Chair, hon Ministers, Deputy Ministers, leaders of the ruling and opposition parties, hon members, comrades, ladies and gentlemen, the Bill before the House deals with technical and substantive issues with regard to the existing provisions in education legislation.
The amendments affect provisions in the following legislation: the National Education Policy Act, Nepa, of 1996; the South African Schools Act, Sasa, of 1996; the Employment of Educators Act of 1998; the South African Council for Educators Act, Sace, of 2000; and the General and Further Education and Training Quality Assurance Act of 2001.
There was a thorough consultative process with various stakeholders, including consultation with the Heads of Education Departments Committee and the Council of Education Ministers, as well as the cabinet committee responsible for Basic Education. All their inputs were incorporated.
The Bill was drafted to address technical and other substantive issues in order to provide greater clarity with regard to existing provisions in the education legislation. It also provides statutory authority for practices already in existence in schools. The following are the main features of the Bill.
The creation of the new Department of Basic Education has necessitated a redefinition and deletion of certain words and expressions that occur in Nepa. The Bill seeks to amend the definitions of "Director-General", "Minister" and "education institution". For the same reason, it also proposes the substitution of the word "learner" for "student".
In clauses 4 to 14, which deal with the South African Schools Act, the Bill proposes the insertion of a new definition of "loan" in order to deal with financial contracts entered into by schools. An amendment of the definition of "parent" is also proposed in order to include both a biological and an adoptive parent.
The Bill proposes an amendment to section 5A of the South African Schools Act in order to provide that the Minister of Basic Education must first consult the Minister of Finance before prescribing a regulation on minimum norms and standards for school infrastructure. The aim of this amendment is to comply with the requirements of the Public Finance Management Act.
The Bill seeks to insert a new section, 6B, in the South African Schools Act in order to ensure that governing bodies guard against unfair discrimination in respect of the official languages that are offered as subject options in the curriculum. The objective of this amendment is to ensure that all official languages are treated equally and that schools cannot use languages as a basis for discriminating against learners.
The reason for the amendment proposed to section 9 of the South African Schools Act is that the powers of MECs have to be further strengthened and that there has to be legal certainty to the process regulated by section 9.
The amendment proposed to section 12 is aimed at introducing a new category of public school, namely a public school that provides education with a specialised focus.
There is an amendment aimed at extending the functions and responsibilities of the principal of a public school. The amendment seeks to give principals greater accountability in respect of advising the school governing body, SGB, on financial matters.
The amendment proposed to section 19 of the South African Schools Act is meant to empower the Minister, when determining norms and standards and in order to enhance the capacity of SGBs, to authorise a governing body association to perform certain functions to build the capacity of SGBs.
The Bill seeks to insert a new section, 33A, in the South African Schools Act which is meant to ensure that the school timetable is not interrupted by party-political activities, including campaigning, the conducting of rallies, the distribution of pamphlets and fliers, and the hanging or putting up of posters and banners, unless such party-political material is related to the curriculum of the school.
The amendment proposed to section 36 of the South African Schools Act is meant to empower SGBs, with the approval of the MEC, to supplement their school funds.
There is also an amendment which is meant to empower the MEC responsible for education in a province to identify, in addition to the list published by the Minister of Basic Education, schools in the province in question that may not charge school fees. This will allow provinces to determine quintiles without necessarily being bound by those that have been nationally determined. This amendment has been occasioned by the migration of learners, which has caused changes in population demographics in communities.
The remaining clauses are technical in nature and I shall not deal with them in this debate. Thank you.
Madam Chairperson, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers present, and hon members, I greet you. I feel humbled, but at the same time it also gives me great pleasure, to participate in this debate today. The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education thanks the House for giving us the opportunity to present issues and concerns relating to the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill.
Education remains an apex priority for our government, the ANC-led government. It remains a pillar that our government wants to use to reach its long-range developmental goals. To achieve this, the ANC's Polokwane Conference of 2007 resolved to split the Department of Education into two departments, namely Basic Education and Higher Education and Training.
Basic Education has been tasked with the responsibility of ensuring the achievement of quality education in our schools. The split, therefore, necessitated focused attention on issues affecting basic education and focused intervention measures.
