The hon Chair, hon members and colleagues, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, we thank you most sincerely for this debate on Vote 15: Basic Education. Fellow compatriots, I am humbled by your support. As men and women of South Africa, you have indeed nurtured and jealously guarded children's constitutional rights to education like the robin that lays and shields its eggs over time. It takes honesty, maturity, clarity of purpose and hard work to build the new, equitable and uniform national system of education that is envisaged in the progressive South African Schools Act of 1996.
Today, we stand before this House to account and seek a fresh mandate for the 2013-14 programme on the strength of observable advances we have made, with the nation, over time, to build a better education system for a better life for all. The overall budget for 2013-14 for the Department of Basic Education stands at R17,592 billion. Last year, it was R16,344 billion. This is an increase of about R1,248 billion, which confirms government's commitment to education. The budget allocation for provincial education departments stands at R173,454 billion. It will reach R199 billion in 2015- 16. In this budget, Umalusi is allocated R97,6 million in 2013, which will reach R112,7 million in 2015-16 to cover its expanded mandate.
The Kha Ri Gude programme, which is one of our most successful programmes, receives R549,7 million. This is a mass literacy campaign which has enabled us to reach 2,9 million adults. To this, we add R59,2 million allocated to the Expanded Public Works Programme, EPWP, and Kha Ri Gude, which has made a contribution to job creation by recruiting and training young volunteers. The Kha Ri Gude volunteers comprise of 44 monitors, 203 co-ordinators, 3 703 supervisors and 38 000 educators, including 250 helpers for blind volunteers. In this way, our department has contributed to the government's effort to create jobs.
Chair, on the question of improved quality of basic education, the building blocks for a high-performing system are in place. Improving performance across the system is a key objective of the education sector plan. The key outputs of the Action Plan are consistent with the priorities of the National Development Plan, NDP. Once Cabinet has finalised the Medium-Term Strategic Framework, which is aligned to the NDP, we will revise our plans and priorities accordingly.
Hon members, he who has a plan is a million times better than the one who pokes holes in the plans of others, those without a plan. [Interjections.] We are attending to learner performance while addressing those systemic issues that are making it difficult for us to crack the system. We have been allocated an amount of R25 million for this year, which I will speak to later. We know the challenges. We are therefore better placed to improve quality and efficiency while consolidating the gains in access and equity.
We can proudly say South African's school participation is nearly 100% for the basic compulsory band, which is a band for the 7- to 15-year age range. Reports also show there are fewer out-of-school children, and those who have dropped out. According to household surveys from Statistics SA, we have 80 000 fewer children who were out of school as compared to 2011. We plan to do more to improve retention and post compulsory schooling.
Census 2011 also gave us good news for education. It said the proportion of the population without any formal schooling has decreased twofold from 2001 to 2011. With education comes critical skills, and out of these come great prospects for absorption in the labour market, great entrepreneurship, leadership and economic opportunities. Through government's antipoverty strategy, we are progressively removing obstacles inhibiting access to equal, quality education for all children, across the race, gender and class divide. Over eight million children in more than 80% of our schools received free education in non-fee paying schools.
The conditional grant for the National School Nutrition Programme has increased by R266 million to R5,173 billion. It will reach R5,7 billion in 2015-16. Our HIV and Aids Life Skills Education Conditional Grant has been allocated R213 million. We will continue to improve access to quality early childhood development, ECD. In 2011 monitoring results show South Africa has improved access from 39,3% to 84,8% of Grade 1s. All in all, we have 12 433 million learners in over 25 000 schools. In line with the drive to build an equitable system, in 2013, we are prioritising inclusive education.
Chair, I have invited one of our learners with special needs. I will refer to her later. She's a young girl who uses her feet to do everything, to write and to walk. I will introduce her at the end of my speech.
Chair, our interventions are definitely bearing fruits. There is progress on the four priority areas that we agreed on last year, which is the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements, Caps, assessments, workbooks and infrastructure. You know that a major setback was the time it took to complete, for instance, delivering books to Limpopo last year. It was very unfortunate. There's evidence of improved learner performance, even in those districts we had said were underperforming, showing that our interventions over time are bearing fruits. We'll therefore sustain our focus on these four priority areas. The "Triple Ts" will remain on the agenda of quality teaching and learning.
Hon members, you did witness sustained improvement in matric exam results. This is a result of systemic interventions for strengthening and raising performance at all levels of the system. Just to remind you, the matric pass rate climbed to 73,9% in 2012 and I'm quite confident that our target of 75%, is well within reach. We are also on target to deliver 175 000 university entrants by 2014. In 2012, the number of Grade 12 learners who qualified for bachelor's degrees rose to 136 000 learners. Members, do you know that under this government, the number of learners who became ready for bachelors level studies almost doubled over the last 12 years, from around 70 000 to 136 000? [Applause.] With the number of passes in matric increasing and the number of passes in physical science increasing, we have, in line with President's call, established a maths and science task team to help us identify challenges in this area. For that purpose, the Dinaledi Schools programme, which is supposed to deal with maths and science, has been allocated R105 million. We are very encouraged by the recent Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, TIMSS, which bears testimony to our gains. I think you have to listen quite carefully. In the last TIMMS report, South Africa's improvement in mathematics, of 67 TIMSS points, between 2002 and 2011, or seven points per year on average, is among the steepest seen by any TIMSS' participant, even higher than Brazil. [Applause.]
We are leaving nothing to chance. We've completed a detailed diagnostic analysis of NSC results in terms of key subjects. This has identified key subject deficiencies which will become our target for interventions this year. The ministerial committee on the National Senior Certificate, NSC, will, inter alia, investigate standards and promotion requirements of the NSC, including the matter of matric results publication, a matter raised passionately with me by the Congress of South African Students, Cosas.
Moving to the curriculum, as stated last year, our continued focus is on the phased implementation of the revised Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements, Caps. In 2013, we moved to Grades 4 and 6. Grades 1 to 3 were covered this year. I am worried though about low levels of reading and writing in the Foundation Phase. This has emerged in an audit of the provincial reading programme we commissioned in February 2013. The audit report proposed the kind of support we must give to teachers and learners because reading is at the heart of learning. This fact has also been confirmed by the recent NEEDU report again, which we released last week Friday. The Intermediate and Senior Phases of Caps were distributed in 2012 to prepare for implementation in 2013 and 2014 respectively. The Senior Phase of the Caps orientation programme for provinces started in March, and will run until 24 May 2013. The Grade 12 Caps orientation was conducted in all provinces between February and April 2013. We are a department at work and hard at work. [Applause.]
An amount of R220,9 million is allocated for the recapitalisation of these schools to improve facilities and equipment. This will assist in addressing skills shortages and joblessness. The sign language curriculum has been completed and is being piloted in two schools in the Western Cape and Gauteng. We believe good grounding in a learner's home language is essential. So, in 2014, a new policy will come into effect mandating the learning of an African language in all schools. This builds on work we've done to improve competencies in African languages. [Applause.] We list among successes the progressive development of the National Curriculum Statement for Grades R to 12, a milestone since the days of the racialised, fragmented education department.
Using Annual National Assessments, ANA, to monitor levels and quality of learning outcomes has taken root. We now have empirical evidence to use in planning further interventions. In 2012, we administered language and mathematics tests to more than 7 million learners in Grades 1 to 6 in more than 20 000 schools. We are told no country has done it on the scale that we have done. [Applause.] The results of this ANA tests show that while learner performance in literacy varies from satisfactory to good, the same cannot be said about performance in numeracy, particularly in Grade 9. If you recall, there was a huge outcry when we again bravely published results around our Grade 9 numeracy.
The particularly low learner performance in mathematics in the Intermediate and Senior Phases justifies the steps we have already taken to focus on teacher professional development and provision of learning and teaching support materials for the higher school grades. An allocation of R75 million to strengthen the existing programme has been secured for 2013 and will reach R160 million in 2014-15.
Regarding workbooks, we have increased learner access to workbooks and coverage to improve literacy, numeracy and, importantly, reading. An allocation for the workbooks stands at R859 million. We have provided workbooks to all learners in Grades 1 to 9. Through savings from developing content in-house, we have expanded the scope to cover Braille workbooks. Close to 24 million copies of Workbook 1 were delivered to 23 000 schools in November 2012, for use in 2013. By 2013 around 114 million full-colour national workbooks, which the Australian Council for Educational Research has confirmed as high quality, had been distributed to our schools. The feedback from the surveys we conducted on workbook utilisation is also very positive.
In terms of national policy, it's a key priority for every learner to have access to a minimum set of textbooks and workbooks. In 2007, according to SACMEQ results, coverage stood at 45% for literacy and 36% for maths - that is 2007. Our 2011 survey puts us at 78% for literacy and 83% for maths. I must say, this is still unacceptable because we say we want to have every learner with a book in every subject. We have doubled our efforts but I do believe that we can do more.
Hon members, prudence in the deployment of resources is key to the national endeavour for equality and inclusive development and growth. To address inequalities in education, we are therefore mindful of economic disparities resulting from apartheid education. This is a part of the rationale for centralising procurement. The development of the national catalogue of textbooks for Grades 7 to 9 has commenced. As reported, the national catalogue for Grade 12 has been completed and was made available to provinces.
Hon members, school infrastructure is an area of great concern, which we have also paid serious attention to as a sector. Improved expenditure on infrastructure budgets, and the number of completed projects in the last financial year, are indicators of progress. More schools do receive water, sanitation and electrification and many more continue to do so.
SIP 13 will also drive skills development and job creation. We want to see synergy in infrastructure planning between national and provincial education departments. The benefit would be schools that are in areas where people live. Thus, we are finalising a Comprehensive Infrastructure Investment Plan. We're also working on partnerships with Department of Labour and Department of Correctional Services for the supply of school furniture. We have developed plans to close once and for all the chapter of potholes and hanging ceilings in our classrooms. The infrastructure allocation for 2013 stands at R6,30 billion. For the provincial allocation, it will increase to R10 billion in 2014. An amount of R1,9 billion will go to the Schools Backlog Grant, called Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative, Asidi, run by the national department.
It's also important to share Asidi-related challenges. We had challenges with the contractors that were used by our service provider. Because I am running out of time, I will not tell you or go into details as to which schools and how many schools are going to be done. I think I will do that through the committee. [Interjections.] We will provide sanitation to a number of schools and we want to thank the many South Africans who supported us in providing and maintaining school infrastructure. Schools in the Eastern Cape will never be the same again. Those who had seen the new schools we built in the Eastern Cape will agree ... [Applause.] ... they are state of the art institutions with fully-furnished libraries, laboratories and administration blocks. [Interjections.] By the end of May, we will hand over the completed schools to the province so that they can pass them on to the people officially. If we say we are going to finish mud schools by 2015, it means that in 2014 we will still see a mud school - if your logic works. If we say the project finishes in 2015, it means in 2013- 14 expect one. What we need you to judge us on is what we are doing towards 2015.
Quality teaching is high on our list of priorities. Allow me therefore to repeat President Zuma's consistent call to teachers to be in school, in class, on time, teaching at least 7 hours per school day. President Zuma had said in the 2013 state of the nation address, that education is an essential service. Its health depends on collective efforts and bargaining in a climate that is conducive.
That's why we've engaged earnestly with organised teachers on contentious issues, rendering it hard for the falcon to hear the falconer. That is why it was very important for me that we should find an amicable way to resolve the two month-long impasse we had with Sadtu. The interest of the child will best be served where and when there is uninterrupted harmony within the system, and between the key stakeholders. When we lose sight of this fact, and mere instability is loosed upon the world, it is the child, the African child in particular, who suffers the most. Accountability is important and is of paramount importance.
We are on track with implementing the Integrated Strategic Planning Framework. Through our Teacher Union Collaboration initiative, teacher unions and their institutes implemented professional development programmes covering areas in which teachers needed support. It was reported that over 58 000 teachers benefitted from this programme and we will continue that programme, because even from the Needu report it is clear that it is quite essential that we move with speed on the question of teacher development. We also want to welcome the Presidential Remuneration Review Commission for the public sector, with teachers as a priority.
We also would want to report on the thorny matter around teacher laptops, that the department is currently working with the State Information Technology Agengy, Sita, and National Treasury to finalise implementation systems and processes, including modalities of using a centralised procurement mechanism. This has been an extremely frustrating matter but we are doing all we can to bring it to finality. Funza Lushaka bursaries is receiving R839 million.
Regarding the Needu report, I want to say that last Thursday, we received from its CEO, Dr Nick Taylor, the unit's first national report for 2012 on the state of literacy teaching and learning. This independent evaluation provides evidence to support our proposals on the need urgently to remedy shortcomings in educational practice.
Concerning the Planning and Delivery Oversight Unit, which was set up last year, we again can report proudly that we've made progress. We have most of the schools coming out of dysfunctional situations. For instance, Libode, headed by a very capable director, Dr Nuku, registered an improvement which is almost 20%, and we are very proud of that.
On strengthening better outcomes, we've also worked with our districts to improve performance. We can also report that we've made progress in terms of our interventions both in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape. We will be announcing through our portfolio committee the programme of education collaboration framework that responds to the call made by the National Development Plan for intersectoral co-operation to improve educational outcomes working with various stakeholders.
