you catch them at it, you can save your ass.)

Hooray!!

Of course, if our street IS private, then that means we own the council money anyway, for back taxes for rates on the verges which we (and they!) didn't know we owned. And that could work out to be quite a hefty sum. Boo! (Lesson # 11: Council always get their pound of flesh, one way or the other.)

If our street is private, then I think we'll go ahead and move the fence back 50cm anyway, to appease our neighbours. I can live with 50cm - it means we can still park a 2nd car behind the gate and it means I can work in the garage with the door open and not feel at risk, but it still keeps the vagrants and their mess off my driveway. And if it keeps Old Complainer off our backs, then that's not a bad thing either.

So now the ball is in the council's court again. It'll be interesting to see how they respond. Of course, it may be that our street isn't private after all (in which case, the council plans of our suburb are wrong!). But until the matter is resolved, the fence stays where it is. (Lesson #12: Perseverance wins the day.)

UIF

This is the tale of trying to get my maternity benefits...

A friend very helpfully told me about a small UIF satellite office in Goodwood. This is good news, because when my mom went to the Bellville office the queue was already around the block at 7am! On that visit she was told I hadn't completed one of the forms correctly - the one which lists how much your employer will be paying you (if anything) for your maternity leave.

Now, I should point out that in SA, the statutory benefits are nearly zero. You get 4 months unpaid leave. That's it. If your employer chooses to give you anything, then you're lucky. You may also only apply for benefits on the first day of your maternity leave, not before - even though it takes 8 weeks to process. Just a thought - I am getting something from my employer. What happens to those women who only get the statutory unpaid leave, who have no money coming in, and now have to wait for 8 weeks before they get their first benefit? How do they survive those first 2 months with NO money whatsoever?? Yes, that sounds very reasonable and helpful, doesn't it?

So - having re-completed the form, off I go to the Goodwood office. Only 9 people ahead of me. Yay, I think. It still takes me a good 40 minutes to get to the front of the queue. Once there, I'm told that the form is still not correct. It's not enough to say how much I'm getting each month. I actually have to write out the dates for each month that I'm going to be off, and next to it the amount I'm going to get in that month. Oh, and I have to resubmit the form that tells the Dept of Labour that I've been contributing to the UIF fund. Sigh. OK.

Back to school I go, with said forms in hand, to be re-completed. With this duly done, I returned this morning. 7 people ahead of me, but only takes me 30 minutes to get to the front.

UIF officer: The UI-19 form (the one I'm resubmitting) is still wrong.
Me: Why?
UIF Officer: The termination date hasn't been filled in.
Me: but my contract hasn't been terminated. I'm just going on maternity leave.
UIF officed: No, if you're on maternity leave then your contract has been terminated.
Me: but I'm still being paid a reduced salary. How can my contract be terminated?
UIF officer: It just is.
Me: So what are you actually looking for then, since my contract has NOT been terminated?
UIF officer: The last date on which you were at work.
Me: OH! You mean you want the last date of work, not the termination date!
UIF officer: That is your termination date.
Me: No, it's not, but OK. Let me fill it in for you.
UIF officer: No, it can only be done by the person who signed the form.
Me: Sure. I'll just sit here while I phone the person who signed the form and you two can sort it out between you.
UIF officer: No, you have to resubmit the form. You can have him fax it to us.

Umm... ok then. So, according to my employer and according to me, I'm still employed, but according to the Dept of Labour, I'm "terminated". Yes, that's eminently logical. It also explains why the government is in such turmoil, and why it takes 8 weeks to process my forms (ie, no benefits for 8 weeks). Quite simply, they don't understand English, can't think for themselves and have to stick to the letter of the law, rather than get the job done.

Later, after form has been "corrected" and faxed, and I am back at the front of the queue...

UIF officer: Your UI-19 form is still wrong.
Me: WHAT? Why?
UIF officer: It's an old form and is missing the codes on the bottom as well as the last two columns, one of which says that you have been contributing to UIF.
Me: You're kidding me!
UIF officer: No, but we can accept this one, even though it's still wrong.
Me: (speechless with frustration and rage)

Education: the life or death of our planet

WARNING: This is a long post. But it's about an important matter, so I think you can forgive me.

I am definitely getting pregnancy brain. This afternoon we had a PROGRO, and I forgot about it completely - even though I'm on the committee that organises these sessions for the staff! Sigh!

