What does it mean 'to be Ready'? or What is Readiness?

So few weeks ago I was invited to talk about the Matric examination, as well as the readiness of the education system.  I call it SYSTEM READINESS since most of our conversations will focus on 'whether the learners are ready', or 'whether the departments are read'.  During the conversation, I was asked about this readiness, and despite me responding to this 'readiness' question (see video included), I later reflected on my response, and realised that READINESS is like a coin - it will have two sides.

For example, when we asked 'whether the learners are ready', then indirectly we need to know, or asked 'whether the teachers have prepared the learners properly to be ready'.  Likewise, if we ask 'whether the education departments are ready', then we need to know, or ask 'whether those who distributed the framework of examination readiness been distributed by the subject advisors for teachers to be sufficiently prepared when walking into the classroom in preparation of learners for this matric examination'.

I therefore can continue to ask all these interrelated questions of readiness - in essence it is all about whether the education system is managed and is working AS A SYSTEM.  Before we wait in anticipation for the Matric Results to be announced - do we know whether the different components/ roleplayers in the education system played their part in FULL?  Are there any of our learners who are now sitting for the examination, whose teachers have not covered ALL the work they were supposed to do?  The question is: Have all our teachers completed their syllabus? Not just the Matric teacher, but the earlier grade teachers?  Are we sending our learners into an examination (battle), while we are not sure whether they were given everything needed to be successful (given just half or even less ammunition to survive in the battle)?  Do we have the system to verify, not just based on 'hear say', but independent verification?

If we, as a country, can't answer these questions in an emphatic way (with absolute certainty), then the results of the learners are actually not THEIR RESULTS, but rather OUR EDUCATION SYSTEMS' RESULTS, whether those results are good or bad.  Because, often dysfunctional results and schools are the consequence of dysfunctional mechanisms!