Mnr die Voorsitter, agb Minister en agb lede van die Huis, ongeletterdheid kan beskou word as 'n erge vorm van gestremdheid. Dit vernietig nie alleen 'n mens se menswaardigheid nie, dit ontneem jou ook die genot van alledaagse lewensgenietinge. 'n Ongeletterde ouer sal nooit die pragtige woorde in 'n verjaardagkaartjie kan lees nie. So 'n ouer sal ook nooit self die uitdrukking van verlange in 'n brief van 'n kind wat ver van die huis af is, kan lees nie. 'n Huisvrou wat nie kan lees of skryf nie, sal dit moeilik vind om inkopies te doen, want behalwe dat sy nie pryse sal kan vergelyk nie, sal sy nooit met sekerheid kan weet wat haar kruideniersware regtig gekos het nie. Vir menige jong man sal die begeerte om 'n rybewys te bekom net 'n ydele droom bly, en eenvoudige dinge soos om 'n telefoon te gebruik kan in 'n nagmerrie ontaard vir diegene wat nooit skoolopleiding gehad het nie.
Hierdie tipe gestremdheid waaraan miljoene Suid-Afrikaners ly, veroorsaak ook ander maatskaplike probleme. Vrees vir die onbekende raak later vrees vir die alledaagse in die gemoedere van die ongeletterdes, veral in die tegnologiese eeu waarin ons vandag leef. Die onvermo, as gevolg van hierdie tipe gestremdheid, om uitdagings aan te pak laat hulle soms heeltemal wegraak langs die lewenspad. Hierdie wetsontwerp is 'n meganisme wat geskep word waardeur hulle 'n kans op basiese onderwys kry. Dit sal die erns van elke provinsie moet wees om gestalte te gee aan die wetsontwerp.
Dit gaan hier oor die mees basiese behoeftes van elke mens om te lees, te skryf en te reken. Sonder hierdie drie lewensbelangrike vaardighede is elke mens net 'n halwe wese. Suid-Afrika as 'n geheel kan net baat as ons ons geletterdheidspeil verhoog, en daarmee saam ons mense se moraal verbeter.
Die Nuwe NP steun die wetsontwerp oor basiese onderwys en opleiding vir volwassenes, en daarmee saam ook die wysigingswetsontwerp met betrekking tot die onderwyswette. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Mrs J WITBOOI: Mr Chairperson, hon Minister and hon members of the House, illiteracy can be viewed as an extreme form of disability. Not only does it destroy one's human dignity, but it also deprives one of the pleasure of everyday enjoyment.
An illiterate parent will never be able to read the beautiful words in a birthday card. Neither will such a parent ever be able to read the expression of longing in a letter from a child far from home. A housewife who cannot read or write will find it very difficult to do shopping because, apart from the fact that she cannot compare prices, she will never be able to know with certainty what her groceries really cost. To many a young man the desire to have a driver's licence will remain an idle dream, and simple things such as using a telephone can become a nightmare for those who have never had school education.
This type of disability, from which millions of South Africans suffer, also creates other social problems. Fear of the unknown later becomes fear of the everyday in the minds of the illiterate, especially in the technological era in which we live today. The inability, because of this type of disability, to address challenges sometimes causes them to be left completely stranded along the road of life. This Bill is a mechanism which is being created to give these people the chance to acquire a basic education. Each province will have to make a serious effort to give effect to this Bill.
This relates to the most basic needs of every person to read, to write and to calculate. Without these three essential skills one is only half a person. South Africa as a whole can only benefit if we increase our literacy level, and at the same time improve the morality of our people.
The New NP supports the Bill on basic education and training for adults, and with it the amending Bill as regards the education laws. [Applause.]]
Mnr A J WILLIAMS (Wes-Kaap): Mnr die Voorsitter, agb Minister, kollegas, dit is vir my aangenaam om bekend te maak dat die provinsie Wes-Kaap beide hierdie twee wette, soos gewysig, steun. Die Wes-Kaapse regering bly verbind tot doeltreffende onderrig, insluitende volwasseneonderrig. Dit geld vir al die inwoners van hierdie provinsie.
Ons is diep bewus dat ongeletterdheid een van die grootste vyande van ons demokrasie is, en daarom is dit een van die prioriteite van premier Gerald Morkel en die Wes-Kaapse regering om met die middele tot hulle beskikking alles in die stryd te werp om seker te maak dat hierdie vyand vernietig word. Wat volwasseneonderrig betref, is daar 'n geneigdheid by sommige individue om die Wes-Kaap in die beskuldigdebank te plaas met beskuldigings dat ons nie voorkeur sal gee aan volwasseneonderrig nie.
