Fareed Zacharia television interview of Bill Gates and the topic of “Education”

Posted March 22, 2009

Mr. Gates, it is always a treat to watch you being interviewed on television. No one can challenge the philanthropic work of your foundation and genuineness of your sincerity, but I do disagree with specific comments you made on the Fareed Zacharia interview. America and the world are challenged by many things and while we look to explain the current crisis by pointing the finger at greed and corruption, the real enemy may be our unwillingness to champion true justice.  Justice, apart from legal precedence, is the only truism that provides society the ability to correct its mistakes in an ethical and moral manner. Justice is the one remedy that democracies aver in the face of encroaching terrorism and more and more it appears that it has become the victim of misguided truths and fear-mongering. That truth may be our unwillingness to be humane in a world where humanity is challenged by humankind’s cruelty and spiritual void.

The USA is without question a global economic leader but it also leads the world in chaos and confusion. You have been a major catalyst in redefining global culture and ultimately human interaction. The world is shifting from human interaction to a virtual reality. Dionysus may be the allegorical manifestation of humankind today – intoxicated minds yearning for a dose of reality. The computer is simply a tool and it cannot replace the emotion, sincerity and compassion of a teacher or a mentor, nor can we eliminate the importance of knowing that we progress as individuals by elevating everyone around us. The unfortunate reality is that human beings have varying degrees of “scholastic absorption” abilities – we cannot all be trained to be more than what we are capable of achieving. In fact, all individuals have a saturation point for scholastic knowledge. What we fail to fill is the intellectual and artistic yearning in those less capable.  This is the “Black Hole” of human exclusion and where true intellect yearns to be recognized. Today more than ever our pathway to success is paved with nepotism, favouritism, privilege and controlled selection. Individuals outside this selection know this and feel this. This is why someone like President Obama has made a significant impact on American society already – he has elevated the underdog.

Your desire to make education functional for all American children is challenged by the following:

1.  Dysfunctional family units and lack of parental nurturing,
2.  Racism and Darwinian-thinking educational policy makers,
3.  Socio-economic barriers and perceived stereotypes about one’s place in society,
4.  The cost of education,
5.  Teacher qualifications, apathy and their unwillingness to be part of that positive change,
6.  Crime and gang peer pressure luring young adults with short-term rewards and long-term pitfalls,
7.  Quality and readiness of educational facilities to meet 21^st century needs,
8.  Stagnant or stale curriculums,
9.  Lack of spirituality and Godlessness, and finally

10. A leader’s ability to elevate the entire team’s desire to make a difference (i.e. your foundation and its messengers). Ultimately your messengers must view this cause as a mission and not as a job.

History has shown that great ideas and intellect emerge from those and where we least expect it. You happen to be one of those individuals and you did it without an education. The great challenge is not to educate and elevate but to provide opportunity and an open door when individuals extend their hand and ask for help. You may be trying to provide a solution to individuals who see education as a secondary solution to their current life crisis.

I will leave you with this thought. If you place a homeless Black child in an apprenticeship program, any program, from an early age, the likelihood is that he/she will acquire enough knowledge to become an engineer or doctor. If you let that person wallow in his/her misery, he/she becomes a social pariah. Perhaps traditional education has become obsolete and young minds need to experience and find their role in life by participating and learning at the “output stage”.  I do hope this message finds you.

Thank you,
Joseph Pede