Before I close - I see I have 16 seconds - let me just acknowledge my colleague, Deputy Minister Surty, the Chairperson of the portfolio committee, the director-general and all his officials. Just allow me to acknowledge and pay tribute to my special guest today, who is Princess Kgosana Sithole, a 12-year-old from Tehillah Christian School. Princess has overcome her challenges and she's a very bright, positive young girl who uses her feet to do everything, including excellent writing. [Applause.] I am not sure if she's here for us to see her. Where is MaSithole? [Applause.] Thank you very much. She opens taps and everything else with her feet and writes much cleaner and neater than most of us in the classroom. She is a very brilliant and successful scholar.
Let me also acknowledge the presence of the former Deputy President, Mrs Ngcuka, who also works very closely with us in this collaboration that we are working on in education. I thank her very much for coming. [Applause.] I also take this opportunity to thank ... [Interjections.] ... the Chief Whip here for the support that he gives, and also acknowledge the presence of my mother and siblings, who are also very supportive and who have come here. We thank you very much. I knew it would hurt the opposition that we have made progress and we have made peace with Sadtu members - they are back in class. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Chairperson, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon members of the House, distinguished guests in the gallery, ladies and gentlemen, under the leadership of President Jacob Zuma, both as the President of our Republic and that of the ANC, and building upon the achievements of the ANC since 1994, education has been a declared Apex Priority for our country since 2009.
If Verwoerd and his criminal apartheid regime of 1948 had said that the black child must not study mathematics and no black worker must become a skilled artisan, President Zuma had emphatically said that the black child must indeed study and be competent in mathematics and increase the production of new artisans, including black artisans. President Zuma has not only said these things, but has led from the front through leading concrete interventions in education as part of inverting and destroying the Verwoerdian legacy. In 2009, President Zuma decided to split the former Department of Education into two. This was indeed a stroke of genius that is beginning to bear fruit.
We are all aware that education is our hope for reducing and eliminating inequality, unemployment and poverty. The ANC emphasises the significance of education in the Freedom Charter of 1955. The commitment was decisive and clear. The doors of learning and culture should be open to all. As such, education has remained an Apex Priority for our government since 1994. The ANC government has opened doors of learning and, to date, still continues with the commitment. After 19 years of democracy, the ANC is still holding onto its commitment to improve the quality of education by building upon its achievements and learning from its experience in government since 1994.
However, we remain conscious of the challenges still facing our people in our struggle to attain quality education for all. These challenges facing education in South Africa are well known. It is not a secret. Let me point out that the ANC has taken upon itself the task of making these challenges the substance of its debates, discussions, conversations, resolutions, and plans from Polokwane to Mangaung, in order to ensure that they remain in the mainstream of our discourse of transforming society. Conference resolutions of the ANC and President Jacob Zuma's state of the nation address urge us to look at some of the essential priorities on which we can agree, including, but not limited to, issues of education, health, poverty, and the safety of our children.
The ANC presented the National Development Plan, NDP, as the embodiment of our shared set of objectives, a common vision for a different South Africa. In line with this, we need to develop a programme of essentials on which we can agree. The National Development Plan commits us as a nation to accelerate progress, deepen democracy, and build a more inclusive society. The NDP calls on South Africans to translate political emancipation into economic well-being for all. Most importantly, it strongly asserts that it is up to all South Africans to fix the future, starting today.
These resolutions of the ANC with regard to our vision of schooling are well represented in various policies of government. In our assessment as the oversight body, the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education has noted that the Department of Basic Education has drawn up a clear policy map that serves as a sector compass towards addressing challenges facing the system. We have often noted the efforts to align education priorities to the National Development Plan. However, we have learnt that the output results of these moves will depend on our understanding of education as a collective. There is a need for systematic efforts, where outward success is not measured by individual dominance, but by the contribution each and every one of us is prepared to make towards the achievement of our common goal. As a portfolio committee, our engagements in executing the oversight mandate have taught us a lesson about education as a societal endeavour that is strengthened by collective conviction.
We are considering the vote as we pride ourselves on being a nation that has achieved and progressed on many issues with regard to basic education. Over the years, government has progressively increased our education budget to support all our policy initiatives. Consistent and persistent efforts are being made to make education structurally accessible to all who were previously disadvantaged or who had limited access and, thus, to realise the ideal of compulsory education. South Africa is on track to ensure universal access to primary education. Equity in school funding has also improved substantially. The ANC government has introduced numerous policy- targeting policies, such as pro-poor funding in the form of no-fee schools. Our Minister alluded to it and gave the number.
She also said that the 2013-14 budget has allocated funding for equipment and utensils, because she spoke about the National School Nutrition Programme rolled out to quintile 1 and quintile 3 secondary schools. This will be progressively provided also to primary schools to address the backlog. She spoke about government that has extended its efforts and joined hands with private sector partners to enhance the impact of the nutrition programme. We would like to congratulate and applaud the department, as the ANC, on the workbook project and the expansion of Grade R. We would like to applaud the ANC government for initiatives that are positive and are contributing to ensuring that all of our children complete the full course of their schooling. [Applause.]
The Minister spoke about the Kha Ri Gude mass literacy campaign. She spoke about the number of adults - 4,7 million - over the age of 15 years who have the opportunity to become literate and numerate. From 2008 to 2011, this campaign reached 2,2 million adults. There is no doubt that the ANC government is on track towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals' commitments with regard to 2015.
The Minister spoke about the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements, Caps. She spoke about the mainstreaming of Caps. She spoke about the Grade 12 teachers who were trained. The other issues that were in our report from our oversight visits that we would like to repeat, Minister, include the shortage of textbooks, challenges regarding post provisioning, and the poor or non-existence of school infrastructure. We are of the view that these issues are the lifeblood of quality learning and teaching. Therefore, we commend you on resuscitating these issues in the 2013-14 budget.
Furthermore, the recent move by the Minister to set up a task team to review the National Senior Certificate, NSC, curriculum, gives confidence that we have taken a direction that will eventually lead to success. The ANC is hopeful that the findings will go a long way to assist government to streamline the NSC curriculum. The ANC applauds the Minister for the bold step she took. The National Senior Certificate, as the Minister alluded to, is in its fifth year. The ANC congratulates its government for achieving a pass rate of 73,9% for 2012, which depicts an increase. It is the ANC government's view that more can be done.
As the Minister has encouraged our matriculants ...
... wil ek ook graag al ons matrikulante van 2013 voorspoed toewens vir hierdie allerbelangrikste skooleksamen van hulle jong lewens. Matriek is die fondament van verdere beroepsopleiding, en ek wens die matrikulante net die beste toe vir hierdie jaar met hul voorbereiding in hierdie verband. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[... I would also like to wish our matriculants of 2013 success in this most important school examination of their young lives. Matric is the foundation of further occupational training, and I wish the matriculants only the best with their preparation in this regard for this year.]
With regard to the Action Plan to 2014: Towards the Realisation of Schooling 2025, the Minister spoke about the results of the Annual National Assessments, ANA. She spoke about the shortcomings but, as the ANC, we are encouraged by the fact that the department's plans for 2013-14 are addressing these areas.
Chairperson, the issue of labour peace is at the centre of our efforts to achieve quality education for all, and we would like to congratulate the ANC, as the Minister mentioned, for brokering labour peace between the department and the SA Democratic Teachers' Union, Sadtu. [Interjections.] We urge all parties involved to always make sure that labour peace prevails and that we are able to work together, hand-in-glove, towards the vision of quality education for all. What is important - and I am calling on the educators in South Africa - when it comes to the teaching profession is that it is a professional profession. At all times, we have to remember that when we are in the streets or anywhere else, we are the people that shape the minds of those little children. We mould them, and there is a decorum that we, as teachers, should adhere to.
The ANC welcomes a host of interventions in the 2013-14 Basic Education Budget Vote, which propose the strengthening of the delivery of quality education, amongst others. I would like to single out a few. The Minister spoke about Grade R, and a substantial amount was made available to expand the intake when it comes to Grade R. However, we are acutely aware that the quality of Grade R provisioning in disadvantaged schools remains an issue of concern. Notwithstanding positive efforts by the Departments of Basic Education and Social Development, interdepartmental co-ordination with regard to the provision of early childhood development, ECD, education still needs to be enhanced. This is even more important given the targets set by the National Development Plan with regard to ECD provision. In this regard, we urge the ANC government to take the lead in ensuring that these issues find a place in the budget.
For four years, as the Minister mentioned, the President has been calling for our teachers to be in class, on time, with textbooks, teaching. [Interjections.] The ANC believes that ordinary teachers should not need to be instructed in this. This should be the norm. The ANC calls on all our teachers to ensure that our aspirations for quality education for all are realised, as the ANC is of the view that issues such as unauthorised teacher absence from school, teachers being at school but not in the classroom, teaching, insufficient curriculum coverage in a year, and insufficient and inadequate assessment given to learners have no place in our schools. The ANC government is committed to improving the accountability of individual teachers. For instance, the discussions at the Education Labour Relations Council on the Quality Management System are expected to be finalised before June 2013, and the training of teachers is anticipated to follow soon.
President Jacob Zuma has reminded us that education remains a societal issue and that we must take it more seriously and that we must begin to appreciate the fact that all successful societies have one thing in common: they invested in education. To this end, we are delighted by the fact that the ANC-led government has located the Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign at the centre of its operations. We need to have every stakeholder in education actively playing their role in making education a centrepiece of our democracy. With regard to equalising allocations to no-fee schools, the ANC government has committed that by 2013, all provincial education departments will have equalised their provincial allocations to schools.
Evidence from the oversight work in provinces reveals a huge infrastructure backlog. However, we should all congratulate the ANC government for devoting the bulk of spending increases over the medium term to accelerating the delivery and improvement of school infrastructure. Through our interactions with the national and provincial departments, we have become aware that capacity, market and provider constraints are the main challenges in the provision of the improvement of school infrastructure. We have also observed that underspending of infrastructure budgets continues in spite of the huge need. People, don't let me say which other province, besides the Eastern Cape, is ranked at the bottom. We are standing in this province. We urge government and all affected parties to dedicate special attention to these challenges. Given the scale of the existing infrastructure backlog, it is our view that government alone cannot overcome these challenges.
We would like to congratulate the Minister for declaring 2013 the year of inclusive education. Flowing from this, government is planning to train district officials on guidelines for full-service schools and special schools. In addition, teachers will receive training in specialised areas of visual and hearing impairment, as well as the curriculum.
In conclusion, I would like to refer to the Auditor-General's report. [Interjections.] The Auditor-General's report has shown that some provinces continue to show signs of poor fiscal discipline. For 2011-12, we have to congratulate the Department of Basic Education for receiving an unqualified audit report, with some provinces receiving adverse audit opinions. [Applause.] The Auditor-General stated that there is a lack of accountability, action plans that were not specific in terms of indicators and targets, a lack of fixed timeframes, delays in the filling of posts, shortage of relevant skill sets, and limitations not addressed in financial reporting systems.
The Auditor-General further indicated that some provinces were persistently incurring over, unauthorised, irregular, and fruitless and wasteful expenditure. The ANC is encouraged by the fact that government is addressing these discrepancies. However, we are of the view that although some progress has been registered in this area, we can still do more to enhance our compliance with the prescripts of the Public Finance Management Act.
In conclusion, the 2013-14 Budget Vote ... [Interjections.] Yes, second - we like making second conclusions. The 2013-14 Budget Vote is an unequivocal response to our commitment to provide quality education for all. From where we stand, we are confident that this budget will yield positive spin-offs for our efforts of broadening access to quality education for all. I would like to convey my gratitude to the hon members of the portfolio committee - all of them - and the officials for the co- operation, professionalism and integrity projected by committee staff. I would also like to thank the ANC research person, Comrade Ntiza. That is what brought us this far and that provided a fertile space for the committee to work together and achieve more. The ANC proposes that this Budget Vote be supported. The topic of the speech was "Working together, we can do more in the basic education sector". I thank you. [Applause.]
Chairperson, Michelangelo is reported to have said in the 1500s that, "the greatest danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark." It is absolutely relevant to our discussion today. In determining where our aim should be set, we first have to determine why we do what we do. Why is the right to basic education constitutionally enshrined? Why does the President refer to basic education as an apex priority? Why do we all consider basic education fundamentally important?
Allow me to attempt to answer this very personally. My alma mater is Kimberley Girls' High School. Their mission statement is in the form of a short rhyme:
We recognise each diverse soul, And aim to educate the whole - That every girl, in every deed, May think, discern, adapt, succeed.
The school the Minister chose for her daughters is Parktown High School for Girls. That school proudly states:
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.
A selection of mottos from our country's top schools will emphasise the point: Kearsney College, carpe diem; Roedean School, inspiring a life of significance; Leap Science and Maths Schools, educating future leaders.
All of South Africa's top schools focus squarely on why they educate. They start with their vision of the adults their efforts will produce. And so should you, Minister. When you do, you will quickly realise that this is not a tick-box exercise for you or for any official of your department. Unfortunately anyone reading the department's Annual Performance Plan would be forgiven for thinking otherwise. Nowhere does the reason for your existence as a department and the reminder of your accountability to every child appear. There is a flagrant lack of commitment to producing courageous, confident and capable adults.
Before we consider your plan for this year, let us pause for a moment, and reflect on the current situation, which can best be described as tragic. Only half of Grade 3 learners are literate; 13% of Grade 9 learners achieve a 50% pass mark in mathematics; the World Economic Forum ranks our maths and science education second last in the world; the International Mathematics and Science Study of 2012 ranks South Africa third last for mathematics; the International Reading and Literacy Study of 2012 placed South Africa fourth last; 20% of our schools have no or reliable access to water; 79% of our schools have no library; 80% of teachers of the deaf are not fluent in sign language; 80% of teachers of the blind are unable to read Braille; We have one of the world's highest teacher absenteeism rates; 60% of Grade 6 teachers cannot pass tests their learners are expected to pass; half of the children who start school never finish; only 35% of children who start school ever receive a Grade 12 certificate; more than 10 000 unqualified teachers are employed in our schools.
