Speaker, on 7 February 2014, the South African Democratic Teachers Union, Sadtu, KwaZulu-Natal, together with three other public- service unions, that is, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union, Nehawu, the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union, Popcru, and the South African Municipal Workers' Union, Samwu, launched an education alliance at Kersfontein in Durban.
Community bodies such as the National Association of School Governing Bodies, NASGB, the SA National Civic Organisation, Sanco, and progressive youth movements such as the South African Students Congress, Sasco, the Congress of South African Students, Cosas, the African National Congress Youth League, ANCYL, and the Young Communist League, YCL, were part of the launch.
The purpose of this education alliance is the mobilisation of society behind education as a societal issue. Teachers' strikes, learner pregnancies, violence in schools and undisciplined teachers are just some of the challenges troubling the sector. All these have a negative effect on learners and pass rates.
Now the key education stakeholders want to turn the situation around. The respective unions committed themselves to alleviating problematic areas in their fields. That is, Nehawu will fight against learner pregnancy, Popcru will fight against crime and social ills, and Samwu will make sure that services are delivered.
The Departments of Basic and Higher Education were both part of the launch. Departmental stakeholders believe that this alliance will bear good fruit and that schools in KwaZulu-Natal will start producing quality results.
The ANC welcomes this intervention by these organisations. It is a fact that government alone will never be able to turn the education system around without the participation of the communities and stakeholders. We agree with the Higher Education Minister, and we support this launch. [Time expired.]