Niks is verder van die waarheid verwyder as hierdie beskuldigings nie. Diegene wat sulke beskuldigings maak, gaan beslis nie goed om met die waarheid nie. Om die waarheid te s, volgens inligting tot my beskikking is die Wes-Kaapse onderwysdepartement se program vir volwasseneonderrig een van die mees funksionele in die land.
Die volgende projekte is alreeds aan die gang in die provinsie: daar is tans 133 sentrums vir volwassene-onderrig. 'n Begroting van R15 miljoen word tans gebruik vir volwasseneonderrig. In die Wes-Kaap is daar tans 26 000 volwasse leerders wat hulle geregistreer het, en dan het die Wes-Kaapse onderwysdepartement 'n bestuurstruktuur bestaande uit agt beplanners en nege heeltydse kurrikulumadviseurs in beheer van volwasseneonderwys in die Wes-Kaap.
Volgens inligting wat ek ontvang het, het 8 000 leerders hulle vanjaar vir matriekvakke ingeskryf in die Wes-Kaap, en vanjaar sal 731 van die Wes-Kaap se volwasse leerders vir die eerste keer die openbare Abet vlak 4-eksamen afl. Daar word vir my ges dat daar net twee provinsies in die land is wat tans hierdie program volg, waarvan die Wes-Kaap een is.
As ons kyk na waarmee die Wes-Kaapse onderwysdepartement onder die uiters bekwame leiding van mnr Brian O'Connel, die onderwyshoof, reeds besig is, dan is dit mos geen verrassing nie dat, deur die bekwame amptenare en die gedissiplineerde opvoeders van hierdie provinsie, volwasseneonderrig ook in hierdie provinsie net so 'n sukses kan word soos wat gewone onderrig is.
Dit is dan mos ook geen wonder nie dat premier Gerald Morkel, en sy kabinet, weer eens aangewys is as die administrateurs wat hulle provinsie die beste bestuur. [Applous.] Dit is ook geen verrassing nie dat hulle nie net die provinsie die doeltreffendste en die beste bestuur van al die provinsies in Suid-Afrika nie, maar dat hul dienslewering ook van die beste is in die land. [Applous.] Dit geld nie net op onderwysgebied nie, maar ook op die gebiede van die lewering van behuising, die lewering van gesondheidsdienste en die lewering van maatskaplike dienste.
Gepraat van maatskaplike dienste, die departement belas met maatskaplike dienste en armoedebestryding het juis daardie bekwame LUR, mnr Peter Marais, wat ons binnekort wil inhuldig as die burgemeester van die unistad Kaapstad. [Tussenwerpsels.] [Applous.] Daarom wil ek nie baie van ons kollegas se tyd in beslag neem nie, want daar buitekant l nog 'n paar weke se werk voor wat ons moet gaan afhandel. [Tussenwerpsels.]
Ek wil verder gaan: Dit is mos geen verrassing nie dat gebeur het wat gebeur het met die aanwysing van premier Morkel en sy kabinet, en die Wes- Kaap as die beste provinsie. [Tussenwerpsels.] Binnekort sal ons dit ook kan s van die unistad, naamlik dat die unistad ook die unistad is wat die beste regeer word in Suid-Afrika. [Tussenwerpsels.]
Volwasseneonderrig l die Wes-Kaap baie na aan die hart. Juis omdat ons weet wat armoede beteken, en juis omdat ons weet watter rol ongeletterdheid speel, is dit ons doelwit om ons mense op te hef deur aan hulle daardie onderrig te gee wat hulle nie gehad het nie.
Die laaste paar jaar is ons onderwys byna lamgel deur dispute, en daarom steun ons ook die wysigingswetsontwerp met betrekking tot die onderwyswette. Vir feitlik elke ontevredenheid in die onderwys is daar 'n dispuut aangeteken deur opvoeders. Hierdie aksies het veroorsaak dat kringbestuurders, areabestuurders en onderwysunies feitlik die grootste deel van hulle tyd daaraan bestee het om dispute op te los. Ek glo dat opvoeders die reg moet h om hulle ontevredenheid te lug, maar wel op 'n verantwoordelike wyse wat die opvoeding van ons kinders nie sal bedreig nie.
