Mr Chairperson, hon Minister, hon special delegates and the honourable House, the right to adult basic education is provided for in our Constitution. It is in response to intensive research, which found that large numbers of our adult population lack basic education.
The Bill before this honourable House seeks to clarify how adult basic education centres would be established, controlled and maintained, but as separate institutions from other institutions such as schools. However, in instances where no such public centres are available, the head of department would approach and request the governing body of a public school to allow reasonable use of the facilities of the school by the public centre.
The Bill is most welcome as a means of empowering our people and combating the illiteracy prevalent among our people, as the hon the Minister has already indicated. However, unless there is mutual co-operation among educators, governing bodies and learners of public schools and of adult education centres, accessing literacy will remain a dream.
Another practical problem usually encountered is that in the rural and the farming areas the learners in the adult education centres very often, as a matter of routine, leave the centres to join harvesting teams during the winter seasons. They then return to the centres after the harvest and this has a retarding effect on their academic performance. Notwithstanding this, the UCDP is in full support of the Bill.
The proposed amendments in the Education Laws Amendment Bill are intended to take education to its basics and to create an atmosphere which is conducive to teaching and learning.
The section on serious misconduct, together with the incapacity codes included in this Bill, are welcome. Educators who expose themselves to serious cases of misconduct during the performance of their professional duties will be dealt with accordingly. On the other hand, it is gratifying to note that in respect of incapacity codes proper procedures will be followed and the accused educator will be afforded the opportunity to state his case. The UCDP supports the Bill. [Applause.]