Social Cohesion Programmes: DBE briefing

Basic Education

31 May 2023
Chairperson: Ms B Mbinqo-Gigaba (ANC)
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Meeting Summary

The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education was briefed by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) on the progress of the social cohesion programmes it is implementing in public schools across the country, with the assistance of the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture (DoSAC).

While Members were pleased that efforts were underway to introduce new sporting and cultural activities for children in public schools, they were concerned by the lack of infrastructure to carry out the programmes. In response, the department highlighted that multi-purpose facilities have been built to ensure that all children, especially those in quintile one to three schools – who are the group most affected by the lack of infrastructure – have access to the extracurricular and mural activities.

Another concern raised by the Committee is the seeming increase in the department’s efforts to encroach on the rights of parents in relation to their choice of the content taught to their children. Members requested that the department submit its proposed curriculum to the Committee so that they can take it back to their constituents for scrutiny.

Meeting report

The Chairperson indicated that officials from the DBE would take the Committee through its social cohesion programmes. Thereafter, she requested a mover for the adoption of the agenda.

Ms N Adoons (ANC) moved for the adoption of the agenda.

Mr T Letsie (ANC) seconded the mover for the adoption of the agenda.

The agenda was duly adopted by the Committee.

Following the adoption of the agenda the Chairperson handed over to the DBE.

Briefing on the DBE’s social cohesion programmes

Mr Likho Bottoman (Deputy Director: Social Mobilisation and Support at the DBE) and Mr Sifiso Ngobose (Director: Sport and Enrichment at the DBE) took the Committee through the DBE’s social cohesion programmes.

Both presenters explained that the purpose of the department’s programmes were to foster social cohesion and further the nation-building project started by former President Nelson Mandela. The implementation of the extra-mural and curricular activities is being done with the assistance of the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture (DoSAC). These activities include sports, art and music activities.

(See Presentation)

After the presentation, the Chairperson opened the floor for discussion.

Discussion

Ms M Sukers (ACDP) highlighted that she had a few questions to pose to the DBE. One, she asked if the unit in charge of the programmes is within the department or not; if it is only dedicated to work related to social cohesion; what documents it has drafted thus far, who advised the unit on the documents; and who were on the unit’s stakeholder list.

Two, she asked the DBE to provide a list of the implementing and funding partners.

Three, she asked what the status of the documents that the unit had drafted was and if they had been publicly released. Further to that, she asked if the unit has engaged with the public on its documents.

Four, she asked what the purpose of the unit was, who took the decision to establish it, and whom it reports; if it formed part of the departmental organogram; what the parameters of its mandate are; how many staff members it has and what their responsibilities are; and how it is funded.

Five, she asked who came up with the problem statement contained on slide seven and if it did not encroach on parental rights as it has highly normative content. She admitted that she was disturbed by some of the language used in the problem statement, particularly as a Christian woman who is raising her child within the faith. Moreover, she felt that the DBE was moving in the direction of the United States of America (USA) where children are expected to be and think the same; and where the rights of parents are being encroached upon.

Ms M van Zyl (DA) said that the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill did not focus on the development of all indigenous languages in the country, to afford all children the opportunity to receive an education through their mother tongue. Doing so, she stressed, would further contribute to the project of fostering social cohesion.

Sports, she advocated, can and should be used to assist in fostering social cohesion as well. In addition, sports can also indirectly contribute to the reduction of crime and violence in the country by keeping students engaged in structured activities. She asked for the department’s view on the study that revealed that 35% of schools did not have access to sporting facilities.

Thereafter, she outlined how music can serve as a platform for cultural exchange and understanding, thus breaking down cultural barriers. On this, she asked how many schools from quintile one to five had access to music as an extra-mural activity.

Dr W Boshoff (FF+) said that there was broad agreement on the educational value provided through the programmes run by the unit. Furthermore, he applauded the department for how it has rolled out the programmes so far. However, he questioned how the department planned to implement its programmes on sexual and gender orientation, as he believed that they were contrary to traditional family values.

In a response to a question he posed previously, the Minister, Ms Angie Motshekga, remarked that various groups of people were invited to provide input on the introduction of the programmes, but they ended up quarrelling during the engagements, he indicated. As the Minister had not highlighted the input made by individuals from different backgrounds in the engagements, and neither did the presentation properly touch on it, he recommended that the DBE brief it on the proposed social cohesion syllabus.

He noted that there was an increase in the interference of the state in the education of children in the country, with much of the content radically different from parents’ desires. This, he felt, will lead to a large exodus of children from state-run schools to private and home schools.

Ms Adoons said that she would place all of her questions in writing as she was struggling with connectivity issues.

The Chairperson was pleased by the presentation, which showed that much work has been done by the DBE to create a vibrant environment for learners at schools. However, she noted that the department did not touch on the challenges it has faced during the administration of its programmes.