It is important to note that the split is beginning to bear fruits. The 2010 matric results give us hope, and we are convinced that we will achieve many more such good results. We need to celebrate the achievement of these learners and build momentum from there.
We congratulate the hon Minister, her Deputy and the Department of Basic Education for being instrumental in the achievements of the cohorts of 2010 and for their dedication and commitment to their calling.
The split further necessitated amendments to basic education law, which we will speak on, that is, the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill. As stated in its main object, the Bill seeks to clarify certain existing provisions in laws that affect basic education and to provide statutory authority for practices currently in existence at schools.
The Bill seeks to align the following laws as alluded to by the Minister of Basic Education, namely: National Education Policy Act, Act 27 of 1996; South African Schools Act, Act 84 of 1996; Employment of Educators Act; South African Council for Educators Act; and General and Further Education and Training Quality Assurance Act. The amendments to this Bill are both technical and substantive.
To support this process of amending the Bill, the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education requested written submissions. Interested stakeholders, particularly teachers' unions, entities within the department, governing body associations, individuals and civil society organisations responded and sent valuable comments.
As we are aware that public participation is the cornerstone of our democracy, the committee saw it as important to hold public hearings to listen to the individual submissions of stakeholders and interested parties. It was essential that our communities made inputs into matters affecting their daily lives.
We are grateful to those stakeholders for raising pertinent issues in order to reinforce certain clauses so as to influence the necessary amendment of this Bill. As a committee we noted how these stakeholders engaged on issues that were evoked by certain clauses in the Bill. Of note to the committee was the engagement on the following clauses. Clause 6 of the Bill seeks to realise the obligation imposed by sections 6, 29 and 30 of the Constitution of the country to promote and ensure parity of esteem for all official languages and to ensure that they are treated equitably.
Clause 9 seeks to put principals of schools in a position to assist the governing body with the management of school finances.
Clause 11 seeks to outlaw all political activities during school time.
Clause 19 of the Bill seeks to empower the South African Council for Educators to manage within its available resources the Continuing Professional Teacher Development system.
The department supported some of the comments. The committee was satisfied that the process of public participation yielded good results and the spirit of the people's parliament is at work.
The committee - that is all political parties represented in the committee - debated these amendments, keeping in mind the improvement of the quality of basic education, which is important at all times. I would like to thank committee members for guiding this process. The comments and submissions helped us to have this final product, which we are proud of as we present it to this august House today. Finally, I present the motion of desirability which the entire committee - that is all political parties present in our meetings - agreed upon. Political parties present included the ANC, the DA, the IFP, Cope, the ACDP and Azapo, and they agreed on the following:
In the opinion of the committee, legislation is desirable to:
amend the National Education Policy of 1996 so as to amend or delete certain definitions;
amend the South African Schools Act 1996 so as to amend certain definitions and to define "loan";
provide for consultation with the Minister of Finance before uniform minimum norms and standards are determined;
ensure that there is no unfair discrimination in respect of official languages;
provide for the imposition of a suitable sanction if an appeal by a learner who has been expelled from a public school has been upheld by the Member of the Executive Council;
provide for public schools that provide education with a specialised focus on talent;
provide for additional functions of a principal of a public school;
provide for the training of the governing bodies;
prohibit political activities during school time;
empower the Member of the Executive Council to identify additional schools that may not charge school fees;
further regulate the liability of the state for certain damages;
amend the Employment of Educators Act so as to amend certain definitions and regulate afresh the application of the said Act;
amend the South African Council for Educators Act so as to amend certain definitions and empower the council to manage within its available resources the Continuing Professional Teacher Development system;
amend the General and Further Education and Training Quality Assurance Act so as to amend certain definitions and provide for matters connected to their work; and
refer the Bill to the committee to be taken as a basis.
As the Chairperson, I request support for the Bill and urge all parties to accept this Bill in the spirit that prevailed in the committee in their supporting it.
