Education in SA

A new school inspector is assigned to the grade 4 class in one of the local
schools. He is introduced to the class by the teacher.

She says to the class: "Let's show the inspector just how clever you are by
allowing him to ask you a question." The inspector decides to ask a
biblical question. He asks: "Class, who broke down the walls of Jericho?"
For a full minute there is absolute silence. The children all just stare at
him blankly.

Eventually Sipho raises his hand. The inspector points excitedly to him.
Sipho stands up and says: "Sir, I do not know who broke down the walls of
Jericho, but I am innocent."

The inspector looks at the teacher for an explanation. She says: "Well, I've
known Sipho since the beginning of the year and I believe that if he says
that he didn't do it, then he didn't do it."

The inspector is totally shocked at the level of ignorance and storms down
to the principal's office and tells him what happened. The principal
replies: "Look I don't know the boy, but I socialise every now and then with
his teacher and I believe her. If she feels that the boy was not involved,
then he must be innocent."

The inspector can't believe what he is hearing. He grabs the phone on the
principal's desk and calls the Minister of Education. He relates the entire
episode and asks her what she thinks of the education standard in the
school. The Minister sighs heavily and replies: "Eish wena. You know I am
very busy. I don't know the boy, the teacher or the principal. Just get
three quotes and have the wall fixed."