What are some of our achievements? Nine out if 10 South Africans today can read and write, in 1994 it was six out of 10. We have achieved, secondly, near universal access to basic education for young children aged seven to 14 years of age. It was just 54% in 1994. We have added a year of schooling to prepare children for school through introducing Grade R. With over 700 000 children accessing early childhood education in this last financial year, we have established a firm foundation for a comprehensive early childhood development programme which will be an integral part of the education system.