I thank all stakeholders who participated in the process of making sure that the Bill is a success. Thanks go to committee members for their commitment to concluding this Bill amicably. I thank the departmental senior officials and their legal team; the state law advisor; the committee legal advisor, Adv Gordon; the secretary, Mr Brown; the researcher, Mr Mahada; and the content advisor, Mr Bandie, for diligently guiding the committee and ensuring that reports were ready in every discussion to guide us as a committee in finalising this Bill. I thank you.
Voorsitter, die DA ondersteun die wysigingswetsontwerp, maar het twee punte van kritiek wat ons op rekord wil plaas.
Eerstens word die skoolhoof nou meer as vantevore belas met die finansile bestuur van die skool. 'n Beter oplossing sou wees om skole se beheerliggame tot groter verantwoordelikheid en verantwoordbaarheid te roep ten opsigte van skole se finansile bestuur.
Tweedens is die wysigings wat 'n verbod plaas op partypolitieke aktiwiteite gedurende skooltyd nie sterk genoeg om die vakbonde se bedrywighede gedurende skooltyd tot orde en verantwoordelikheid te roep nie. Die DA voel dat die departement en die Minister hier 'n geleentheid laat verbygaan het om die vakbonde tot orde te roep. Die rol van onderwysvakbonde, vra ons dan vandag, moet hersien word sodat die belange van die leerders altyd bo die belange van die lede van die vakbond sal sevier. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mr D C SMILES: Chairperson, the DA supports the amending Bill, but has two points of criticism which we wish to place on record.
In the first place the headmaster is being burdened more than before with the school's financial management. A better solution would have been to call on bigger responsibility and accountability for school governing bodies in respect of the financial management of schools.
Secondly, the changes which impose a ban on party-political activities during school hours are not forceful enough to call the actions by trade unions during school hours to order and responsibility. The DA feels that here the department and the Minister have allowed an opportunity to slip by of calling the trade unions to order. Today we therefore ask for the role of teachers' unions to be reviewed so that the interests of the learners will always triumph over those of the union members.]
As previously mentioned here by one of the members of the ANC, section 28(2) of the Bill of Rights, under children's rights, provides, and I quote:
A child's best interests are of paramount importance in every matter concerning the child.
The Department of Basic Education should give effect to this clause when it comes to the activities of teachers' unions. If the department doesn't give effect to this clause, it will continue to allow teachers' unions like the SA Democratic Teachers' Union, Sadtu, to violate this constitutional imperative and, subsequently, to violate the best interests of the learners. Sadtu's strikes and disruptive activities make it impossible for South African students to enjoy their rights as learners and as children. Sadtu has to realise that every learner matters. The interests of the learner must be put first. It is the right thing to do, it is the constitutional thing to do, and it makes educational sense.
The quality of education, and ultimately learner outcomes, must be improved. The Department of Basic Education must do this without fear or favour for any trade union. Trade unions cannot be allowed to rule schools in a way that advances their own interests above those of the learners. The department must protect the learners in terms of this constitutional imperative.
The well-known Indian philosopher, Parthasarathy, says in his book The Fall of the Human Intellect that the three Cs to success are concentration, consistency and co-operation. These three disciplines have a vital role to play in order for an individual or an organisation to achieve success, productivity, progress and peace in any field of endeavour. The Department of Basic Education and the other provincial education departments should really take a leaf out of the book of the Western Cape Education Department. [Applause.] The departments must commit themselves to the three Cs, in addition to the "Three Ts", as required in the 2011 state of the nation address. It is the right thing to do.
It is also a positive step in reviving the education partnership that has collapsed over the last couple of years. Of utmost importance in this partnership is that between the learner and the teacher. In this partnership, the teacher must lead by example. This used to be the slogan of my teachers' union, the Cape Teachers' Professional Association, CTPA, which I belonged to and supported until the day the union decided to join Sadtu. Then I said goodbye to the union. It gave up its motto and dedication to professionalism in education to succumb to Sadtu's trade unionism. There are many teachers in Sadtu who want to put the interests of the learners first, but they are held hostage. They are mobilised and manipulated by the union to look at their interests above those of the learners.
This is one of the reasons why the education system in South Africa has gone wrong. South Africa wants teachers who concentrate on the task at hand, who consistently lead by example, and who co-operate positively, progressively and peacefully with other stakeholders. It is time to do the right thing: put the interests of the learners first.