The achievement so often proudly touted - access to schooling for all our children - pales somewhat in significance when we consider the immense failure in ensuring access to quality education in our public schools. Now, is it acceptable, in light of the current abominable situation in public education in this country, to take incremental steps towards improvement? The answer has to be a categorical no.
We cannot afford another year of producing Grade 12 learners who predominantly have no connection with values and principles, who cannot make career decisions, who are not capable of tertiary study and who do not have the confidence or initiative to become entrepreneurs nor are considered teachable by many prospective employers. We need massive change in at least three senses: the change must be massive in that much must change; the change must be massive in that it must be radical; and the change must be massive in that every one of the hundreds of thousands of children who need that change must feel that change.
Recall the earlier quote about setting the aim too low. Setting the aim too low is exactly what your department has chosen to do. Not taking any chances on being found wanting with respect to achievement of outcomes. The only meaningful target - and that is questionable - that has been left in the Annual Performance Plan is the matric pass rate. Guess what, South Africa? The target is exactly the same as last year, 74%.
Every other target that might be used to measure the immediate effectiveness of the department has been removed. We have no targets for the percentage of schools with a basic level of infrastructure, access to a library or percentage of learners with a textbook for each subject. The Minister's verbal commitment was welcomed, but it appears nowhere in writing. We have no target for the percentage of Grades 3, 6 and 9 learners who are numerate or literate. We have no target for the number of Grade 12 learners passing mathematics or physical science or achieving bachelor's passes.
We are very grateful to every school in South Africa, both independent and public, that understands why it is educating children. It is clear that the department needs, urgently, to support these schools and to duplicate their efforts to benefit every child. Successful independent and public schools understand the concept of accountability. They are accountable to their funders, whether they are corporate or parents. If the schools fail to perform, fail to produce young adults who can utilise every opportunity to fulfil their potential, they lose their funding, and they cease to exist. The crises in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape demonstrate vividly the results of the collapse of accountability in the education system.
These schools understand that children cannot develop skills and talents without exposure to as wide a spectrum of resources as possible. They are the breeding grounds for the Chad le Clos and Lindiwe Mazibukos of the future. They would never have to be instructed by a court to provide desks or textbooks or fill teacher vacancies or to attend to unsafe structures.
These schools understand the need for positive role models. Teachers are properly qualified, constantly developing and truly professional. The thought of employing unqualified teachers, of regularly absent teachers or of teachers using learners as pawns in political battles would be absurd. The work ethic in these schools is exceptional. Not something the department expects. It has yet to take action against those Eastern Cape teachers who were on strike for a full term last year.
I use this opportunity to welcome the apparently amiable end to the South African Democratic Teachers Union, Sadtu, work-to-rule campaign yesterday. Many matters raised by Sadtu, and they are real matters that deserve attention, remain unaddressed, and, of course, the necessary action must still taken Sadtu striking members for causing learners to lose out on learning hours.
Successful independent and public schools have principals who are managers and visionary leaders. Sadtu has demanded - and the department is about to agree sign off on - no management requirements at all for appointment as a principal. These schools appoint on the basis of expertise, not on the basis of union affiliation. These schools understand that education is more about learning than it is about teaching. These schools understand discipline and a culture of continuous learning. They do not teach the tests, they do not need to cram knowledge into winter and spring camps.
Despite a budget of R17,6 billion and a slew of policies, your education system does not work. If you believe it does, then I am afraid that you are in denial. Admit failure. Until you do, you will never make the massive changes that are required for this country to succeed. Understand why you are educating; understand that education is the foundation for the future, for every child, and for this country. Commit to success and to removing every obstacle to success. That will include removing Sadtu. Sadtu immobilises almost any attempt to reprofessionalise teaching and provide quality education.
The Minister is in charge and has to make that unconditionally clear. Massive change cannot happen overnight. But it cannot happen incrementally either. And it will never happen if we accept plans such as that presented by the department this year. I challenge the Minister to surround herself with expertise and to publicly commit to realistic but challenging targets to change our education outcomes, to produce capable and courageous adults.
I challenge the Minister to gazette her commitments. The Minister has mentioned her plan. We do not believe it to be bold enough. Be bold. Call your policy South Africa's plan for successful education. The Minister cannot continue to fail our children and, directly, our nation. I remind you, the greatest danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark. [Applause.]
Hon Chair, please permit me to start by referring to section 29 of the Constitution, which provides as follows: Everyone has the right to a basic education, including adult basic education; and to further education, which the state, through reasonable measures, must make progressively available and accessible.
Today's budget proposal for basic education should be assessed on whether the present government has achieved the above-named constitutional right, and if not, what is it that the department is going to do to ensure that it achieves it. To ensure that, yes, indeed, the constitutional rights of the children of our country and the people as a whole are achieved.
Cope, just like millions of other South Africans, moves from the position that our people have a right to basic education, and that right occupies the highest position given the history of our people and our country.
However, Cope is convinced that the present government has and continues to fail to ensure that millions of South Africans get access to basic education, despite the directive to the Minister through section 5(a) of the SA Schools Act.
For example, in 2007, the Education Laws Amendment Act 31 of 2007 was passed to ensure that the norms and standards for school infrastructure get implemented. Those norms and standards would address, inter alia, the building and all improvements on classes that were never implemented at all.
In 2008, the Minister published a set of national uniform Draft Regulations Relating to Minimum Norms and Standards for School Infrastructure. Even though the Minister had committed to urgent implementation, there was no implementation. The same and even extra promises were made in 2012 and early this year, but there has not been movement. Instead, what we have is the rise in problems and nondelivery. I will give examples. If we talk about school infrastructure, we would say that hundreds of thousands of children drop out of school and millions of those who remain in school receive education of a poor quality. They sit in overcrowded and dilapidated classrooms and lack textbooks. Many schools around the country need more classes and rehabilitation.
In the Eastern Cape, for example, in the Alfred Nzo District Municipality, there are more than 10 mud schools and in the Amathole District Municipality, we have more than 30 mud schools.
Many schools in Limpopo are in a very bad state. Some lack roofs, others are leaking, there are holes in the floor and windows are broken. For example, at Jaji Secondary School, teachers and pupils are forced to open umbrellas in classrooms when it is raining because of the leaks in the roof. [Interjections.] You don't know about the place we are talking about. In Silverton in Limpopo, children are taught under marula trees.
When the Treasury announced in their budget speech that R430 billion has been allocated to social infrastructure, including schools, we were hoping that they would inform Parliament about the R7,2 million taken away from the School Infrastructure programme to replace mud schools and to catch up on backlogs in school infrastructure. This is because of the slow spending by both the department and the Development Bank of South Africa, the DBSA, which was asked to implement the programme. This means that the gap in infrastructure needs will continue to grow.
Many more schools will still lack access to safe drinking water, basic sanitation and electricity. Many children, for many years to come, will continue learning under the trees and in environments that are not suitable for learning and teaching. The government, on the other hand, will continue to make promises to improve education. An antithesis, of cause, shall be the case. The budget deficit, which is beyond a trillion, will continue to grow while government expenditure is out of control to breaking point.
What about the textbooks? Textbooks are a fundamental resource to both teachers and students. The timeous provision of textbooks remains a problem in our country. Many schools in South Africa, for example - again in Limpopo - in the Eastern Cape, in the Northern Cape and in the North West are without the required textbooks in this second term of schooling. Many other schools were given the wrong batches of books.
In a survey conducted last month by Pondering Panda, it was found that 54% of pupils countrywide did not have all the textbooks. This lack of textbooks shows again that the quality of education in South Africa is suffering tremendously, and that the education crisis is sapping the education system's energy and funds.
Now there is this very bad thing that Cope is convinced about, that the high levels of corruption add to the lack of access to school material by pupils and teachers. I will give you an example. Yes, the Limpopo textbook saga highlights the magnitude of corruption.
EduSolutions, which was reported to have links with President Zuma, won a bid before the tender was published in the media and the Government Tender Bulletin. A contract to the amount of R680 million awarded to EduSolutions for textbooks, educational toys, science kits and other materials for the 2011 school year is now under investigation by the Special Investigative Unit. We need to follow this because it is a major problem, and indeed the people of South Africa continue to suffer as a result of this kind of corruption that people are protecting here. [Interjections.] Not one, but four.
In the Funda Lushaka Bursary Scheme, there is no substitute for good teachers. The expansion of primary enrolment has put enormous pressure on the supply of teachers.
Hon member, your time has expired.
Thank you very much. [Interjections.] [Applause.] Four black bags, not only ...
Hon member, will you please leave the podium. [Interjections.] [Laughter.]
Hon House Chair, hon Minister and hon Deputy Minister, 38 years ago, the National Cultural Liberation Movement, now the Inkatha Freedom Party, was founded. At the time, the political situation was paralysed, waiting for leadership, and the IFP emerged to provide it. We are now in a similar situation of paralysis and the education system shares a fair amount of this paralysis, at the most important levels, including provincial and district levels.
The ongoing power tussle between Sadtu and the Minister of Basic Education is paralysing our education system. The work-to-rule policy of Sadtu has only further crippled the system. The continued politicisation of teacher unions is holding most of the department's policy choices and programmes to ransom. For example, for over four years now, the department has been unable to have simple performance agreements for principals and their deputy principals signed. Competency tests for markers were abandoned at the last minute last year because unions objected to it. This is simply unworkable. The system is crying out for bold, decisive and accountable leadership. Let me turn my focus to the immediate task before us. That is the Budget Vote. This year's budgetary allocation shows that government is spending enough on education. The budget has increased from R16,3 billion to R17,6 billion. The vexing question remains, though: Why are our children still taught so badly? Why are our children still performing poorly in competitive forums? For instance, the recent World Economic Forum ranked our learners at 142 out of 144 countries. That is very bad.
The bulk of this year's budget has been allocated to programmes 4, 5 and 2. These allocations consist mainly of transfers to provincial education departments, for them to address core priorities such as infrastructure, the national school nutrition programme, curriculum implementation and monitoring. However, the main challenge which has continued to fail the Department of Basic Education is that some provinces are still showing signs of poor fiscal discipline.
Last year, for instance, only the Free State, Gauteng and Mpumalanga received unqualified reports. The Eastern Cape and Limpopo received disclaimers. Whilst the picture has somehow improved this year, instances of irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure still persist in most provinces. Therefore we need to put in place more mechanisms that will assist provinces to improve their financial management capacity and their internal controls, especially the serious weakness so prevalent in leadership.
The department's monitoring and delivery unit must play a more effective role in this regard. Our education system will continue struggling if we do not get the basics right. Teachers are at the centre of our struggling school system. Government as a whole has acknowledged that the system lacks sufficient quality teachers. According to Umalusi, many teachers who mark matric papers cannot apply marking tools consistently because their subject knowledge is often poor and inadequate. Research findings of the CDE have indicated that many of the existing teachers are not teaching well and are also poorly managed. The key reason for all this is bad training.
The department has set itself five strategic goals, the first three being the most important: improve quality of teaching and learning; improve quality of early childhood development; and track progress across the education system through regular assessment.
These goals are achievable only if we have well-trained teachers; unfortunately most are not. Many studies have confirmed that poor performance of many teachers is a major reason for the continued bad results, especially in essential subjects.
The debate about the role of teachers leads to another very important question: Are our teachers being adequately remunerated? The IFP welcomes the establishment of the Presidential Remuneration Review Commission as announced by the President during the state of the nation address. One only hopes that this will not go the way of other promised initiatives, which have not been followed up on, the teacher laptops being one of those unkept promises. Rural areas continue to suffer the most. Teachers in the rural areas were promised rural incentives, but this never happened. The IFP supports this Budget Vote. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Chairperson, Ministers, Deputy Ministers and hon members, the UDM supports Budget Vote No 15. [Applause.]
Let me state from the outset that the South African basic education system is in crisis. In the recently released World Economic Global Information Technology Report, South Africa's mathematics and science education ranks second last in the world, only ahead of Yemen. The same report ranks the quality of our education system at 140 out of 144 countries. I think this has been said by the hon Mr Mpontshane.
With high enrolment rates every year, our basic education system churns out matriculants who do not possess basic numeracy and literacy skills. Increasingly, the severity of the problem is that the majority of our matriculants do not meet the minimum requirements for university entrance. In addition, a large number of the pupils who go into the system never reach matric.
In many public schools, teachers are poorly trained and lack adequate resources - and a lack of resources is very important here. Furthermore, it is common knowledge that the fundamental mission of schools is the education of all children, regardless of race, home background, sex or colour. Yet, it is apparent that either schools fail to educate significant numbers of learners or significant numbers of learners fail to profit sufficiently from our education.
Now, the double-edged meaning of this statement is intentional, because, obviously, we are dealing with a two-sided or many-sided, problem - we are all aware that many black children are not in school. Many who are in school fail to acquire basic skills in reading, mathematics, spelling and self-expression through writing. To many primary school learners, the world is full of empty words, because they cannot read. These are the children who will find it very difficult to get into the labour market when jobs are available.
