Cape Town, 9 February 2004
Madam Speaker
His Excellency, the State President
Honourable Ministers and Deputy Ministers present,
Members of Parliament.
Democratic South Africa was born of a leadership with a vision for a people struggle to lift themselves out of the quagmire of apartheid, people pitted against one another brought into the unifying stream of democracy and nation building. These unified streams of democracy are brought into being by ANC and its tripartite alliance. This is where leadership was born.
Madam Speaker, here was born an idea, a South African idea, of moulding a people from a diverse origins, cultural practices, languages, into one, within a framework democratic in character, that can absorb, accommodate and mediate conflicts and adversarial interests without oppression and injustice.
Throughout its 92 years of existence, the ANC has put the interest of all the people of South Africa at the top of its agenda. Having united the overwhelming majority of South Africans in struggle the possibility was created in 1994 for us to work together practically to construct a society that cares.
In the area of education, progress has been made by the ANC led government through its depts. of education, especially in the implementation of our Tirisamommogo programme. Through our collective efforts, involving teachers, student, parents, the business community, civil society and non-governmental organizations, we as ANC led government, we managed to push back the frontiers of poverty and degradation in our schools. Our people, even in the most rural areas of our country, have come out in support of our Tirisano call, and schools in these areas are gradually recording improvement in their performance. We had huge improvement last year 2003 in matric results and this was National and Provincial wise. Many Provinces like North West had celebrations on their performance. A brief examination of progress in our nine provinces Tirisano priorities will reveal the hardest success we are recording.
Curriculum 2005 was first introduced to schools in 1998, with a phased introduction intended to result in the first matric class by 2005. However in 1999 it was apparent that various problems existed, which were limiting the effective implementation of the curriculum. Minister Asmal therefore appointed a Review Committee, which made three findings:
A Ministerial Project Committee then redrafted the Curriculum Statement for Grades R - 9 in a way, which simplified much of the languages, and provided more guidance to teachers regarding the expectations at each level. The revised Curriculum takes as its foundations, and provides explicit support for, the core values of the constitution, including equity, social justice, a healthy environment, and the dignity of every individual.
The revised Curriculum received overwhelming support from the public, and from the education community. The Curriculum Statements were subsequently translated into all official languages, as well as into Brialle for blind teachers and a full set, together with a teachers Guide, was delivered to every single teacher in the country at a cost of R60 million. The teachers Guide spells out how the outcomes can be achieved in different schools and classrooms contexts.
Madam Speaker
It is too early to assess the benefits of outcomes based education comprehensively. The revised outcomes based Curriculum for Grades 10 - 12 has only recently been approved, and will be implemented in 2006, with the first cohort to finish school under the new system completing in 2008. The new approach has been widely welcomed by teachers Unions, by academics and by parents, and we are confident that the children who have completed their education under outcomes based education will be better founded and more productive citizens able to work collectively, and equipped with thinking skills rather than ability to memorise facts.
Madam Speaker, our Government is seriously engaged in "Anti - poverty drive "and this is an ongoing process. In December 2002, the Dept of Education published the results of a comprehensive study on the Financing Resourcing and costs of Education. A number of factors were identified which impact on the costs of education, the main drivers being:
In each of these areas have been developed to minimize the costs of education for the poor. In regard to school fees, it is hoped that we will soon be able to announce on scrapping of fees in at least the poorest of 40% of schools, where the amounts are very small ( often less than R100 per year in some 60% of schools), but the impact enormous in terms of exclusions and a loss of dignity.
It is the wish of the government to commit itself to a minimum resourcing package so that these schools have no need to levy any fees at all. The challenges of long distance traveled by our learners to schools in particular those who live in rural areas were noted in the 2003 report that looked at the financing Resources and lost of Education in Public School. Research work will be conducted in the first part of the new financial year to look at the provision of education in rural communities and key among the areas is transport and hostel provisioning for learners of scholar transport for learners in rural and farm areas.
Madam Speaker,
Two years ago, the President made the statement that no learner should be learning under trees. In 2002 / 03 the Department of Education together with Provincial Department of Education embarked on a drive to eradicate all instances learners learning under trees and each Provincial department developed a strategy for addressing the problem of learners under trees. Information received indicates that we have broken the back of the phenomenon of learners under trees.
Madam Speaker
Government has accepted that the restructuring and consolidation of the higher Education System is essential if the system is to be transformed, and if it is to achieve the strategic objectives of equalizing the educational opportunities, and of producing the knowledge output required for national social and economic development. This restructuring and consolidation will help to remove from the higher education system of the apartheid legacy of fragmentation, inequity and inefficiency, which has hampered its ability to participate fully in national development strategies.
Four major mergers happened on January 1, 2004 at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, North West University, University of S.A (UNISA) and the Tshwane University of Technology have been established. All the constituent campuses (eight) of Vista have been incorporated into receiving institutions on January 2, 2004. The Rhodes East London Campus has been incorporated into University of Fort Hare and the Dentistry Faculty of Stellenbosch has been incorporated into the University of the Western Cape.
In the case of teaching itself, progress wise, teaching quality has received much attention and upgrading of teachers has continued with an annual increase of just over 2 percentage points in the proportion of qualified teachers in South Africa since 1994.