Beka umsebenzi wabafundi kuqala. Phantsi ngomsebenzi weemanyano zabasebenzi! Ngena DA ngena! Phambili DA! [Put learners' interests first. Down with the business of workers' unions! go, DA, Go! Forward DA!]
I thank you. [Applause.]
Madam Chairperson, hon members and South Africans, I was going to speak about "Three T". I thought that it emanated from somewhere, and my colleague here said where it emanated from. If I had the luxury of time, I would have loved to engage with this Bill against the "Three T" call. I am not sure where it started, but that is not what I am asking now.
The "teacher, time and text" call should be engaged with against the provisions of this Bill. The Bill is an instrument that provides and facilitates the application of calls like these. It can therefore not be appreciated in a void. It gives us the guidelines and the protection. It is a navigation tool, a compass, but we need particular instances and cases against which we can appreciate the validity of the Bill.
Moving to the Bill itself, Cope does understand that the National Education Policy Act, Act 27 of 1996, is being amended to be in line with the new Department of Basic Education.
Section 4 of Act 27 of 1996 allows every learner to be instructed in the language of his or her choice where this is reasonably practicable. We agree with this notion that all official languages should be treated equally and that schools should not and must not use language as a basis for discrimination against any learner or group of learners.
Over and above this, the Bill goes on to stress that the education system must contribute to the full personal development of each learner and to the moral, cultural, political and economic development of the nation at large. Allow me to underscore, and really to overemphasise, the issue of "moral" in this provision. The implication of these provisions, when unpacked, is vast. At a time in our history when the focus is almost entirely on the exit of Grade 12, the full personal development of a learner will not occur unless some steps are taken. At some point, I would like to urge the Minister to take us through specific steps that she will take to comply with this provision.
On the practical level, we do concur with the issue of "loan", and we think that it is quite right that the payment of salaries is excluded from this provision, so we are in favour of that.
The collaboration between the Minister of Basic Education and the Minister of Finance is quite welcome, because we need that kind of dual accountability.
Lastly, the prohibition of political party activity during school time is, indeed, a progressive move. Cope endorses the view that no political party activities may, can or should be conducted at a school during school time. I cannot overemphasise the issue of schools being places of integrity and places of worship for new knowledge production. So, Cope supports this Bill, because it is necessary in our present circumstances. Thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, the IFP welcomes the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill. However, the department must continue to look closely at the following areas.
Firstly, the continuous professional development of our teachers should be provided by the South African Council for Educators, Sace. This is non- negotiable; the IFP does not agree with teacher training being subject to funds being available from the department.
Secondly, the clause which prevents party-political activities at schools during school hours is welcomed by the IFP, but what about the huge amount of disruption at schools that is brought about by the activities of certain unions? The school arena must be such that only educational activities are allowed therein; anything less is failing our children. The department must ensure that anything of noneducational nature must be banned from school grounds during school operating hours.
Thirdly, our teachers must realise that they are the guardians of our children's education. They are, therefore, duty-bound like any other essential services in this country to place the needs of their wards before their own needs. Last year many teachers failed the youth of our country by embarking upon an extended strike just before the matric exams. This cannot and must not be allowed to occur again.
In conclusion, the IFP also wishes to congratulate the Minister and the department for a job well done in respect of the high pass and exemption rates of students. This was achieved despite many obstacles, and bears testimony to both the department's and the students hard work that such good results were possible. The IFP supports the Bill. I thank you. [Applause.]
Chairperson, the Bill before us deals with the amendment of a series of Basic Education-related legislation. The proposed amendments to the Basic Education laws were done to align the existing legal framework with the new education dispensation, where in 2009 the portfolio of Education was split into two interrelated departments, that is, the Basic Education and the Higher Education and Training Departments. The amendments fall into a few broad categories, all of them central to the need to create a Basic Education law that operates optimally.
Firstly, we welcome the broadening of the definition of the term "parent" from biological and adoptive parents to include legal guardians.
Secondly, it deals with the contentious issue of ensuring that there is nondiscrimination between official languages. The UDM also believes that this is a matter that requires professional intervention rather than one that should be handled by the school governing body.