Recently, we witnessed disgraceful scenes when the SA Democratic Teachers Union, Sadtu, encouraged learners to participate in its march to Parliament, demanding the resignation of the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga. While some of the reasons for Sadtu's march were legitimate, encouraging pupils to participate in it portrayed it as an organisation that has no regard for the interests of black children, especially when considering the fact that the majority of the pupils who participated in the march were from township schools. This meant that our children, whose schooling is already poor, were even worse off. There were many opportunities for Sadtu to genuinely march and mobilise society against the poor state of our education system in the past - that is, the Limpopo textbook debacle - but it did not. Now that the state of dysfunction in the education department affects its pockets, it deems it fit to use our children as pawns in the ruling alliance's internal power battles.
Hon member, your time has expired.
On a positive note ...
Hon member, your time has expired.
Just on a positive note ...
Hon member, your time has expired.
This is very important!
Hon member, your time has expired. [Interjections.]
And I was going to praise you on this one! [Laughter.] Just allow me to say ...
Hon member, your time has expired!
Thank you very much. [Laughter.] [Interjections.]
Agb Voorsitter, die VF Plus sal kan saamstem met die agb Minister deur te s dat sy moeite gedoen het om toe te sien dat leerlinge toegang tot skole het. Met ander woorde, ons kan s in Suid- Afrika, met 'n toewysing van ongeveer 'n kwart van die land se begroting, is daar redelike toeganklikheid vir ons kinders tot skole.
Die agb Minister en almal kom en spog oor die matriekuitslae. Die VF Plus s geluk aan daardie matrikulante wat geslaag het, maar wat is die werlikheid? Ek wil vandag vir die agb Minister s die werklikheid is dat in 2001 ongeveer 1 131 000 leerlinge die skool betree het. Van daardie 1 131 000 leerlinge het slegs 45% verlede jaar die matriekeksamen geskryf. Van hierdie leerlinge het slegs 33% matriek geslaag, en slegs 'n skrale 12% het 'n matriekvrystelling gekry. Nou, agb Minister, u mislei uself. Suid-Afrika mislei homself as hy dink dit is 'n prestasie.
U het 'n Nasionale Ontwikkelingsplan vir die toekoms. Ek wil vandag vir u s dat u nie 'n toekoms gaan skep met so 'n klein persentasie van leerlinge wat die skool betree en dan aan die einde van die dag matriek slaag nie. Dit kan nie in die behoeftes van die land voorsien nie.
Die tweede aspek is dissipline. Ek praat nie net oor die dissipline van ons kinders nie. Ek praat oor die dissipline van die onderwysers en die onderwyseresse. Hoe is dit moontlik dat van hierdie mense wat ons kinders moet leer twee of drie dae in 'n week by die skool opdaag of, as hulle by die skool is, gaan sit en niks doen? Watter voorbeeld stel hulle? Daar is wel goeie onderwysers en onderwyseresse wat werklik 'n voorbeeld stel, en wat werklik hulle kinders wil motiveer om hulself te verbeter.
U wil inspekteurs aanstel. U kan dit doen, maar ek wil vir u vra, het hulle die kundigheid of is dit maar net weer 'n werkskeppingsgeleentheid vir die regering? U sal daadwerklik moet optree om daardie dissipline toe te pas.
In u eie departement weet ek van heelwat onderwysers en onderwyseresse wat vir drie tot vier maande nog nie 'n salaris ontvang het nie. Dit is 'n teken van swak dissipline in u departement. Dit is onaanvaarbaar dat daardie mense dan nog moet aangaan. Watter motivering het hulle, as hulle sulke swak administrasie van die departement ontvang?
Ons stem saam dat u die vakbonde moet vasvat, want dit is deel van die ondermyning van die dissipline. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Mr P J GROENEWALD: Hon Chairperson, the FF Plus wants to agree with the Hon Minister by saying that she has made an effort to ensure that learners have access to schools. In other words, we are able to say that in South Africa, with an allocation of approximately a quarter of the country's budget, our children have reasonable access to schools.
The hon Minister and others sing their own praises with regard to the matric results. The FF Plus congratulates all those matriculants who have passed, but what is the reality? Today, I want to say to the hon Minister that the reality is the fact that approximately 1 131 000 learners entered the school system in 2001. Of those 1 131 000 learners, only 45% wrote the matric exam last year. Of these learners, only 33% passed matric, and only a meagre 12% passed with matric exemption. Hon Minister, you are misleading yourself. South Africa is misleading itself by considering this an achievement.
You have a National Development Plan for the future. Today, I want to say to you that you will not create a future with such a small percentage of learners who enter the school system and passed matric in the end. This cannot meet the needs of the country.
The second aspect is discipline. I am not only referring to the discipline of our children. I am also referring to the discipline of the teachers. How is it possible that these people, who are supposed to educate our children, only show up at school twice or thrice a week, or, when they are at school, they sit and do nothing? What example are they setting? However, there are teachers who are in fact setting an example, and who actually want to motivate children to improve themselves.
You want to appoint inspectors. You can do that, but I want to ask you, do they have the expertise, or is it simply another job creation opportunity for government? You will have to take decisive action to enforce discipline.
I know of many teachers in your own department who have not received salaries for three to four months. This is a sign of poor discipline in your department. It is unacceptable that these individuals should then still be expected to continue. What motivation do they have when they have to deal with such maladministration by the department?
We agree that you have to tackle the unions, because they contribute to undermining discipline. I thank you.]
Chairperson, hon Ministers, Deputy Ministers, former Deputy President, MECs who are my colleagues and are present here, stakeholders in education and hon members, I cannot but agree with the hon Lovemore that what we require in our country is massive change and by merely dealing with matters in a fragmented way, we will not be able to turn the situation around. I do not disagree with the hon Lovemore when she says that indeed our vision must be cast high. Our attitude and altitude must be such that we are motivated to do even better; and by setting goals which are moderate, we certainly will not be able to turn things around.
Hon members, it is rather instructive that hon Lovemore chooses Kimberley High and Parktown High, two schools which were privileged, as examples of models of excellence. I would, on the other hand, like to choose three schools that I visited two weeks ago in the Free State. These are schools in the rural area which are committed to mainstream education and function under very difficult circumstances. These schools recognise and realise that the disparities that occur have not occurred by accident, but as a result of the legacy of the past. But, when we talk about differences and disparities in infrastructure, we do so recognising that these were not imposed by the current government, but were inherited as a result of the demeaning colonialist past that we have had. That is something that we have to recognise.
Hon members, the schools that I would like to speak about are the following: Letlotlo Primary School, which is in the rural area of the Free State, is committed to mainstream education, ensuring that learners receive the opportunity to enhance their ability to read and write, read with understanding, and improve their literacy and numeracy skills. Quite interestingly, in this particular environment we see the instructional and institutional leadership that is present and a committed principal who understands that the curriculum is central to doing well. This is what Nidu says, that there has indeed been a move away from the understanding that the principal is no longer merely an administrative leader of the school, but indeed an implementer of the curriculum.
There was recognition of the fact that children who come from poor circumstances ought to be provided with a caring and loving environment to ensure that they enhance the opportunity of providing quality education to them. Quite interestingly, in that school there were more than 50 learners in a class. Notwithstanding the fact that overcrowding was a reality, there was a commitment by each and every educator to ensure that those children who come from poor economic backgrounds should not be disadvantaged. What I am saying to you is that we have a particular responsibility to instil hope in our people, and that the rural child who suffers deficits is not ignored. Indeed we must acknowledge, applaud and laud those thousands of educators who work under very difficult circumstances to ensure that we provide quality education to our children.
Let me give you another example. On the very same day we visited a school called Manthatisi Secondary. The school has more than 320 learners, but provides hostel accommodation for more than 1 000 learners from nearby areas. The difference here is that the principal of that particular school and the educators recognise that those children are not children that are cohort learners in that particular school but, notwithstanding that, provide their time and energy to ensure that those learners are taken care of; they take pride in those learners, and the hostel facilities are indeed protected, looked after and cared for by those educators. That means they understand what the meaning of being in a caring and humane society is all about. These are the people who inspire hope in our people.
Similarly, if one goes to Leswane Full Service Primary School in the area, we have a principal - in fact, we were received by a community of more than 200 people who were very excited that the district director and the Deputy Minister were there, and wanted to hear from us what we brought to them. Wherever we went, we saw hope in the eyes of children, progress and a belief that indeed tomorrow will be better than yesterday.
Hon Chairperson, indeed we have challenges in our country. We have never pretended that literacy and numeracy are not a problem. We were bold enough to say that we would subject each and every child, from Grade 1 to Grade 6, to a literacy and numeracy test. We knew in advance that the children would not perform well, but we wanted our parents, society and nation to confirm the reality that indeed we have challenges in literacy. As a result thereof, there was an awakening in society to say that surely, as parents, we have a responsibility to ensure that we too contribute to the meaningful progress of the child in school. The result of that is that after having tested 5 million, 500 children are already in the second year as a result of the resources that we provided, the emphasis being on content knowledge, motivation, and accountability mechanisms, our children - Grades 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 - have indeed improved.
I am not saying that is optimal performance. What I am saying is that there is a clear sign of progress. What the opposition is not saying to you is that in the past three years, we have consistently had progress both in primary and high schools. It is this Minister that has brought education, early childhood development, ECD, to the centre of attention of society. [Applause.] It is this Minister that has indicated to society to please not look at our performance in Grade 12, but to look at our performance right from the beginning, ie from Grade 1. [Applause.]
Indeed, it is this Minister that has provided more than 55 million workbooks in 11 official languages to our children. Even Nidu and every educator say that those textbooks have contributed significantly and substantially to the improvement of the ability of learners in terms of both literacy and numeracy. These are massive changes.
Massive changes are when you do not just feed 100 000 children; massive changes are when you feed more than 8 800 000 children every day, and you say that you are taking care of your children. Massive change means that you are not providing for only certain privileged children, but massive change means that you are providing workbooks in literacy and numeracy from Grade R to Grade 9 to all children across all quintiles in the system. [Applause.]
Massive change means that you are not testing only a cohort of 100 000 learners. Massive change means that you are testing 7 200 000 learners so that we can say, in each and every class, school and district, we are able to compare the ability of our learners and determine where indeed progress has been made. [Applause.] Massive change means that from here to there, there has been a 15 000 increase of in terms passing matric. Massive change means that in the past five years we have more than doubled the number of matric passes Massive change means that in the past five years more than 70 000 learners have indeed qualified for a bachelor's degree. [Applause.]
These are significant changes that we must say we have made together. That does not detract from the reality that our challenges in the country are enormous. That does not detract from the reality that indeed we have to instil greater discipline. That does not detract from the reality that as a collective across all political party lines, parents and society, we have to recognise that the challenge of education is so huge that we have to pull together indeed to make a difference.
What is it that we should do? What is it that we believe we have done right? The hon Lovemore should do what a curriculum implementer does. She should look at the delivery agreement. What are the key issues that we set out in the delivery agreement? That is an agreement that was signed between the Minister and the President to which we and the MECs of education are all bound. That agreement says, firstly, that early childhood development is at the centre of a successful programme in education.
Today we can celebrate the fact that approximately 90% of our learners, some 880 000 learners, are in Grade R and have received at least one year of formal training. Today we can celebrate the fact that every child that goes to Grade R receives a workbook on literacy and numeracy free of charge from this particular government. [Applause.] This never happened before, not in the past 50 years. [Applause.]
Today we can celebrate the fact that the Department of Social Development is going to embark on a One Thousand Days campaign so that the child, from birth to three years of age, receives important cognitive, emotional, educational health support. That means that ECD is a reality in the lives of South African children.
What is the second point? The second point is accountability. We said that we cannot have a system and make massive changes unless there is accountability amongst educators, the principal of the school and the district. Every quarter of every year this Ministry meets with every district director across the country to determine what the challenges are, learn from each other, and determine the path for the future. This has contributed to a consistent improvement in the achievement of our learners across the system and that is indeed the reality.
In the schools that we visited we discovered that indeed for the first time, subject advisers were visiting schools. The district directors were indeed recognising their roles and responsibilities. Look at where the Free State was and why it has improved. It has done so because it recognises the importance of districts. It recognises that everybody has to play a particular role. We cannot pretend that these changes are not realities. We cannot pretend that when we go to the Eastern Cape that new schools are being built.
We recognise and affirm the fact that there are huge challenges in relation to sanitation and electricity, but let us not be blind to the fact that changes are indeed taking place in our country. I think one can only say that those who are parochial, those who do not want to see something positive, those who want to demotivate our children and instil in them the belief that they can never be successful are those who stand on podiums and say nothing has changed, the past was better than the future.
Who amongst you went to school in Grade 1 and received four books? Not one amongst you! [Applause.] You received an exercise book and an exercise was written on the chalkboard. But, today every child receives it and then you say, "our children do not receive books". Those are the realities. You are the product of apartheid education and some of us have gained from it. There are those on the right, others still remain on the left. That is the reality of apartheid.
Hon members, let us recognise one thing, that education itself ... [Interjections.] oh please, could I say in a kind and polite way, shut up, you make no sense! You can object if you want to. I am telling you to shut up! Hon Chairperson, I do not wish to take any questions. [Interjections.]
Hon Deputy Minister, will you take your seat, please!
Chairperson, on a point of order: Is it parliamentary for the Deputy Minister to tell another hon member to shut up?
Hon Deputy Minister, will you just withdraw the words ``shut up'' please!
Hon Chairperson, I will withdraw the words ``shut up'' but certainly ask for the protection ... [Interjections.]