Ek wil minister Asmal en sy departement gelukwens met alle pogings wat hy in die stryd werp om toe te sien dat ons kinders die onderrig ontvang wat hulle moet kry. Ek het dit al by 'n vorige geleentheid ges, en ek wil weer vir die agb Minister s dat hy soos 'n vars briesie is wat deur die onderwys trek vandat hy die portefeulje oorgeneem het.
Namens die Wes-Kaapse regering wil ek hom en sy departement sterkte toewens met die taak om dissipline in ons onderwys weer te hervestig, want dissipline vorm die grondslag van sukses in die onderwys.
As daar nie dissipline is nie, dan kan daar nie doeltreffende onderwys plaasvind nie, en kan daar nie sukses in die onderwys wees nie. Daarom is dit vir ons in die Wes-Kaap 'n besonder aangename voorreg om hierdie wetsontwerpe ter wille van doeltreffendheid in ons onderwys te steun. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Mr A J WILLIAMS (Western Cape): Mr Chairman, hon Minister, colleagues, I take pleasure in announcing that the Western Cape province supports both these Bills, as amended. The Western Cape government remains committed to efficient education, including adult education. This goes for all the inhabitants of this province.
We are deeply aware that illiteracy is one of the greatest enemies of our democracy, and that is why it is one of the priorities of Premier Gerald Morkel and the Western Cape government with the means at their disposal to put everything into the effort to ensure that this enemy is annihilated. As far as adult education is concerned, some individuals tend to put the Western Cape in the dock by means of accusations that we do not accord priority to adult education.
Nothing is further from the truth. Those who level such accusations definitely do not go about well with the truth. In fact, according to information at my disposal, the Western Cape education department for adult education is one of the most functional in the country.
The following projects are already in progress in the province: There are at present 133 centres for adult education. A budget of R15 million is at present being used for adult education. In the Western Cape there are at present 26 000 adult learners who are registered, and then the Western Cape education department has a management structure composed of eight planners and nine full-time curriculum advisers who are in control of adult education in the Western Cape.
According to information that I have received, 8 000 learners registered for matric subjects in the Western Cape this year, and this year 731 of the Western Cape's adult learners will take the public Abet level 4 examination. I have been told that there are only two provinces in the country that are at present following this programme, of which the Western Cape is one.
When we look at what the Western Cape education department is already engaged in, under the extremely capable leadership of Mr Brian O'Connel, the chief of education, then it is surely no surprise that adult education in this province, by means of the competent officials and disciplined educators, can become as great a success as ordinary education.
Surely then it is also no wonder that Premier Gerald Morkel and his cabinet have once again been identified as the administrators who run their province best. [Applause.] Nor is it any surprise that they not only manage the most efficient and best of all the provinces of South Africa, but also have service delivery that is of the best in the country. [Applause.] This is relevant not only to the area of education, but also to the areas of the delivery of housing, the delivery of health services and the delivery of social services.
Talking about social services, the department entrusted with social services and poverty alleviation specifically has that competent MEC, Mr Peter Marais, whom we would soon like to inaugurate as the mayor of the Cape Town unicity. [Interjections.] [Applause.] I would therefore not like to take up too much of our colleagues' time, because out there we have a few weeks' worth of work that we have to go and complete. [Interjections.] I would like to proceed. What happened with the selection of Premier Morkel and his cabinet, and the Western Cape province as the best province, is surely no surprise. [Interjections.] We will shortly be able to say the same about the unicity, namely that the unicity is also the unicity that is being governed the best in South Africa. [Interjections.]
Adult education is close to the heart of the Western Cape. Precisely because we know what poverty means, and precisely because we know what role is played by illiteracy, it is our objective to uplift people by providing them with the education that they have not had.
The past few years our education has almost been paralysed by disputes, and that is also why we support the amending Bill relating to education legislation. For virtually each dissatisfaction in education a dispute was declared by educators. These actions caused circuit managers, area managers and teacher unions to spend virtually the majority of their time resolving disputes. I believe that educators have the right to air their grievances, but in fact in a responsible manner, one that would not pose a threat to the education of our children. I want to congratulate Minister Asmal and his department on every effort that he is making to ensure that our children receive the education that they should. I have said on a previous occasion, and I would like to tell the Minister again, he is like a fresh wind blowing through education since he has taken over the portfolio.
On behalf of the Western Cape government I want to wish him and his department every strength with the task of re-establishing discipline in our education, because discipline forms the basis of success in education. If there is no discipline, effective education cannot take place and there can be no success in education. That is why it is an exceptional privilege for us in the Western Cape to support these Bills for the sake of efficiency in our education. [Applause.]]