Madam Speaker, it must also be noted that teacher discipline continues to receive attention within the education community, particularly within teacher unions and associations. Cases against teachers are monitored by the Department of Education and the South African Council for Educators, which sets, maintains and protect ethical and professional standards in the teaching fraternity and may deny serious offenders the right to teach. National Teaching Awards are presented annually by the President of the Republic of South Africa to acknowledge the contribution of teachers who excel in management, teaching practice, leadership and commitment in the education system.
There is also provision of Student assistance by the ANC led government and that is Higher Funding Support. In addition, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme was set up by the government to fund loans and bursaries to needy students. Between 1996 and 2001, the scheme was SET UP BY THE government to find loans and bursaries to needy students. Between 1996 AND 2001, the scheme disbursed over R2,6 billion to almost half a million student in higher education institutions, thus expanding access to more students, particularly those who come from the poorer communities and households. This scheme targets students from previously disadvantaged backgrounds in general, but there is also and earmarked portion within the scheme that is aimed at increasing participation rates in key fields of study such as Teacher Development and Science, Engineering and Technology.
Madam Speaker, The Government has put Nutrition programmes in place. These programmes enable and enhance participation and learner achievement. The expansion of the funds allocated to these nutrition programmes in recent years has expanded both participation in both education and training and local economic development owing to the involvement of SMME's as service providers. The government is developing implementation and monitoring systems to ensure that the poorest learners in primary schools and the Reception Grade receive a state funded meal on all school days. The Nutrition Project is projected to be funded to the tune of over R1,2 billion in 2003/4 from R0,46 billion in 1999.
Madam Speaker, " Improving achievement and participation by Gender' are also engaged on by this Government. In spite of tremendous barriers that female learners face in participating in education, it is clear that the various initiatives to improve their performance and achievement levels are beginning to pay off. These interventions include compulsory education, eliminating discrimination against pregnant learners, implementing a system of free exemptions, nutrition, and reducing the private burden of the costs of education to households.
There is also Anti-discriminatory education system provision in place. The South African Constitution (1996) requires education to be transformed and democratized in accordance with the values of human dignity, equality, human rights and freedom, non-racism and non-sexism. It guarantees access to basic education for all, including adult basic education, and progressive access to further Education and Training. The Dept. of Education has published a series of leaflets aimed at making exemptions, and the discriminatory nature of exclusion from schooling. These leaflets have been well received by the public and are available at the time of registration for school entry for the following year.
Madam Speaker, the areas for mathematics, Science and technology have been identified as search skills, which are key development drivers for the country. In recent years information and Communication Technologies in education initiatives have also been established with a real growth in connectivity across education institutions. Between 1996 and 2000, there was an increase in 24 percentage points in the number of schools with telecommunication. In 1996, there were 2,335 percentage points in the number of schools with telecommunication. In 2000, there were 3,351 schools (12,3%) with 70,711 computers among them, though over 70% of schools still had no computers.
A draft Paper on electronic (e) education has been developed to consolidate these interventions in the system, and create a corps of learners and educators who are fully "e" competent. The vision of the white paper includes ICT as a tool for administration, management, knowledge creation, and curriculum delivery at education institutions.
In the case of Distance Education, access to educational opportunities remains high on the education agenda. In 2000, the Dept. of Education commissioned research into open learning in general and further education and training prompted, in part, by the scale of educational challenges in general and projects running in different parts of the world. This research highlighted the removal of barriers to open meaningful learning opportunities for learners. Special emphasis in the research focused on further education and training. The Dept. is subsequently developing a national strategy for open learning and distance education in public FET colleges.
Madam Speaker, Africa presents a context of active and topical transformation that can both benefit from, and contribute to pan-African and global distance education and open learning development. More specific, in the context of NEPAD, education is the one of the most potent weapons available to marginalisation, and to achieve the continent's human development goals. The Dept of Education will host the All-Africa Ministers' Conference on Open and Distance Learning in Cape Town in 2004 (this year). This follows on the successes in co-hosting, with the Commonwealth of Learning, the Second Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning in Durban in 2002.
Madam Speaker, Our education is of great value. In 2001, the Minister of Education release a Manifesto on values, education and democracy, which highlights the values to be promoted through education and in classrooms. The values identified are democracy, respect, reconciliation and the rule of law. The focus of the values in education initiative will be on familiarizing learners with Constitutional values and symbols with the emphasis on: marking the first decade of freedom and democracy, extending a sense of pride in heritage and history, and respect for the values and symbols of our newly achieved democracy, celebrating national heritage, including traditional values and customs, diversity in language, religion and culture, and celebrating African achievement.
Fostering knowledge and understanding or history and language, and respect for culture and values, are critical for enhanced social participation. These influence the social outcomes of education and training, especially through the socio-cultural profile of graduates and learners in the education and training system. Changes in the structure of social networks are slow to manifest in society, and difficult to measure. The challenge in the coming decade will be to quantify and strengthen these changes.
"During the first Decade of Freedom, we worked hard and successful to consolidate and entrech the Democratic System created by the victory of the national democratic revolution. We have defeated all the forces of reaction that sought to deny our people these advances." This statement was outlined by the unique ANC on occasion of its 92 Anniversary on January 8, 2004.
Madam Speaker, let us also remember the martyrs of 1976, the students who lost their lives in the campus strike during the dark days of the 1980's. Indeed they have contributed towards freedom that we are enjoying. We applaud and salute them. The spirit of remembrance remained with us for their wonderful deeds that they have contributed towards Democracy that we are enjoying.
Thank you