Deputy Minister, thank you. You may continue.
Hon Chairperson, thank you very much!
May I also request that while we do allow interjections, we cannot allow ongoing commentary while the speaker is on the podium. Let us just observe that protocol so that we can maintain the decorum of the House.
Hon Chairperson, thank you very much. It has been said that there are some, such as a drunkard who leans against a lamp post for support, while others go to the lamp post for enlightenment and illusion. So, one has to distinguish between those two. Comments that come from some quarters would be regarded in the appropriate way.
Hon Chairperson, what I am saying is that education is indeed an Apex Priority. It is the collective responsibility of all of us to ensure that we indeed make our contribution. The challenges, we will say, are enormous and indeed more has to be done. We take comfort in the fact that indeed there is a collaborative spirit between Sadtu and the department and we have to build on that. This is because we cannot sacrifice millions of our children at the altar of political expediency. I think all unions must recognise the fact that we have that particular responsibility. Overall, there has been recognition of that fact.
As we go to places such as the Free State and North West, which we will be visiting on Friday, we recognise that thousands upon thousands of Sadtu educators are working under difficult circumstances, are passionate about education, and indeed want to make a difference. We do believe that they, as a collective, have the responsibility to ensure that the few that seek to tarnish the image of the professional person indeed do not succeed.
Chairperson, at the heart of what we are doing is that we have to ensure that what occurs in the classroom is optimally for the benefit of the learner. It is called ``backward mapping''. It is called looking at the way real education and learning has to take place. We have established 114 teacher resource centres to ensure that in-service training, inset, and pre-service training and preset education take place; that content knowledge is being passed on; the workbooks that we are disseminating are being used productively by the educators; and the methodology is correct, especially in the foundation phase so that our children can indeed benefit from that particular exercise. This is not by accident. This is massive change. That means in every district in the country you would have a teacher resource centre, where there would be community practices of learning, and where unions would get together and ensure that, as a collective, they make a difference in the lives of our children.
Hon Chairperson and hon members, I am optimistic. I think we recognise our collective responsibility across political lines, of this particularly important Apex Priority. If indeed South Africa is to develop in the right direction, it means that we have to take the burden that we have imposed on ourselves as parents and adults to ensure that we provide whatever support we can to our rural learners in particular, but to our learners generally. It is us who must motivate and inspire them. If we fail to do so and diminish their belief in their ability, capacity and potential, then certainly we are betraying the future of these very children that we see and say we represent. I thank you most kindly. [Applause.]
Hon House Chairperson, hon Ministers, Deputy Ministers, hon members, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I am going to talk about broadening access to quality education for all. Education is a means of promoting good citizenship as well as preparing our people for the needs of a modern economy and a democratic society. The ANC government aimed at ensuring the progressive realisation of universal schooling, improving quality education and eliminating disparities.
Chairperson, I would like to remind this House of what uTata uMadiba said about education:
Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that a son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.
The ANC adopts the view that the task of broadening access to quality education should remain at the centre of all our efforts to build our nation. This stance is founded on the understanding that education plays a crucial role in broadening the scope of social and economic emancipation for all of our people. The ANC continues to hold education as a key mechanism to enable people to define their identities, take control of their lives and participate confidently and effectively in the social, political and economic life of our society. To this end we regard education as a matter of public interest, relevantly serving as a critical foundation for the advancement of human dignity, equality, human rights and freedom, nonracialism and nonsexism.
Research shows that the ANC government, together with South African people, are joining hands in an effort to improve the quality of education and to make it accessible to the majority of all South Africans. It shows that we are all beginning to recognise in the most practical way that education is central to the success of a whole range of other human endeavours. Our reconstruction and development efforts, the renaissance of the entire continent of Africa, and our successful interaction in the global village, depend largely on the progress we make in educating our population. There has been a significant increase in the percentage of individuals aged 5 to 24 years attending an education institution between 1996 and 2011.
Over the years there has been a steady decline in the percentage of adults who have not received an education. The percentage of persons 20 years and older who have no schooling decreased from 19,1% in 1996 to 8,7% in 2011, whilst those with education higher than Grade 12 increased from 7,1% to 12,3% during the same period of time.
Chairperson, most of the individuals without schooling were generally black Africans, but even so their numbers decreased from 24% to 10,5% in 2011. Our people continue to bear the socioeconomic burdens that were imposed by the apartheid legacy. This legacy makes it difficult for our people, particularly children from poor communities, to get the required opportunities to define their lives and participate meaningfully in the socioeconomic life of our society.
It is within this view that government has elevated the task of broadening access to quality education as a priority that we should be working together to realise. As the ANC, we believe that such a trajectory lies at the centre of the call for working together made by the President in his state of the nation address in 2013.
Education is a concern for all of us and we can only make it work better for our people if we are prepared to converge and synergise our efforts of working together.
I believe that it is therefore imperative that our government works to address the socioeconomic burdens to ensure that all our children can have access to quality education, in order to enable them to participate fully and meaningfully in the socioeconomic life of society. Dealing with socioeconomic burdens should continue to be a priority for our government, specifically the Department of Basic Education. Such an understanding is against the backdrop that these challenges are potentially eroding the gains we have made with regard to ensuring that every one of our children receives the education to which they are entitled in terms of our constitutional obligations. The ANC decided at its national conference in Polokwane to assign top priority to education. In order to give practical expression to this decision, we felt that the then Department of Education was too big and overburdened, with a vast and comprehensive series of tasks and functions that were often beyond the management and leadership capacity of a single government department. Arising from this concern, it made more meaningful and practical sense to group together issues relating to the special focus area of basic education, while separating these from issues relating to higher education. This gave birth to a split of the Department of Education into two new Ministries in the new government structure, namely the Ministry of Basic Education and the Ministry of Higher Education and Training.
Chairperson, our observation as the portfolio committee has been that this decision was an appropriate step in the right direction as it has streamlined activities and focused the Department of Basic Education on issues that matter at that level of our education system. However, we want to encourage continued co-ordination between the two Ministries, as the two departments are interdependent. In essence, we consider this as vital for a flawless transition of students from one level to the other.
Chairperson, the structural changes instituted by the government in 2009 served as an important signal for a strong sense of accountability for service delivery. The Cabinet lekgotla held in 2010 adopted the 12 outcomes for government. These outcomes served as the basis of our service delivery activities. One of these outcomes was an improved quality of basic education. This speaks to our oversight mandate as the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education.
Flowing from this outcome, the Minister of the Department of Basic Education, Mrs Angie Motshekga, as well as the members of the executive councils for education, committed to the agenda of working towards improving the quality of education in the service delivery agreements signed with the President.
The service delivery agreement of the Minister covers output areas such as improving the quality of teaching and learning; undertaking regular assessments to track progress; improving early childhood development; and ensuring a credible outcomes-focused planning and accountability system. We are confident that this is the right step towards broadening access to quality education for all. We can already see the benefits of this move.
Chairperson, the question of access to quality education remains on the agenda of the government led by the ANC. As such, the department has identified the annual national assessments, ANA, as a strategic tool for monitoring and improving the level and quality of basic education, with a special focus on the foundational skills of literacy, numeracy and life skills.
The department initially introduced the annual national assessments for learners in Grade 3 and Grade 6 as a diagnostic tool to inform us of the health of our schooling system and how we could go about shaping our interventions going forward. In 2012, we expanded ANA to include learners in Grade 9. The findings of the annual national assessments have provided the department with important lessons on what it should do to improve the health of our schooling system.
The findings of the 2012 round of ANA revealed an overall improvement in learner performance across grades. Significant improvements were observed in the foundation phase, in particular. However, the report also revealed depressing levels of performance in Grades 6 and 9, particularly in mathematics and languages, which is an indication that there is a need for focused interventions at this level.
Chairperson, our engagements with the department during our budget review meetings for 2013-14 gave us confidence that the department is treating this initiative with the seriousness that it deserves. For instance, tests for ANA 2013 have been set, reviewed and versioned. Two forms of tests have been piloted, and results from the pilot are being incorporated into the tests. The timetable for ANA 2013 has been approved by the Heads of Education Departments Committee, Hedcom, and procurement of service providers for printing, packing and distribution is in progress.
More than R260 million has been set aside for the implementation of national assessment and public examinations. As part of the department's response to the findings of ANA, the department took an unprecedented step of developing and distributing workbooks to all Grades 1 to 9 learners in all of our more than 24 000 public schools across the country, benefiting over 11 million learners. However, the department also provided 900 000 workbooks to all our Grade R learners.
It is not only workbooks that were made available to schools, but also textbooks through partnerships with private sector partners such as the Mark Shuttleworth Foundation. However, we realise that it would be unsustainable for government to renew textbooks for the entire learner population every year. Therefore, we call on parents, teachers, learners and communities at large to work with government to ensure 100% retrieval of textbooks.
We have prioritised early childhood development based on its potential to contribute positively to learner performance in the subsequent years of schooling. As such, the Grade R programme remains one of the department's critical interventions. We commend the fact that the department has done very well in broadening access to Grade R. For instance, in 2012 the government of the ANC committed over R3 billion to expanding accesses to Grade R education. Currently, over 90% of public schools offer Grade R education. In 1999, South Africa had just over 150 000 learners in Grade R. However, by the close of 2012, the number had increased to about 800 000. Currently, there are more than 22 000 Grade R classes in our schools.
The high increase of learners aged five who are attending educational institutions in particular is attributable to such factors as the provision of nutrition to Grade R learners in public or ordinary schools; increased subsidies to ECD practitioners; cheaper fees paid by parents at public ordinary schools offering Grade R; the automatic acceptance of registered Grade R learners to Grade 1 in public schools; and the increase in the registration of ECD centres by the Department of Social Development.
A major task at hand is universalising access to Grade R education by 2014. This is particularly important as research indicates that access to early childhood development programmes improves learner retention and performance in subsequent years of schooling. The 2013-14 budget for basic education is a reflection of our response to our commitment to improving the quality of our ECD programmes by allocating more resources.
We have noted with content that we are on our way to meeting our commitment to the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. Goal 2 of the Millennium Declaration commits us to ensuring that by 2015 children everywhere, boys and girls alike, should be able to complete a full course of primary schooling. In terms of this goal, we have done well in expanding access to universal primary education. Pursuing universal primary education for all is imperative; indeed, it is a central part of our commitment to the UN Millennium Development Goals.
However, focusing on girls poses particular and considerable challenges, but offers considerable benefits that far outweigh these challenges. Girls' education, in particular, is an integral part of virtually every aspect of the development of our nation.
Since 1994, South Africa's net enrolment rate in both primary and secondary schooling has increased dramatically, with the participation rate among girls being the highest compared to global standards. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Chair, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, despite the efforts and the progress that I have seen, the people of South Africa are extremely frustrated that it is taking so long to deliver improved quality education to meet the human resource development needs of the country and to end poverty and inequality. With this in mind, the ACDP welcomes the budget increase of almost 6%.
Government's mantra of ``do more with less'' is now becoming ``do more with more''. In the case of the Department of Basic Education, DBE, it's no less a challenge as underspending and lack of delivery have been serious problems, particularly in the area of infrastructure backlogs.
In the last financial year the department received R2,3 billion to replace 496 schools and to provide 1 257 schools with water, 878 schools with electricity and 868 schools with sanitation. Only 12 out of 49 mud schools in the Eastern Cape were replaced, only 106 schools got water, 144 got sanitation and 118 got electricity. This resulted in nearly R1,7 billion for infrastructure being redirected away from Basic Education, and it's a great shame.
Apart from infrastructure, quality education requires quality teachers and quality textbooks. These are two areas in which the department in some way has failed to deliver.
The ACDP regards the disruption of learners' studies by union activities as extremely problematic and we are calling on government to commit fully in ensuring that the teaching profession is held to a higher professional standard. The DBE promises to improve accountability measures to ensure that all teachers are in school, on time, regularly and teaching. Seriously this begs the question, why have you waited until now because this is not exactly a new revelation?
The ACDP has welcomed the National Education Evaluation and Development Unit's 2012 report on the state of literacy, teaching and learning in the Foundation Phase. There are grave concerns about poor levels of reading and it is in the Foundation Phase where the education battle is often won or lost.
We note that problem areas identified include difficulties experienced by teachers and learners regarding language. We support the introduction of English as a compulsory additional language in African language schools. Learners must have a solid grounding to assist them when they move from the Foundation Phase to the Intermediate Phase. A good grounding, of course, in a learner's home language is just as important and we welcome the new policy that will come into effect in 2014, mandating the learning of an African language in all schools.
Provincial education departments have been cutting independent schools' subsidies unilaterally by as much as 40%, which is not in line with the present norms and standards for school funding. These subsidy cuts have resulted in some schools closing down and others operating under impossible financial constraints. The ACDP is calling for allocations to independent schools to be made by National Treasury and ring-fenced at provincial level. [Time expired.]
Hon Chairperson and hon members, we consider this budget at the time when the department has been embroiled in a controversy for years. But so far in the past year in particular, the controversy has been as far as the textbooks are concerned. The sad news is that at the end of April as many as 19 schools in Limpopo were still without the requisite textbooks despite the department's vehement denial of such facts.
It is disappointing that threats of disciplinary actions are issued against school principals who disclose the department's failure to deliver. School principals are mouthpieces of the poor children and they should not be silenced. It means that the children of these communities will be condemned to a life of poverty and underdevelopment.
