The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, has, at the request of the national Department of Education, examined the education system in South Africa. The report has praise for education reform since 1994 in the areas of legislation, policy development, curriculum reform and delivery of education.
There are, however, challenges that still stare the department in the face, such as education outcomes and labour market relevance. It has been reported widely that outcomes of our education system leave much to be desired. Pupils from our schools are still being churned out illiterate and innumerate. It will not do us any good to keep saying we are doing our best when that best is worse than was offered in the past.
Legions of the unemployed keep swelling the ranks of the jobless. Greater efforts have to be mounted to ensure that teaching is effective. After all, if children are poorly taught, they will remain a generation of liabilities as they cannot be recalled, as is done with defective products. If they battle at school, they may not be interested in Adult Basic Education and Training when they grow older, let alone wish to continue private studies to improve their lot.
According to that report of the OECD, the national and provincial Departments of Education have yet to come up with ways and means of promoting and supporting changes in the interest of all young people and others - all this in the face of shortages of financial and human resources.
We in the UCDP know that education is still in the process of transition and it will take time and adequate resources, coupled with nerves of steel, for policy-makers to make that reform a reality. I thank you. [Time expired.]