We were very privileged to have Prof Brian O'Connell as our guest speaker today. He is currently the Rector and Vice-Chancellor at UWC, but he has a very long history in education, having started out as a humble teacher. Before being appointed Rector of UWC, Brian O’Connell was Head of the Western Cape Education Department, from 1995 to October 2001. He obtained a B.A. Honours Degree in History from UNISA (with distinction), and M.A. and M.Ed Degrees from Columbia University in New York. O’Connell’s contribution to education has been acknowledged and rewarded with a Fullbright Scholarship to the United States, two British yCouncil grants and an Anglo-American Chairman’s Fund grant. So - rather a distinguished guest, actually.

His topic was based around our theme for the year, which is "Leadership in the classroom". He started by looking at why Homo sapiens has been so successful as a species. Essentially, there are 5 so-called humanising factors that have enabled us to be so (frontal cortex, development of language, development of technology, adaptive capability, and a scientific sense, if memory serves me). He then outlined the top 10 current revolutions facing humanity en masse, which are all occurring simultaneously - things like globalisation, population explosion, global warming, technology explosion, etc).

His point was that in order to cope with these 10 revolutions, humanity is going to need to think its way through them, which will rely upon us having people who are able to make use of their humanising factors - their ability to develop the necessary language to communicate effectively about the problems facing the world and to develop the technology needed to solve those problems, which requires the use of their adaptive capabilities, etc, etc. The only way to achieve all this is to have excellent education.

Thus, he established the centrality of education to the life or death of humanity as a species, but also of the planet as a whole. As I said - you really had to be there to hear the whole argument... what I'm writing here really doesn't do it justice, but as I suspect this is going to be an extremely long post, I have to try to keep it as short as I can.

Bringing this home to SA, Prof O'Connell then took us through a brief or potted history of the aftermath of 300 yrs of colonialism and 50 yrs of Apartheid on our nation, w.r.t. education in particular. Essentially, the problem was two-fold: more money being spent on the minority, and many of the majority boycotting education in protest to Apartheid. We all know this, but the picture he painted of how we got there was fascinating. It certainly opened my eyes to some things I hadn't realised. Of course, I was only born the year before the Soweto uprising, so that doesn't really surprise me.

His conclusion from this brief history tour was that the new democratic government was faced with 3 possibilities. Pour enough money into education so that the majority could be brought up to the standards of the minority (but that would mean not spending money on housing, primary health care, provision of primary services like sanitation/ electricity/ water, etc); Grow the economy dramatically (but with an entire generation having boycotted education, how would that be feasible?); Reduce the unit expenditure.

Had the government taken the strategic step of painting a picture for the nation, we might have been able to go the route of the first option. However, the ANC promised the people that they would all receive a house, electricity, water, appliances (fridges, stoves, etc) , land, etc, etc, etc. To go back on those promises would have spelt disaster.

The second option was no option, so that left the last option. The problem with this option is that it left everybody dissatisfied. It's the 1.6 rule. Let's use an analogy to explain it. Assume there are 10 children being educated. Under Apartheid, the government spent R5 on the first (white kids), R3 on the second (coloured kids), and R1 on each of the other 8 (black kids). That makes R16. Reducing unit expenditure means spreading that R16 equally between all 10 children - R1.60 each.

The first child isn't happy because you can't provide quality education to a child on just R1.60. The second child isn't happy because he fought in the Struggle, but now is getting less. The other eight children aren't happy either, because they had been promised the R5 education the first child had been getting.

So now we sit with a system where no-one is getting a decent education in South Africa. This is a problem. Why? Well, for SA to succeed, it has to deal not only with learning about what democracy is and how it operates (and that's another whole post on its own because the people living in this land have never had true democracy), but they are also faced with the 10 revolutions taking place in the world. In addition to this, we are already severely limited by the debt the Apartheid government ran up by taking loans from the national pension schemes... to the tune of R1.4 BILLION. (Trevor Manuel - we bless you for the work you have done over the past 14 years trying to repay that debt as quickly as possible!!!) AND, SA has the additional problems of TB and HIV. (I'll do a separate post on that...)

To add insult to injury, the new democratic government decided to change the curriculum. Anyone who has taught in SA will understand the debacle that Curriculum 2005 has been from a purely practical stance. e.g. No textbooks. Why? Because the politicians forgot that to teach a new curriculum you need new textbooks. (I kid you not! They simply didn't bother to budget for them.)

However, something I didn't understand about the new curriculum was explained to me today. The ANC wished to steer clear of anything that smacked of Apartheid, but with education they did the exact opposite. By changing the curriculum, they were actually sending the message that blacks, coloureds and Asians did not have the brains or the wherewithal to cope with the previous curriculum... i.e. the message they were sending was that the whites were right in thinking that the rest of the nation were inherently inferior.