The shortage of furniture in some schools is another area in which the department continues to fail dismally. Hundreds of thousands of pupils are forced to learn sitting on the floor because there are no desks in their schools. It is a disgrace that almost 20 years since democracy there are still so many mud schools.
It is unfortunate that as recently as yesterday, it has been brought to light that teachers are incapable of imparting skills on reasoning. It is absurd to argue that the teachers in question come from the old order and were trained to teach labourers. Even if that is the case a responsible government department should have upgraded their skills to meet modern demands. It has, of course, to be borne in mind that when the ANC said they were ready to govern it actually meant that they were ready to do so and geared to improving the quality of life of the people. Gone are the days of passing the buck.
The low numeracy and literacy levels are unacceptable. Without secure foundations of literacy and numeracy, our learners will never obtain the high skills needed by the nation to address poverty and inequality. The findings of the National Planning Commission that the quality of schooling is substandard, especially in township and rural schools, clearly indicate a crisis now and for the future.
While strike action is a right, the ease with which teachers quickly abandon their duties to take to the streets for their wage demands needs urgent attention. Teaching is a labour of love. Leaving classes unattended should be the last thing for professionals to do. One wishes that they could take a leaf from the book of the nonagenarian, Mama Qwelane of Mpumalanga, whose matric classes pass with flying colours. She really deserves the Baobab Order recently awarded to her by the President.
We remain astounded by the manner in which school-going children are inconvenienced by being sent from pillar to post as their schools are amalgamated without paying due consideration to issues such as their transport to such schools. [Time expired.]
Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, Deputy Minister, hon Members of Parliament, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, allow me first to talk to the issue of corruption as raised by Cope. An impression is being given in the country that it is only the opposition parties that are serious about corruption and the ANC-led government is not.
The point that was referred to with regard to EduSolutions and all other cases, are being followed by the institutions that are doing so under the initiative of the ANC-led government. You know as well that at its 53rd ANC National Conference - Mangaung-, the ANC resolved to ensure that all its members who are associated with corruption activities should be dealt notwithstanding the view that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty. It's known that we are serious about corruption and not everyone, but the ANC.
Chairperson, as the ANC we believe that the quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers. As such, we are of the view that the successful implementation of our national curriculum depends on the strength of our teacher development programmes. Teachers are the essential drivers of quality education for all. We therefore commend the department for taking the initiative to make teacher development a focal point of their 2013-14 plans, and realising that this complex task can only be executed as a joint responsibility shared amongst all those involved in education.
We are confident that this view will go a long way towards reinforcing the gains that we have made in this area. The ANC emphasises therefore that an investment in education is a prerequisite for building a country that works and, most importantly, that advances the ideals of our Constitution.
For us to make education an Apex Priority in the country, our teachers must play their part. They must turn the image of the profession around. Through professional conduct like coming to school on time and doing their work diligently, the teaching profession will regain the respect of the community. We will revert to the situation of years ago, when teachers were revered members of the community that people looked up to. We want children to look up to the teachers and learn from them more than from the formal curriculum.
Through watching the conduct of teachers, learners must want to be successful, respectful and to be good citizens who will take the country forward to prosperity. Our teachers therefore carry an enormous responsibility on their shoulders. They carry the dreams and hopes of the nation. The manner in which they raise and nurture our precious children will help us build the model South African citizen. We will build the country that national heroes and heroines such as Pixley ka Isaka Seme, Chief Albert Luthuli, Ruth First, Dorothy Nyembe, Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and many more sacrificed life's comforts to establish. Those who do not believe in the noble vision of our forebears do not belong to the profession. They will continue giving the profession a bad name and besmirch the name of all teachers, including those who are dedicated to their work.
The challenges facing teacher education and development in South Africa are substantial. These include the lack of access to quality teacher education and development opportunities for prospective and practising teachers; a mismatch between the provision of and demand for teachers of particular types; the failure of the system to achieve dramatic improvement in the quality of teaching and learning in schools; a fragmented and unco-ordinated approach to teacher education and development; and the tenuous involvement of teachers, their organisations and other role-players in teacher education and development planning.
We want to congratulate all those who participated in the crafting of the Declaration of the Teacher Development Summit in 2009, as it has culminated in the collaborative work that gave birth to production of the Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education and Development in South Africa, 2011-2025. We urge the department and all involved to begin with the implementation of the plan so that we may begin to reap the fruits of an improved quality teacher education and development system, as a critical lever for the improvement of the quality of teachers and teaching. We commend President Jacob Zuma for identifying the need to investigate conditions of service of public servants, more specifically teachers. As noted in the state of the nation address, and I quote:
All successful societies have one thing in common, they invest in education. Decent salaries and conditions of service will play an important role in attracting, motivating and retaining skilled teachers.
We are confident that this move will serve as a boost to the department's efforts which aim at developing teachers and attending to their needs. The cherry on top was the announcement that teachers will receive first priority. We therefore urge all teachers to ensure that the service they provide in our schools is worth the amount of investment the state will make in teachers. Our expectation in this regard is that the review must also consider enforcing teacher incentives for those working in rural areas and in difficult conditions of service that do not befit the stature and professionalism of the teaching profession. This will go a long way to enticing more teachers to the rural areas.
We acknowledge the fact that state-employed educators with at least a three- year postmatric qualification are now over 96%. However, the challenge that we are facing is that of the competency of some of our teachers to be able to meet the expectations of our streamlined national curriculum. This was also confirmed by the recently released National Education Evaluation and Development Unit, Needu, report which exposed critical weaknesses in this regard. Further, the shortage in maths, science and technology teachers in the system is becoming a cause for concern. However, we are confident that the plans that were presented to us by the branch that deals with teachers in the department will go a long way towards enhancing the capacity of our teachers to deliver our national curriculum. We need to have a better understanding of the supply and demand nexus.
We need to improve the public image of the teaching profession, and attract more young and talented people into the education system. It is an open secret that our teachers in the system are aging. We commend the department for establishing the Funza Lushaka bursary scheme, which offers bursaries for undergraduate studies in mathematics, science and languages. By the end of 2012, the department awarded around 11 500 Funza Lushaka bursaries. The estimated allocation for 2013-14 is R900 million. This will make it possible for more than 14 000 bursaries to be awarded in the current financial year. This is an increase of 3 000 bursaries from the 2012-13 financial year.
In order to enhance new teacher recruitment initiatives, the department is targeting learners from rural and poor communities to assist them to access Funza Lushaka bursaries. More than 100 bursaries have been awarded to students through this approach. However, the department should note that few students are enrolling to teach Foundation Phase and Intermediate Phase. There are allegations that the bursary scheme does not have an intake of Afrikaans speakers and therefore this should be looked into, Minister. We urge the department to develop a tracking system to monitor bursary recipients both during their study period and once they are employed in order for them to meet their contractual obligations. We also urge the department to evaluate the programme in order to measure its impact in increasing the number of quality teachers in priority areas.
In terms of the use of information communication technology in teacher professional development, the department is working in collaboration with the University of South Africa, Unisa, in the resourcing of 45 teacher centres. A budget of R87 million has been earmarked for the initiative.
We believe that challenges with teacher supply and demand have led to some of the unintended consequences such as delivering of undergraduate studies to students who are not physically onsite to receive their education. That is, rather than attending full-time in a conventional classroom, lecturers and students communicate through the exchange of electronic media and other sources. We are of the view that a face-to-face interaction allows the student to acquire essential social skills necessary for working as a teacher, and gives the student a chance to be socialised into the culture of what it really means to be a teacher in the first place.
This system of attaining qualifications has been criticised for providing us with teachers who have a qualification, but who are not adequately competent to face the challenges in our schools. We urge the Department of Basic Education to work with the Department of Higher Education and Training to look into this matter. The reopening of teachers' colleges by the Department of Higher Education and Training is a welcomed idea.
We are of the view that all teachers need to enhance their skills for the effective delivery of our national curriculum. Research reveals that continuing teacher professional development succeeds best when teachers themselves are integrally involved in their own development and are given space to reflect on their practice. As such, we commend the department for forging ahead with the continuing professional teacher development programme. The programme will ensure that current professional teacher development initiatives contribute more effectively and directly to the improvement of the quality of teaching and learning.
We welcome the fact that the department has included an allocation of approximately R10 million for this programme in their plans for 2013-14. We urge the department to forge ahead with the implementation of the plan in order to advance our movement towards quality education for all.
Teacher accountability is at the centre of our work towards quality education for all. Recently, the department commissioned a study on integrated quality management system that revealed some inherent deficiencies in the system. The department indicated that discussions at the Education Labour Relations Council on the quality management system would be finalised by the end of April 2013. Thereafter, the Minister would be requested to declare the policy on the matter, should an agreement be reached. It is envisaged that the training of teachers would be undertaken in the second quarter along with the existing integrated quality management system.
In addition, there are plans to enhance accountability of office-based educators. This will include reviewing of the current performance management development system through reopening discussions on the education management system.
The department has established teachers' centres across the nine provinces with a view to bringing teacher development opportunities closer to teachers. We welcome the fact that the department has included in its 2013- 14 plan the strengthening of the capacity of existing teachers' centres so that they are in a position to support teachers on content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and the effective implementation of the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements.
Effective and efficient leadership and management are increasingly considered as crucial in any organisation whose mission is to strive towards excellence. As the ANC, we are of the view that effective school management creates an environment for high performance and service delivery. Research shows that newly appointed school principals experience great difficulty in adapting to the role of principalship. The internal monitoring and evaluation processes of the department have revealed challenges with the implementation of policy at school level. To this end, we would like to congratulate the Department of Education for introducing targeted initiatives to address this product of the legacy of the past. We are delighted by the fact that the department introduced a new threshold qualification for aspiring school principals as part of the wider strategic view to address the challenge of poor standards of performance in the public schooling system.
While we believe that more still needs to be done, we should not shy away from the good stories emanating from our programmes. But one of the challenges we present to the department is, how long will we speak of the troubling temporary teachers phenomenon without finding the necessary solution? The ANC encourages a strong resolution of this phenomenon on an equal footing across provinces. Under the guidance of the national department, provinces need to come up with a strong policy position on dealing with teacher vacancies, and movement of seemingly elusive teachers to where they are needed.
For how long will we hear about continued misconduct and absenteeism of teachers while we watch? How long will we hear about the streamlining of the SA Council for Educators, Sace, Education Labour Relations Council, ELRC, and departmental disciplinary cases, more especially where schoolgirls are victims of sexual harassment because they are more traumatised when they are subjected to three different processes dealing with the same thing, that degrades their person? As the ANC we support this Basic Education Budget Vote for 2013-14. I thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, education is the strongest means of social empowerment and should be used to drive out the inequalities that hamper our society. Those who have always gone to Model C schools must not be hypocritical, and when the conditions of the poor are systematically improved, they should not shout to protect the privileged on the one hand and suppress the poor on the other. [Interjections.] If one looks objectively at where education was in 1994 and where it is today, one will take particular note of the fact that our matriculants have almost doubled.
We have come a long way, but that does not mean that there is not a lot of work to be done. We applaud the Minister for her stance in concluding a truce in regard to the protest action. Having said that, a programme of action must be implemented to deal with the one month's work that was lost. The MF is concerned about overcrowding in schools. We have not decreased the learner and educator ratio for the past three to four years. We as government are absolutely responsible. I understand that we are going through an economic recession, but something must be done.
The hon President made a statement with regard to the improvement of the salaries of educators. How was that catered for in the budget? Has the budget catered sufficiently for the roll-out of the nutrition programme to all schools? We must ensure that the rural incentive is paid to educators in terms of the performance management development system.
The issue of the improvement of quality teacher training is divided in many areas. Do we have sufficient training institutions for educators? It is clear that we don't, especially when the unions are establishing their own. We need to take this matter forward. The MF suggests that we refer this matter to a task team, to come up with proposals identifying institutions in all of the provinces.
We have a great number of qualified and underqualified educators. We need to train more teachers and more funding must be directed towards these concerns as the MF views this as a neglected area. The MF further calls for an urgent audit and a programme to fast-track the eradication of backlogs, particularly in the building of schools and classrooms.
Although the Minister has taken the issue of the insults to the equality courts, it is not enough. The media is using pictures to identify people who were demonstrating with those unethical slogans. The provincial department must deal with it as cases of misconduct because it's definitely a breach of the demonstrators' contractual obligations. [Interjections.] [Applause.] One cannot raise issues on the street and blame the Minister, instead of raising them in the bargaining council. [Applause.] [Interjections.] Without antagonising the Minister, I believe that if there are any people who have misrepresented us and signed agreements without her authorisation, she needs to get rid of them.
The Minister must take heed of the growing spectra of the population, and be reminded of and guided by the National Development Plan, NDP. The MF further proposes a strong maintenance budget which should be maintained by a huge amount. Each year the fiscus must provide, so that on the one hand we maintain that which we have, upgrade that which is in a poor condition and, in certain instances, rebuild.
We have a collective responsibility to ensure the dignity and safety of women. As more women enter public spaces for education or work, there are more reports of violence against them. The MF stands in solidarity with our girl-children and women. We further emphasise ... [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Hon House Chair, hon members and hon guests, South Africa has indeed made strides towards achieving education for all. The records show that we are nearly at 100%. The biggest problem that the country has not been able to address is that of quality. The report released by the National Education Evaluation and Development Unit, Needu, confirms what we have known. It confirms what the Annual National Assessments, ANA, and other reports have told us, that the quality of education in the majority of our schools is poor. The Needu report tells us that many teachers cannot teach at a higher cognitive level. Children are by and large taught to reproduce.