After that, she asked how many quintile one to three schools had good sports infrastructure. Furthermore, she asked if the DBE has established relationships between quintile one to three schools and private ones to share sporting facilities.

Then she asked if there was a directorate that dealt with school sports at the district municipal level.

She mentioned that the 2018/19 transformation in sports report found that one of the reasons for the lack of transformation and equal opportunity in sports was the dysfunctional state of sports in schools. In line with this, she asked what could be done to correct these issues. Moreover, she asked what quintile schools most of the high-performing learners come from.

Dr Granville Whittle (Deputy Director-General: Social Mobilisation and Support Services at DBE) confirmed that the unit was based in the DBE.

Regarding the question on the status of a set of documents, he presumed that the Member had referred to the protocol on discrimination in schools, among others. Presently the department is engaging various stakeholders in all nine provinces on the documents. Once the process is complete the DBE will compile a log of comments, which will then be forwarded to the Council of Education Ministers for a final decision, between September at the end of the year, so that they can be fully implemented for the 2024 school year. The department was more than willing to share the documents, including the comments with the Committee.

Responding to the question on why the unit was established, he explained that it was formed in 2002 specifically to promote the values of the Constitution. Over the twenty years of its operation the unit has accumulated a significant amount of material, he added.

Referring to the question on the problem statement, he remarked that it emerges from the manifesto of values.

Touching on who funds the unit, he mentioned that it is funded by the department. However, as it is the most underfunded branch in the department, additional funds are obtained through partnerships with other stakeholders in the sector.

He agreed that sports, arts and culture at schools all contribute to social cohesion and nation-building, particularly in a country with a divided history like South Africa.

In response to the question on the state of sports infrastructure in quintile one to three schools, he stated that there are serious deficits, but the DBE does what it can to ensure that all the children from those schools participate in sporting activities. Further to that, several children have been represented in the Motsepe Cup.

Regarding the question on the number of schools that offer extra murals, he said that there are currently eight thousand plus schools that are participating in the Motsepe Foundation Partnership effort. Other details, such as the genres offered, would be provided to the Committee in writing, he added.

The mandate of the department’s work to promote social cohesion emanates from the provisions in the Constitution, he explained. This requires the DBE to eradicate all forms of discrimination in schools so as to create a functional environment for children to learn in.

On the question related to the 2018/19 transformation in sports report, he indicated that the DBE drew important lessons from the report, and is implementing measures to address the challenges. He further explained that school sports is a function shared by the DBE and the DoSAC, which receives the greater sum of the budget. Not all schools, he pointed out, utilise their budgets adequately.

One of the department’s focus areas for the year is the re-establishment of Sports Wednesdays, he told Members.

Mr Botterman clarified that the entire budget allocated from voted funds for the unit was R4 million this financial year.

Mr Mzwandile Matthews (Advisor to the Minister of Basic Education) explained that the presentation covered points that the Committee wanted further clarity on.

Regarding the question of how many quintile one to five schools had extra mural activities, he mentioned that parents have varying views on the department’s extra-mural and curricula activities.

Adding on to the answer provided by officials, he outlined that the unit was established under the previous Minister, Mr Kader Asmal, and was in line with Presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki’s nation-building efforts. Moreover, the guideline of the unit’s work is contained in a report issued by the Commission established by former Minister Asmal, which the department would make available to the Committee, he said.

He reminded the Committee that SASCOC, which was established after Parliament passed the amendment to the Sports and Recreational Bill, has caused serious problems for the DBE because it had unlimited say on how sports would be conducted in the country. Desperate, the DoSAC under Minister Ben Ngubane, re-conceptualised school sports into an extracurricular activity.

Many of the schools, particularly quintiles one to three, did not have space to build sporting facilities, he highlighted. To address this, the department built multi-purpose centres that can be used for learners in those schools. While innovative methods are being used, such as the sharing of school facilities between private and public schools in Gauteng, he admitted that more can be done.

Responding to the question on how many schools from quintile one to five had access to music as an extra-mural activity, he pointed out that the department used to have a programme called Ingoma, which served as a platform for cultural expressions, like classical and opera music.

The Southern African Society for Co-Operative Education (SASCE) was originally diverse in its offerings but for certain reasons unknown to the department some organisations left SASCE and began luring children into their own activities. It seemed to him that only certain cultural groups were willing to engage in cross-cultural activities, and more needed to be done to improve on this, he said.

Thereafter, he requested that the Committee allow the DBE to provide further detail to the questions in writing.

Ms Sukers asked that the founding document (the one released by the Commission) be sent to the Committee. Furthermore, she asked for a list of the funding partners, what programmes have been piloted so far and all the documents/guidelines drafted by the department.

The Chairperson thanked the officials from the department and Members for their input in the discussion.

The meeting was adjourned.

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