Thirdly, the Bill deals with the improvement of the financial management system at school level, and the role of the principal in such a system.
Lastly, we indeed support the prohibition on political activities during school hours. There must be strictly no display of political party material on the school premises for purposes other than educational ones. The UDM supports the Bill. I thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, hon Ministers, hon Deputy Ministers and hon members, lotjhani. [good day.]
We as the ANC are happy to see that the education policy resolutions taken at the Polokwane Conference in 2007 are being concretised. The resolution to make the Department of Basic Education a stand-alone department is today being finalised by the amendments to the five Acts that govern basic education in the country. The amendments will provide the department with statutory authority to control and manage practices at schools well.
The processing of this Bill has revealed much regarding issues that are critical to the improvement of the quality of education. One such issue is the responsibility bestowed on the South African Council for Educators, Sace, to manage within available resources the Continuing Professional Teacher Development system. This was debated by members when reflecting on clause 19 of the Bill. Teacher development is a critical issue that has a bearing on the goal of improved quality basic education. The most important thing is that the department must lead the process and also allocate resources to entities to take the process forward.
Sihlalo, ngivumela ngidzubhule ngelimi lekhethu. Umakekere wehlangano i- ANC, engqungqutheleni yomhlangano owaba seTlhagwini ngomnyaka we-2007 nge- Polokwane, yathatha iinqunto manqophana nokubandulwa kwabotitjhere. Namhlanje sidemba indaba yomthetho ozokwenza bonyana ifundo iragele phambili, ngabotitjhere ababanduliweko ukuze baphakele abantwana bethu ilwazi elipheleleko. (Translation of isiNdebele paragraph follows.)
[Chairperson, allow me to quote from the ANC conference which was held in Polokwane in 2007. The organisation took a resolution on the training of educators. Today we debate the Bill that will make progress in the education system. This will be made possible by trained educators, so that they are able to impart the knowledge to our children.]
The importance of teacher education cannot be overemphasised. His Excellency President Jacob Zuma, in both the 2010 and 2011 state of the nation addresses, emphasised the importance of teacher education, particularly increasing the number of qualified mathematics and science educators. Educators are the key agents in the provision of a quality education system and, as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Unesco, notes:
Without teachers, Education for All by 2015 would be an unobtainable dream.
Teacher development is an all-encompassing built-in process. It includes teacher development that leads to professional growth of teachers; teacher support that leads to growth in targeted areas, particularly subject content; teacher education that leads to better qualifications; and teacher training that leads to development of skills.
That is why the Teacher Development Summit in 2009 emphasised that teacher development is a series of interlinked and integrated processes earmarked to develop, train, educate and support teachers and principals. This is itself a mammoth task, which also needs interlinked synergy from education stakeholders.
Chairperson, the effort of teacher development should be embraced by the department and all entities within the department. One of the critical areas of training to focus on is training relating to curriculum changes. At present, the department is busy consolidating a curriculum and assessment policy statement. The humble request is for all the stakeholders to assist in training teachers on the changes effected in the syllabi so that teachers are not left out of place.
We are heartened by the fact that the department has in this Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, period prioritised improved teacher capacity and practice. The department has committed to ensuring that the new teacher development plan will be made public in the 2011-12 financial year. We are worried that there is at present fragmentation with respect to teacher development, with other teacher development initiatives being of poor quality.
We hope that the teacher development plan will address these challenges effectively. We also hope that the key principles of the teacher development plan, which are enhanced capacity and capability, improved quality, increased access equity, integration, co-ordination and effectiveness, and relevance and viability, will lay a good foundation for a plan that will address all the teacher development challenges. We are awaiting the teacher development plan.
In conclusion, House Chairperson: Ngibawa iinhlangano ezikhona kileNdlu yesiBethamthetho seNarha, bonyana ziwusekele umThethomlingwa wezefundo lo. Ngiyathokoza. [I am appealing to all political parties in this National Assembly to support this Bill. Thank you.]
I thank you all. [Applause.]
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.