However, before we lynch teachers, let us remember that these teachers did not produce themselves. They can only teach what they were taught. Azapo therefore calls for more investment in the development of teachers. No education system can be better than its teachers. With regard to the three T's, and the three hours of contact, researchers have told us that in township and village schools, children are taught three and a half hours on average per day, instead of seven hours. That is why we become alarmed when we hear that there will be work-to-rule, or go-slows. If a teacher who teaches three hours per day embarks on a go-slow, does it mean that the teacher is going to teach for one hour per day? We want to add our voice to those who accuse the Minister and her department of undermining collective bargaining. How could she withdraw from a collective agreement without putting a new proposal on the table? We assume that she has legal advisers, who should have told her that it was not legal to do so.
Azapo is glad that the threat of industrial action has been removed. The threat should not have been there in the first place because, as the Minister should know, unions cannot strike on a dispute of right. People go to court for that kind of dispute. Did the hon Minister's legal advisers not tell her that? It is unfortunate that the decision to stop the threat of strike action was also taken outside the bargaining council, the Education Labour Relations Council, ELRC ... [Interjections.] ... once more undermining collective bargaining.
We did not say anything in our speech about money, because Azapo believes the problem in our system is not about money, but about leadership, commitment and the management of our schools and systems, including the department. Azapo supports Vote No 15. Thank you. [Applause.]
Agb Voorsitter en lede, die agb Minister en Adjunkminister van Basiese Onderwys het gister met die SA Demokratiese Onderwysersunie, Sadou, vergadering gehou. Vandag in hierdie Parlement hou die Minister vergadering met die mense van Suid-Afrika oor die onderwys van hul kinders. [Tussenwerpsels.] Die mense van Suid-Afrika sal die Minister en Sadou aanspreeklik hou vir die ooreenkoms wat hulle gister bereik het.
Van my kant af wil ek vandag my nek uitsteek om vir die Minister te waarsku dat as sy nie vir Sadou kan beheer nie, gaan die mense van Suid-Afrika met haar afreken. Hulle gaan dalk vra dat sy moet bedank. [Tussenwerpsels.]
Die agb Adjunkminister het probeer om my kollega se toespraak af te kraak, maar hy het ongelukkig daarin gefaal. [Tussenwerpsels.] Al wat gebeur het ... [Tussenwerpsels.] [Gelag.] ... is dat hy net daarin geslaag het om weer eens, soos die ANC gewoonlik maak, apartheid te blameer. [Tussenwerpsels.] Dit is 'n ou snaar wat hy elke dag en elke jaar hier kom tokkel ... [Tussenwerpsels.] ... en hy moet daarmee ophou. [Tussenwerpsels.]
Ek wil voortgaan deur aan die agb Minister te s dat my kollega 'n rigtinggewende toespraak gelewer het, en as ek sy was, sal ek definitief luister na wat my kollega ges het en dit implementeer. [Tussenwerpsels.] Ek wil graag op een aspek fokus, en hierdeur wil ek probeer om aan te dui wat die tekortkominge in voorskoolse onderwys is. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mr D C SMILES: Hon Chairperson and members, the hon Minister and Deputy Minister of Basic Education had a meeting with the SA Democratic Teachers' Union, Sadtu, yesterday. Today, in this Parliament, the Minister is meeting with the people of South Africa about the education of their children. [Interjections.] The people of South Africa will hold the Minister and Sadtu accountable for the agreement that they have reached yesterday. From my side, I want to stick my neck out to warn the Minister that if she is unable to control Sadtu, the people of South Africa will hold her accountable. They might ask her to resign. [Interjections.]
The hon Deputy Minister tried to slate my colleague's speech, but unfortunately he failed in doing so. [Interjections.] The only thing he managed to do ... [Interjections.] [Laughter.] ... was to succeed in blaming apartheid once again, as the ANC usually does. [Interjections.] It is an old song that he comes to sing here, every day and every year ... [Interjections.] ... and he must stop with that. [Interjections.]
I want to continue by saying to the hon Minister that the speech delivered by my colleague is indicating which course to take, and if I were her, I would definitely heed what was said by my colleague and implement it. [Interjections.] I would like to focus on one aspect, and in this way make an attempt to indicate the shortcomings in preschool education.]
The DA doubts that the Department of Basic Education will, in terms of the Action Plan 2014, achieve their target of 80% of universal access to Grade R. Early childhood development, ECD, is one of the top priorities of the NDP, and also of the department. However, unless the other provincial education departments drastically improve their action plans and follow the exceptional example set by the Western Cape Education Department, WCED ... [Interjections.] ... the expansion of ECD will not happen as it is planned by the department. [Interjections.] As a national co-ordinating body, the department ...
Hon member, please take your seat. Yes, hon Deputy Minister?
I want to find out whether the hon member will take a question.
Sorry, I'm not taking a question. [Interjections.] As a national co-ordinating body ...
Order, hon members!
... the department must urgently recommend that struggling provincial education departments learn from the WCED ... [Interjections.] ... when it comes to ECD. [Interjections.] The WCED has already achieved its ECD universal access targets, and to some degree exceeded those targets. [Interjections.]
Our concern, which coincides with that of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, stems from a lack of competent ECD teaching staff, as well as a lack of quality learning materials and other relevant resources that must be provided for Grade R learning and teaching. [Interjections.] The Department of Basic Education has identified that this is a major obstacle to their delivering on ECD. However, the plans do not adequately address this problem. As my colleague indicated, the plans are incremental in nature. Let me explain.
Thousands of learners with disabilities of school-going age are not in schools - thousands of them! Why? It is because ... [Interjections.] ... the Department of Basic Education has an incremental approach towards implementing White Paper 6 of 2000 on inclusive education. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, hon Ministers, hon Deputy Ministers present in the House, hon Members of Parliament, distinguished guests in the gallery, ladies and gentlemen, I greet you all. Education is indispensable to social and economic development and to the future of our youth. Education in our country was used as an instrument of subjugation. Now we want it to be an instrument of liberation and empowerment.
With education we can advance the ideals of our Constitution. We can promote democracy, nonracialism, nonsexism, decent standards of living and security for all, and fight inequality. The National Development Plan, NDP, is a long-term strategic plan of what the ANC government wants to achieve by 2030 to ensure that all South Africans attain a decent standard of living through the elimination of poverty and reduction in inequality. Among the core elements of a decent standard of living identified in the NDP is education.
Allow me, Chairperson, to touch on the issues raised by hon Lovemore when she came up here and had the guts to talk about radical and massive change when it comes to educational issues. As I was sitting there, I was wondering what hon Lovemore was talking about? What is the definition that she can put when she talks of massive change? As me, I was wondering, because in the Western Cape, where the Department of Basic Education is under the leadership of her party, we find unprocedural processes of closing down schools. [Interjections.] You have to listen, that is why I said unprocedural processes of closing down schools when it comes to the department of basic education in the Western Cape.
I was asking if that is the massive change that hon Lovemore was talking about. When you go around the Western Cape and visit farms owned by most of the people coming from her party, we find that learners experience unconducive conditions. If you ask, who are those learners going to those schools? Most of the time those are the children of farm workers, and I then ask myself, is this really the massive change that hon Lovemore is talking about? [Applause.] If it is so, I do not think that is the change that we need to follow as a country.
The question of creating a caring and supporting learning and teaching environment for learners and educators is at the core of our efforts to ensure access to quality education for all. This speaks directly to our task of addressing health, social and emotional barriers that prevent learners from participating fully in teaching and learning activities. The ANC believes that every school should inspire learners and educators to want to come to school and learn and teachers to teach to the best of their potential.
We debate this Budget Vote against the backdrop of three disturbing events, where satanic activities claimed the lives of children in schools; increased incidents of bullying, and, where we saw learners leaving their classes to join protest marches or service delivery protests. As the ANC, we condemn such behaviours and wish that learning should take place unhindered and in a caring and supportive environment. We strongly call for that since education has been made a societal issue in our country. Let us see all communities making sure that education is treated as a priority and a societal issue.
When hon Mpontshane came to speak on the podium today, yes, he delivered a very good speech ... [Applause.] ... but I was concerned again ...
... ukuthi kanti umuntu usheshe akhohlwe ngale ndlela. Uma umhlonishwa uMpontshane ekwazi ukuma impela phambi kwezakhamuzi zonke zaseNingizimu Afrika akhulume, agxeke ukuthi ezemfundo ziqhutshwa kanjani, okwenzeka ezikoleni aphinde akhulume nangezinto ezithinta izakhiwo zezikole.
Ngiyafisa ukumkhumbuza umhlonishwa uMpontshane ukuthi mina naye singavumelana kulokhu ukuthi sivela esiFundazweni saKwaZulu-Natali lapho inhlangano yakhe ibuse khona iminyaka eminingi. Ngonyaka we-1994 uma uKhongolose ethatha umbuso, isimo esizifice zikuso ezemfundo kulesiya sifundazwe kube yisimo esishaqisa igazi. Kodwa njengamanje ngiyafisa ukukhumbuza umhlonishwa ukuthi yimaphi amagxathu asenzekile la, nalapho kubonakala khona ukuthi ngempela ukhona uhulumeni wabantu futhi uyazilungisa izinto ezinjalo? [Ihlombe.]
Kukho konke ngiyafisa uma umhlonishwa uMpontshane ekhuluma nangokwenatshiswa kwezinsiza uma kufundiswa, ngingabalula isigameko esisodwa ngaphansi kohulumeni wenhlangano yakhe wawubona ngomgwaqo omuhle owenziwe obonisa ukuthi uya esikoleni lapho mhlawumbe kunenkosikazi yomholi wenhlangano yakhe. Ubone ukuthi yiwona mgwaqo owenziwe. [Ubuwelewele.] Yilapho ngizibuza khona ukuthi yikho yini lokhu ukusatshalaliswa kwezinsiza zokufundisa lezi akwazi ukuzoma la akhulume ngazo. [Ubuwelewele.] (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[... that a person easily forgets. Can hon Mpontshane can actually stand in front of all South African citizens, and criticize the processes of the Department of Education and further touch on the schools infrastructure?
I wish to remind hon Mpontshane - and he can agree with me - that we both come from the province of KwaZulu-Natal, where his party ruled for many years. In 1994 when the ANC took over, the state of the educational system in that province was shocking. I now wish to remind the hon member about the stages that have unfolded here which prove that indeed there is a democratic government and it is fixing such things. [Applause.]
In all that has been said, I wish that when hon Mpontshane talks about the distribution of educational resources, I can mention one incident under the leadership of his party, and that is that you would find a tarred road leading to a school where there was perhaps a wife of a leader of his party teaching at that school. And that would be the only tarred road. [Interjections.] That is when I asked myself if that was the kind of distribution of educational resources that he stood up here to talk about. [Interjections.]]
Chairperson. Chairperson ...
Order, hon members! Hon member, will you take your seat please.
Chairperson ...
Yes, hon member.
Chairperson, is the hon member comparing this with the Nkandla development?
Hon member, that is not a point of order. Continue, hon member.
Thank you, Chairperson, sexual violence has imposed itself as an evil force against women and children that keep disrupting the peaceful fabric of our society. Recently, we have been shocked by an incident where learners videotaped themselves having sex in a classroom. We believe that this is an indication of a much deeper societal issue, to which even young people, who were not directly affected by a system that taught us not to value ourselves, seem to ascribe very little value in terms of who they are as persons.
We believe that part of the problem is that sexual harassment and violence are currently far too common on our streets, homes and in our schools. The ANC condemns all these evil acts and is fully committed to eradicating this scourge. Our goal is to eliminate all forms of unacceptable behaviour. We believe that men and women, boys and girls, should be treated as equals and with respect, and be cared for in terms of our Constitution. Our teachers are placed in a strategic position to identify and manage cases of sexual abuse. As such, for the 2013-14 financial year the department has planned training for teachers on how to go about this undertaking. The handbook called Speak Out has been written especially to help our precious youth to handle any sexual abuse they may encounter while at school or at home. This handbook will help them understand what sexual harassment and violence is so that they are quickly able to recognise and act on it. The handbook will also guide them regarding steps they must take so that the person guilty of sexual abuse is forced to stop and face the consequences of their unacceptable behaviour. In addition, the handbook also provides an extensive list of useful contacts, which will also help to connect learners to people who are specially trained to assist them with handling sexual harassment or violence.
For the 2013-14 financial year, we are proud to see that the department is linking 4 000 additional schools with their local police stations to establish a database of all linked schools as well as train school safety committees. The department will be making a transfer payment of R50 000 to Childline South Africa to assist the department with cases. In addition, we have set aside an amount of R241 000 for psychosocial support cases, and approximately R1,5 million for social cohesion and equity in education.
We are still faced with the reality of communities that thrive on illegal drugs. Research reveals that the number of young people using tobacco and alcohol is increasing. We believe that drug dealers target learners in order to further their criminal acts, which corrode the fabric of our society. In our view, the use of alcohol and drugs by learners compromises teaching, learning and safety in schools. For instance, we know that the use of drugs by learners has serious scholastic consequences such as poor academic performance, absenteeism, and even places learners at high risk of dropping out of school.
We appreciate and commend the department for coming up with a draft National Strategy for the Prevention and Management of Alcohol and Drug Use Amongst Learners in Schools. We believe that the implementation of the strategy will, amongst other things, ensure that schools are alcohol- and drug-free zones; learners have increased knowledge of life skills and the confidence to decide against the use of these substances; that they will be able to manage alcohol and drug use problems to enhance learning outcomes and the retention of learners.