OMW! Why didn't I see that before????

Instead, they should have stuck with the original curriculum (and saved themselves oodles of money that could then have been spent on raising standards in non-white schools.

But anyway, now we are sitting with a situation in which kids' literacy is amongst the worst in the world, in which education is not highly regarded, and in which we are failing to adequately prepare our youth for their future role in leading this country.

It is into this scenario that he addressed us as teachers. I have always believed that teaching is not just a job. I have always believed that what I do really matters. After today though, I see a new facet to that belief. What I do really matters, because the future of this country, and the future of the world, rests upon the quality of the education its children receive. Without a quality education, we will never develop the potential of the geniuses who will find the solutions to the revolutions currently facing us. If that doesn't happen, well, we can kiss this world goodbye.

In 50 years' time, the suburb in which I live will be under water and Table Mountain will be an island.....

...UNLESS... unless I (or my colleagues across the world) can nurture that one child who will make the scientific breakthrough that will help to not just solve the problem of climate change, but reverse it.

Education is not just central to the future of the planet. Education IS the future of the planet.

Miracles and wonders

For those who know Cape Town, you will never believe what is currently happening here!

For those who don't... a little background. There is, across the bottom part of the CBD, an unfinished flyover highway. The highway was built back in the year dot, and intended to be like the M25 (or similar) in that it circled the majority of the city. However, there was a little stretch that never got completed.

Initially, the reason was that the land underneath was owned by a guy with a little store (corner cafe type of thing) who simply refused to sell or relocate. At least, that's the urban legend. As a result, that highway has been incomplete since I can remember... it wouldn't surprise me if it's been like since before I was born.

Well, miracles and wonders never cease. The council has FINALLY decided to complete the flyover. No more having to drive down into the city and then out again. Soon, if you want to go to Seapoint, you will be able to simply stay on the highway and drive there direct. Isn't that incredible? I never would have believed that in my life time it would get finished, but I guess the 2010 World Cup is having a more massive impact on the city than I first thought it would.

Life improves, or does it?

After the disaster that was Nellie's dinner on Monday, last night was better. Wow - that post generated a lot of emails! And interestingly, it was the first time I've had equal amounts of conflicting advice.

Anyway, we did the same routine as the previous two nights, except that I started half an hour earlier. It wasn't easy and we did have a few tears, but nothing major. I made a concerted effort not to make it a trial for her, but to stick to my guns. It seemed to work. It took an hour, but she ate beautifully in the end. Given that she'd had a bottle of milk an hour before supper, I was really thrilled at how much she ate - a bottle of food, a small yoghurt, a fruit pot, a small box of raisins, a small bread stick, and one of Mommy's biscuits.

(And she was very cute yesterday! See her post on her site about the day. We did some more videoing, so will try to get that up on her site in due course.)

I rang Home Affairs again this morning, to find out about the progress on her birth registration and passport.... only to discover that... wait for it... they are all on strike AGAIN! (or is that STILL?). I seem to have the knack for choosing the day to call!

Turns out that civil servants in SA are on the rampage about pay increases. I sympathise. When you realise that a nurse who has been working for 22 years, and is the major breadwinner in her family of 6, still gets less than £500 a month, it kind of puts the inconvenience of Nellie not having a passport into perspective. Yet, on the other hand, SA is a third world country where unemployment is at 30%. Where are all the civil servants expecting this extra cash to come from? The government has increased its offer from 5% pay increase to 7.25%. Strikers have reduced their demands from 12% to 10%. But that's still a way off from reaching a compromise.

While this battle rages, government schools have been closed for a week; state hospitals are moving patients to private ones, only to discover that the private hospitals are also closing; neo-natal units are unable to help all but the most critically ill babies; Home Affairs departments are closed in both Cape Town and in Pretoria; train, taxi and bus services are either not running, or running in a drastically reduced fashion, especially in Kwa-Zulu Natal; refuse collections have been stopped... the list goes on.

Here I am going on about Nellie not eating when my home country has come to a grinding halt because of injustices in the civil servant pay structures. I think their pay is an offense to God, and yet at the same time, I don't see how to improve their situation without making drastic cuts to essential services. Yes, there is a lot of corruption in government, and that needs to be dealt with if we're ever going to solve this problem. But to what extent, and how much of a difference it would make to available money for salaries, I really couldn't say.

I'm praying that this doesn't deteriorate into something like the strikes in the UK in Thatcher's day. I'm praying that a solution can be found that is good for everyone.

And yes, I'm praying that Nellie gets her passport in time and eats something too, between now and then.