Die wet maak meestal administratiewe veranderinge, maar daar is twee aspekte daarvan wat vermelding verdien. Eerstens is dit verblydend om te sien dat politieke aktiwiteite by skole, kragtens die Suid-Afrikaanse Skolewet van 1996, tydens skoolure verbied word.
Verskeie politieke figure het al mildelik gebruik gemaak, of misbruik gemaak, van skole waar leerlinge 'n maklike teiken is om propaganda te versprei. Leerlinge moet aandag gee aan hul skoolwerk, veral in die lig van die onderwysuitdagings in Suid-Afrika. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[The law mostly effects administrative changes, but two aspects with regard to that deserve mention. Firstly, it is heartwarming to note that political activities at schools during school hours are prohibited according to the Schools Act of 1996.
Many political figures have liberally used or misused schools as learners are an easy target for the dissemination of propaganda. Learners must pay attention to their school work, as we face many education challenges in South Africa.]
Secondly, we wish to address the amendments regarding the instruction in a language of the learner's choice where this is reasonably practicable, as set out in section 4 of the National Education Policy Act of 1996 and in the Constitution. While only definitions have been changed, I think the Minister must still consider the broader impact of this provision as it relates to the right to be instructed in one's mother tongue. Afrikaans schools have dwindled almost to 300 at last count. This is nonsensical in the light of the government's own pronouncements that demographic reality must be the guiding light of social planning.
Afrikaans is the third largest language in the country after isiZulu and isiXhosa, with English a distant sixth place. Therefore, the indigenous languages deserve special attention. The Economist magazine stated in an article in its 20 January edition: "English is dangerously dominant in South Africa."
Daarom moet ons 'n plan maak om, ten spyte van die gebreke in die huidige wetgewing, hieraan aandag te gee. [Therefore we have to make a plan to pay attention to this, notwithstanding the inadequacies in the current legislation.]
I thank you. [Time expired.]
Chairperson, some of the proposed changes in the Bill are technical, as they respond to the reality that education has been split into two, and they give a broader definition to terms such as "parent" and "loan", amongst others.
Azapo welcomes the additions to the responsibilities of the principal to include assisting the school governing body with the management of funds. The principal of the school is the accountable officer. He or she is responsible for the overall leadership and management of the school, and this should include school funds.
Azapo welcomes the prohibition of political activity during school time. We are happy that the prohibition only applies to political activity.
We are convinced that the conduct of teachers and their unions is sufficiently regulated in the personnel administration measures of the Employment of Educators Act and that it was unnecessary to include it here.
The problem that we have is that of managers and leaders who are afraid to implement and enforce the laws. The laws are there already. We thank you. [Applause.]
Xandla xa Xipikara xa Palamende, Phuresidente wa tiko ra hina na vuthu ra yena ra Vaholobye, vanhu lava nga tshama eka galari, ni vanhu lava yingiselaka sweswi, ndza mi losa. [Deputy Speaker, the President of our country and his team of Ministers, people who are seated in the gallery, and people who are listening now, I salute you.]
Since the amendments in the Bill have been highlighted, I need to talk about discipline as an issue in our schools; matikhomele lamanene eswikolweni swa hina. [discipline in our schools.]
There is a need to explain discipline before you can go into it. In Longman's Basic English Dictionary, to be specific, the word "discipline" is unpacked as the training of people so that they will obey orders and control their own feelings and behaviour. It doesn't stop there. Collins Paperback Dictionary and Thesaurus also unpacks "discipline" as conduct, self-control, strictness, bringing to book, and correcting, just to mention a few.
Levels of discipline in our different schools can be measured as low or high. We can therefore talk of a level of discipline in a school. No school can achieve as much as it should without embracing the whole issue of discipline. Actually, success remains married to discipline. Our schools should therefore ensure that they have discipline of an extremely high order in order for them to know for sure that an excellent result is certain, especially with this Bill that we are giving to them.
Perhaps we need to talk about ways of ensuring that schools have the envisaged discipline, since our greatest investment as the ANC is in education. The core principle of ensuring improved results is to start at the beginning, and that is punctuality.