The government of the ANC has made massive strides in dealing with HIV/Aids in South Africa. We have expanded access to counselling and medication for those affected and infected by HIV. As a result, many families have been somewhat relieved of complexities associated with HIV/Aids. We further commend the department for providing life skills education materials for training teachers and ensuring that we have functional school-based support teams. For the 2013-14 financial year, the department has set aside an allocation to be used in terms of the Department of Basic Education's Draft Integrated Strategy on HIV, STIs and TB.
The department also plans to review the 1999 policy on HIV/Aids that currently exists in order to boost the notion of schools as centres of care and support. We believe that the notion of care and support is an appropriate vehicle for taking our efforts foward towards quality education for all.
Ngesintu sike sithi umhlola uyakhuzwa. Uma kunento eyisimanga eyenzekayo kuphuma wonke umuntu ababaze ukuze umhlola ubaleke. Nathi njengamanje siyinhlangano kaKhongolose sithi umhlola esiwubona uqhubeka ezikoleni nasemphakathini wethu othinta kakhulu ukukhula kwabantwana bethu bamantombazane abasakuleli zinga lokuba ngamatshitshi. Umhlola lowo okudingeka ukuthi siwukhuze. Sithi emphakathini, asivikeleni izingane zethu.
Okubuhlungu kakhulu-ke engifisa ukukusho ukuze kubonakele ukuthi lo mhlola uKhongolose uyawukhuza ngempela yilapho kutholakala ukuthi kukhulelwe umntwana wesikole osesemazingeni aphansi. Uthole ukuthi uthisha, lo umzali athathe ingane wayoyibeka ezandleni zakhe, uyathinteka kulowo mhlola owenzekile. Cha, lapho ngiyababaza ngiyakhuza ngithi, sizwe esimnyama ake siwukhuze umhlola.
Sithi kothisha bethu abantwana bethu beze ezikoleni ngoba befuna ukunakekelwa. Asikwazi ukuthi sinithole nithinteka kulezo ziga ezinjalo. Nawo wonke umphakathi okhona sithi kuwo, uma umntwana oneminyaka eyi-16 ekhuleliswa uwena baba oneminyaka engama-50 kuya phezulu. Siyabuza ukuthi siyaphi siyisizwe sase-Afrika? Umhlola lowo! Sithi asibambisaneni sonke wonke umuntu azi ukuthi silungiselela ikusasa lethu. Akube yinto esithi siyagcina ngayo ngeke siyibone iphinde yenzeka. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[In the African tradition, when a disgraceful act occurs something is done to chase it away. If an evil act has befallen someone, all members of the community come together and speak against that evil action. As the ANC, we are also saying that what we see happening in our schools and in our communities, which mostly affect our adolescent girls, is a disgraceful act. This is an evil act that we must disapprove of. We are saying to the communities, let us protect our children.
The most painful thing that I wish to mention, so that it is clear that the ANC disapproves of this disgraceful act, is an incident where a school- going child in foundation phase falls pregnant and you find that the teacher whom the parent has entrusted with her child is the culprit. I am expressing my strong disapproval of this; let us come together as Africans and speak against this disgraceful act. To our teachers we are saying: Our children are attending school because they need to be taken care of. You cannot be involved in such incidents. From the community at large we want to know, where are we going as Africans if a 50-year-old man impregnates a 16-year-old? That is a disgraceful act! Therefore we are pleading with you that we work together and everyone must know that we are doing this for our future. Let this be something which we can say has happened for the last time and will never happen again. [Applause.]]
We are mindful of the fact that as South Africa we have made significant progress since 1994 towards achieving gender parity in basic education. In fact we have gone beyond achieving gender parity to the extent that girls are now in the majority in terms of enrolment in secondary schools. Again, we are also mindful of the fact that, as South Africa, when it comes to access to basic education, we have exceeded the target that we have set for 2020, the 80% target.
Okungiphatha kabuhlungu uma ngizothinta leyo ndawo, khona manje kade sinomhlonishwa u-Smiles ovela enhlanganweni eseceleni kwami. La umhlonishwa bethi unongabazane ngokuthi njengezwe sizokwazi ukufika emigomeni esazibekela yona yama-80% yokuqeqeshwa kwabantwana besesemazingeni aphansi early childhood development, ECD.
Ngiyafisa ukuthi ngikuqhakambise lokho ukuthi, mhlonishwa Smiles, kuyokusiza ngesinye isikhathi ukuthi ufunde izincwadi esizitholayo ekomidini, ulalele uma unqena ukufunda ngoba njengamanje siyizwe laseNingizimu Afrika sesiwudlulile ngisho umgomo wama-80%. [Ihlombe.] Njengamanje uma sikhuluma ngokuthi abantwana bethu bafinyelela kanjani ku- ECD, sesikudlulile saze sagamanxa kukhona. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[I am very sad now that I am going to touch on the same issue that we have just heard about from hon Smiles, from the party next to me. This hon member was saying that he doubted that we would meet the target of 80% that we set for ourselves for the training of our children in early childhood development.
I wish to highlight this for hon Smiles. It will help if you read the letters we receive from the committee, or to listen if you are too lazy to read, because right now, as South Africa, we have exceeded the target of 80%. [Applause.] Right now, when we talk about how our children can access ECD, we have exceeded that.]
We are standing at 93% when it comes to access of our learners to ECD placing. Yes, I will agree ... [Interjections.] Okay.
ILUNGU ELIHLONIPHEKILE: Ukufunde encwadini kwawena lokho! [Ubuwelewele.]
Ngiyajabula sihlalo uma umhlonishwa ethi ngiyifunde encwadini ngoba kusho ukuthi yena konke akushoyo usuke ekubonile. Angazi-ke ngoba noma siphuma siya ngaphandle besiphuma naye umhlonishwa u-Smiles senza konke. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[An HON MEMBER: You must also read this for yourself! [Interjections.]
I am happy, Chairperson, if the hon member says I must read this, because it means that whatever he says is something that he has read. I do not know though, because when we went out there with hon Smiles we all did everything.]
So, when it comes to other challenges, yes, we can agree that we still need to do more. We still need to make sure that the ECD practitioners are well trained. We still need to make sure that the curriculum is well developed. But even at the same time, we would like to commend the Minister's department. We see for the first time learner workbooks being provided for that section of our education. [Applause.] That is the basics of our education. That is where we all agree that we need to intensify and make sure that we lay a solid background for ECD, and we are seeing great strides towards that.
Sometimes it is very disturbing to see a person coming here to grandstand whilst knowing very well that much progress is being made when it comes to that. The total budget set aside for the 2013-14 financial year for this branch, branch number five, for social activities for basic education is R5,187 million ... [Interjections.] ... yes it is too big. [Laughter.] The bulk of that budget is earmarked for the National School Nutrition Programme Conditional Grant, NSNP. The NSNP grant caters for our learners' meals. The NSNP has already reached over eight million learners and is currently in more than 20 520 schools nationally in quintiles 1 to 3 primary schools and quintiles 1 to 2 secondary schools.
The programme has been extended to include quintile 3 secondary schools in the 2011-12 financial year. We need to stand tall in acknowledging the huge impact the programme is making. The spin-offs from this programme are huge. For instance, when we look at the spin-offs from this programme, we see a huge drop in the drop-out rate of learners, because we understand that learners cannot go to school hungry. This is one of the benefits we get from this huge programme the department has come up with.
The project has become the trademark of healthy eating in our schools through offering quality meals. This programme has created jobs for thousands of food handlers and continues to empower small, medium and micro enterprises that are service providers at our schools. While our children are getting healthier, more jobs are being created and the local economies are growing. We now have few, if not no, cases of nonfeeding across the country. However, we commend the Minister for the launch of the department's partnership with one of the big businesses, Tiger Brands, in the initiative to provide breakfast to our learners. This has also shown much fruit being reaped from that.
The level of latecoming has dropped, because learners know that in the instances where this initiative has been started, they get breakfast, which compels them to arrive at school early. Thus the fruits we envisage are that more quality education is going to be received in our schools.
Lastly, there is the issue of sports. When it comes to our schools, we need to commend the Department of Basic Education for the brave stance they have taken in making sure that physical education and sport are part of the curriculum at school. We urge the Department of Sport and Recreation to come on board and make sure that they cater for that. We further urge municipalities out there to make sure that sports grounds are provided for education. That is one of the strides that the department has made when it comes to these social responsibilities of theirs.
All in all, we need to applaud. It has never happened before in history that we look at these activities, which are more than the core duties of education, being performed the way they are. I think that the department, led by Minister Angie Motshekga, should be applauded when it comes to these activities in our schools. [Applause.] Since I have a minute left, allow me, Chairperson, to respond again or to comment on what hon Mfundisi came up here to say today.
Bab'uMfundisi, kuhle ukuthi uma ugxeka, ugxeke ube wazi ukuthi okugxekayo kuyiqiniso kangakanani. Ukuma kwakho la uzokhuluma ngezikole ezingakhiwe - ngiyajabula ngoba siwuKhongolose ... [Mr Mfundisi, it is good that when one criticizes, one should know the facts about what one is criticizing. For you to come up here and talk about schools that have not been built - I am happy because, as the ANC ...]
... we do acknowledge that we still have shortcomings, but...
... umsebenzi awumile kangangokuthi ayisekho into eyenzekayo. NoNgqongqoshe naye ukwazile ukuma la abe nesibindi sokukusho lokho. Kodwa engifisa... [Ubuwelewele.] [... the work is not standing still to the extent that nothing is happening. Even the Minister was able to stand here and be brave enough to say that. But I wish ... [Interjections.]]
The ANC supports this Budget Vote. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Chairperson, in closing, let me thank all members who have participated in the debate and say that their perspectives have indeed enriched our work. However, let me also acknowledge and recognise the presence of Mr Sizwe Nxasana, the chief executive officer, CEO, of FirstRand Bank Limited and also the chairperson of Xanax Foundation and Mr Godwin Khosa, the CEO of Jet Education Services.
I'm recognising these two gentlemen in particular because they are at the heart of the education collaboration framework we have put in place. We would like to come and inform the portfolio committee on this very important initiative, which is a response to the call made in the National Development Plan for intersectional co-operation to improve educational outcomes in working with various stakeholders. This follows the dialogue we convened in December which will implement targeted programmes that include districts as systematic change interventions. Therefore, thank you very much, Mr Khosa, and Mr Nxasana for coming. [Applause.]
Just to respond quickly to the matters raised by colleagues on the left. It is quite sad and very disappointing that organisations that one takes seriously don't seem to take themselves seriously. They peddle rumours, put unsubstantiated matters forward and do what we've removed - rote learning. One says to the nation, here are the challenges and here is the progress and they distort it; here are the challenges, minus the progress, and this is very sad. There is nothing new that has been said which we had not said.
Hon Lovemore, these documents - I think it is also very important for us to learn quite quickly - about the vision of our education system are contained in the correct South Africa Schools Act documents. These documents tell you what the vision of education is. I don't know whether you want to see it everywhere and on everything we have written. The targets are contained in your delivery agreement. Perhaps the reason why you are unable to really recognise those targets is because we have reached and surpassed them. That is why you don't see them. They are in your delivery agreement; go and look for them.
It is very sad that we publish reports to inform South Africans about progress in the spirit of transparency and accountability, but what happens? These are the challenges; these are the challenges; we can't deal with rote learning. Let us not be parrots. Let us come with fresh ideas. We are looking forward to them. However, it is quite sad to be on the left and I pity those who left home to go to the left. You can see they are just as wounded as those on the left. Come back, because this is sad and you are going to find yourselves being parrots and repeating things. [Interjections.]
Order, hon members!
In closing, I must say that overall, South Africans have a government which knows the schooling system well, that learns from national and international experience when reporting on its successes and is brave and honest enough to acknowledge the significant challenges that it faces. All South Africans should take pride in that. In the last few years, both national and international data - not me - pointed to the fact that we are on the upward improvement path. The choices we have made over the years have not always been easy. However, on the whole they have been right ones and we are beginning to enjoy the fruits of our efforts.
International results, not me, confirmed that there were significant improvements in maths and science in 2011. That is why they are not talking about it; because it is something positive. If it was negative, they would be hopping up and down, saying, yes, you have not improved. We have improved. [Applause.] South Africa's improvement is seen in terms of the largest learner performance improvement compared to other countries in the last decade. We have improved the number of enrolled learners and doubled the number of matriculants. We are on track. When you talk about textbooks, say where we were. In 2007, our rate of delivery was at 45% and in 2011 we exceeded 80%. [Applause.]
Mr Madisha, when we procured textbooks in Limpopo, we saved almost R800 million without putting it in any plastic bag. It went back to Treasury. [Laughter.] There are better policies and teacher development plans. I think my colleagues have said it; let us not tan all teachers with the same brush. We have good teachers who have produced distinctions that we are proud of.
In the past, when I was a teacher, I had a learner who had 4 distinctions. This learner was made to repeat matric because an African child could not get distinctions. Under this government, thousands of distinctions are obtained and we celebrate when black learners pass. We don't ask them to repeat because we don't believe that black learners cannot pass. [Applause.]
Therefore, we are saying, rather than doing rote learning and taking challenges minus successes, let us be honest and say, indeed, under this government, the future is bright and tomorrow will be even better than today. So, hon members, I thank you very much. I wish to say to South Africans, long live the ANC! Long live! [Interjections.] [Applause.]
Debate concluded.