Hon Chairperson, the purpose of the oversight visit to KwaZulu-Natal and the Northern Cape was to assess the state of the national senior certificate examination readiness for 2012. This included assessing the state of security systems for printing, distribution and storage of examination question papers, as well as the procedures in place to conduct the examinations.
The delegation also undertook site tours of the printing, packaging, distribution and storage facilities for examination question papers in order to obtain first-hand knowledge of the state of security in those facilities. Previously, on 16 November 2010, the committee was in KwaZulu- Natal, and there were challenges relating to power failures in some examination centres as well as security measures, staffing and conditions relating to storing facilities. The current visit to this district was to evaluate the progress made in addressing these issues.
In respect of the Northern Cape, besides visiting the examination centre, the committee had undertaken an oversight visit early in October 2012, where it was praised on issues around the protest action experienced in this region, the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality in the Northern Cape. As a committee, we must state that when it comes to the examination centre in the Northern Cape, it is really state of the art. There are other provinces as well. We know that the Free State province will be going to the Northern Cape just to emulate their centre.
There were a few observations. When it comes to KwaZulu-Natal, the observations made were that the committee commended the department of education in KwaZulu-Natal for their thorough preparation for the 2012 national senior certificate examination, which included preparing learners early in the year through intervention programmes. They also addressed issues raised by the committee during the previous oversight visit.
It was important that the department gave the necessary support to those districts that performed badly in the past. There were huge anomalies in the provinces with regard to the number of learners versus that of educators in various districts. We were concerned about how this would impact the smooth running of the department. Our concerns also related to the infrastructure backlog. The committee was interested to know what systems were in place when it came to giving assistance and support to the special needs learners.
Hon members, I am sorry, I won't be long. I just wanted to quickly get to the concerns of the Northern Cape. I will read one or two concerns, because I have to commend the department. The committee was satisfied that the Northern Cape's department of education was ready and prepared to administer the national senior certificate examination.
The national Department of Basic Education had made the necessary preparations, including the registration of learners, examination centres, packing, printing and storage. We undertook an oversight visit to the province in October 2012. The committee would like to applaud the national department for, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, creating the necessary environment for learners affected by the protest action to continue their schooling at special centres. We would like to thank the national department for that.
The competency test for markers is a contentious issue and was a concern to us. Members queried the reason some schools were allowed to store question papers. On that note, I would like to say that there are recommendations in the report ... [Inaudible.]. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
There was no debate.
Chairperson, on behalf of the Chief Whip of the Majority Party, I move:
That the Report be adopted.
Declarations of vote:
Chairperson, please permit me to affirm what the chairperson has said. I wish to note the number of problems that really permeate our education system here. The issue of the examinations came as a result of what would have been done throughout the year. But we have a problem here; lots and lots of untruths have been passed on to the committee, the National Assembly, the country, etc.
A case in point is the issue of text books, which is a major problem. They have not been delivered in many areas. The Minister has said that was done; the various provincial departments have said that was the case and the spokesperson of the Department of Basic Education also said that was the case. They even spoke about 99% delivery at some stage. That has not been done in many areas. We can even point out some of those areas where this has not yet been done. That is a major problem.
With regard to President Zuma's statement made last year, when he indicated that at least 99% of everything would have been done in Limpopo by the end of the year, the contrary is basically the case. Now this is a major problem. It therefore says it's a lie in various areas. I am saying it is a lie because I'll give an example before the husband of the Minister comes in. [Interjections.]
House Chair, in Parliament we are addressing the public. To make a statement which says the President said in Limpopo everything will be done - what is everything? And to say everything was a lie - who lied? [Interjections.]
Order, hon members! Give the Chief Whip an opportunity. You will get a chance.
All I am saying is that we cannot come here and make general statements that impinge on the integrity of our Head of State. [Applause.]
Chairperson, I rise on a point of order: It is totally unacceptable for the Chief Whip of the Majority Party to consistently get away with rising in the House to disrupt a member who has a right to address this House. The member is not raising a point of order.
Hon member, what is your concern?
My concern is the fact that that is a point of dispute. That is not a point of order. [Interjections.] I would like you please to allow my member to conclude his declaration. Thank you.
Yes, hon member.
Hon Chair, I think Members of Parliament must respect the decorum of the House. The hon member cannot call the President a liar. He must withdraw that statement.
I shan't do that. It remains a fact.
Hon member, can you address the Chair, please? Did you call the President of the Republic a liar?
Yes, I did. [Interjections.]
Hon member, that is unparliamentary, and you must withdraw that statement.
Chairperson, I withdraw if you so ... [Interjections.]
Hon member, you must withdraw that statement unconditionally.
Chairperson, I withdraw it unconditionally.
Thank you, hon member. You may conclude.
I further wish to say that the department itself continues - we are talking about the Department of Basic Education, in case you don't understand what we are talking about here ...
Hon member, address the Chair.
Through, you Chair, the department itself has gone on to lie. Why? Because it has purported that the matric results have improved, and that is not true.
Hon member, can you take your seat, please. Deputy Minister, I am recognising the member at the back who rose first on this point.
Hon Chair, the declaration is two minutes. The hon member has now spoken for about four minutes.
Hon member, I am chairing the session. A declaration is three minutes.
Hon Chairperson, I insisted earlier on the language we use in the House, and the hon member continuously uses language that is unparliamentary. He cannot call people liars in the Chamber. Please, hon Chair, rule on this matter or prevail on this member.
Hon member, I will study Hansard to see the direct words that were used by the member, and we will deal with the matter. Hon member, what is your point?
Chairperson, on a point of order: The member is not speaking to the report. The report concerns the KwaZulu-Natal and the Northern Cape Visit, but he is speaking about Limpopo. Thank you. [Applause.]
Hon member, will you focus on the report. I am not taking any further points of order on this matter. Focus on the report that is in front of us, and conclude.
I have two points, Chair. Yes, I go on talking about lying, and here I am referring to the department. The department is not a person, in case you don't understand. Yes, I have said again when I started that I am talking about the education system in the entire country, and that needs to be understood. As I sit down, Chair, I want to emphasise that a proper assessment was not done in the country, because even if the department said there was improvement, the antithesis is the case. [Interjections.] Thank you.
Hon Chairperson, as the ANC, we want to say that what we found in the two provinces that we have visited showed that there was an improvement, especially in the preparation of those provinces for the national matric exams.
It is not the first time this has happened in this House, and I think it is a little embarrassing for a member of our portfolio committee, a member of Cope, to come up time and again to talk irrelevantly on the topics that we have been talking about. It is not the first time that he has done this. Really, whilst we are making declarations on our oversight visit to the Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, we would plead with Cope to give us a member in the committee who will make sense and also contribute to the betterment of the education system in the country, because we cannot be seated here having to listen to an irrelevant contribution that does not even talk to the report that we have been talking about. This thing is persisting now. Cope, we are really pleading, can you assist the country by giving us a competent person who will contribute to the upliftment of the education system in South Africa. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Motion agreed to.
Report accordingly adopted.