This also speaks to President Zuma's "Three Ts", teachers, textbooks and time. We should focus on the third "T" in particular, which is time. We need to have kids at school at the right time. With discipline the learners and educators will always be punctual. It would actually be embarrassing to go on an oversight visit to a school, and instead of going to talk to the staff, you had to wait at the gate and talk to learners who were late. It would even be more embarrassing if you had to wait for educators who came to school after it had already started. The purpose of the Bill is to stop that. Moreover, punctuality should prevail throughout the day, such as during breaks when there is time for food, and also when learners go to their studies - it is not just at the beginning of the day.
Secondly, learners need to listen and not to chat during lessons. Cell phones should be switched off during lessons. Nothing should interfere with learners' contact time. The Bill talks of learners' contact time.
Another matter deserving of mention is that our democracy ensures that our learners are no longer walloped, as it used to be in the apartheid era. This is because we believe that learners are human beings that can be talked to, and not necessarily beaten.
Therefore, we are calling upon all parents to instil discipline at home so that educators can do their job of ensuring that they pass at the end of the year. Schools that achieve extremely highly are also found to be those that are well behaved. From this particular debate it has become evident that discipline has the ability to produce better results. This calls for self-discipline, which will not necessarily need any monitoring.
In conclusion, if every child in every school in South Africa, as well as every educator in our beautiful country, and all the school governing bodies could take it upon themselves to maintain discipline, results in schools would improve so much that self-employed fault-finders could dismiss themselves. South African schools should strive to be disciplined so as to achieve 70% and above.
It would not be correct for me to sit down without responding to what hon D C Smiles of the DA said about the unions. As much as we agree that the unions need to be monitored, it must be noted in this Parliament that they have played an important role. It is because of the unions that we no longer teach 120 learners in a class. Some of us taught 120 learners in a class, whilst next door others were teaching only 20. The unions were necessary and they remain relevant. However, we are saying that the unions should discharge their responsibilities with dignity and discipline. I thank you. [Applause.]
Chairperson, let me start by thanking members of the House who have spoken to the Bill and supported us on it. Let me also quickly respond to some of the facts or points that were put by members.
Let me start off with Mr Smiles. I would like to remind the hon member that this is a technical Bill. We are not talking about other things. It was quite clear that the member was speaking from an old broken slate. Without any provocation we were not talking here about Sadtu! However, we are talking about political parties, not teacher unions. When we are talking about political parties, we are talking about the DA, ANC and so on, just to remind you of the difference between the two.
I agree with you that we should indeed not have political parties demonstrating. I am sure there can be only one party in 2012 with 100 years of history which is a history of the country. I think, for curriculum purposes, it would be useful to make sure that every child went through it. I think you will all acknowledge that 100 years of struggle is worth being known by every South African child, but the rest ... [Interjections.] Go home. Again, Mr Smiles, the unions represent the rights of employees and are not political parties. There are protocols with regard to the conduct of the unions and their activities in schools.
Secondly, when we say that we want to add to the powers of the principals, we are also saying we are not reducing those of the school governing bodies. We are just adding to the powers of principals, increasing them. Currently, whilst principals are responsible for the professional management of schools, they are excluded from financial management and control. This amendment seeks to address that anomaly. Ntate Dikobo knows that - he has been a principal and knows what we are talking about.
To the hon member Vukuza-Linda I also say that this is a technical Bill. I think there is a time to talk about substantive issues like the three Rs - RRR - and other things. We can talk about that then. Here we are focusing only on technicalities. For example, we are changing the word "student" to "learner" and "Minister of Education" to "Minister of Basic Education". That is really the essence of the Bill. We will still have a chance to engage on substantive issues.
The last point I want to respond to is the one with regard to Afrikaans parents, raised by the leader from the FF Plus. It is Afrikaans parents who are outpacing even the proponents of your position. No one said Afrikaans parents should take their kids to English-speaking schools. It is Afrikaans parents who are taking their kids to English-speaking schools. Don't blame anybody else. It was the parents' choice, which we respect; it was not the political choice of any other party. No one is suppressing Afrikaans as a language, so don't blame it on us. It is Afrikaans parents making that choice.
As I have said, I would really like to thank members who have participated. We are really looking forward to the changes that will indeed make our education better. I thank you. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
Bill read a second time.