A woman who appears to be a UCT student has been caught on video proclaiming that Science must fall. The internet has responded accordingly.
The term science comes from the Latin word scientia, meaning “knowledge”. It can be defined as a systematic attempt to discover, by means of observation and reasoning, particular facts about the world, and to establish laws connecting facts with one another and, in some cases, to make it possible to predict future occurrences.
There are other ways to define science, but all definitions refer in one way or another to this attempt to discover specific facts and the ability to figure out patterns in which these facts are connected.
But Science, according to the woman, is a “product of Western modernity” and the whole thing should be scrapped… “especially in Africa”.
She goes on to say that we (South African Universities) should “restart” the idea of science, but in an African perspective.
The internet responded accordingly:
Isn't education about knowing more? Learning more? Isn’t it about getting perspectives from everywhere & then formulating your own opinion?
— Brent Lindeque (@BrentLindeque) October 14, 2016
https://twitter.com/Slava_Hafeni/status/786839863077330944
https://twitter.com/Sheeple_Shearer/status/786845031944556544
https://twitter.com/Sthee_Gee/status/786867937001017344
#Sciencemustfall = Final confirmation of the roaring success of the 30% pass policy.
— SabotEUr MNxaba #PeoplesVote 🇪🇺🇿🇦🇬🇧 (@PlanetZuma) October 14, 2016
Please remember that the #sciencemustfall fool is not a member of UCT Science. Kind regards, UCT science grad.
— Adam Barnes (@GetDownAdam) October 14, 2016
That moment you want to comment on #sciencemustfall but remember the 23% you got for Science at school so you cough and see yourself out.
— Tom Eaton (@TomEatonSA) October 14, 2016
#sciencemustfall but the only reason we understand the word 'fall' is science 🙈
— Rob AF. (@RobForbesDJ) October 14, 2016
https://twitter.com/Burgerboxx/status/786841021019815936
https://twitter.com/Dale_V17/status/786817113721741312
Check out the full video below:
Her only problem is that Science as we learn it today was “discovered” by a man of western desent and was studied further and documented. But change the name to Thabo who saw the apple fall and she’ll be happy. Problem here my dear is that Africa as it were pre 1600, did care about anything else but themselves or tomorrow. So there was no though about growing and making things better, they were quite happy sitting on a small piece of land doing f’all and and just have enough for tomorrow. Much like most students are today.
This video is a sad commentary on the SA education system. That woman speaker sounds so articulate and ‘educated’, yet she is proof for the need for MORE (“Western”) Science education, not LESS.
One could argue that the Humanities would benefit from the inclusion of more “African” course contents. But please leave the Sciences (Engineering, Medicine, and Science degrees) alone.