Chairperson, hon Ministers and members, the Bill before us seeks to amend various education laws on the Statute Book. Several technical amendments are made, but I would like to focus briefly on some of the more important substantive amendments. Most important among these are the new measures to deal with dangerous objects and illegal drugs. We are all painfully aware of the violence and killing which are increasingly entering our schools and claiming young victims. As a society, we are outraged by these weapons and drugs and the devastation that they sow among our children and, rightly, we all demand remedies. As legislators we are placed in a very difficult position of having to legislate remedies that are invasive and trample on the democratic rights of children.
On the one hand, it must be our highest priority to protect our children, but, on the other hand, we cannot expect them to value human rights and democracy if we violate their human rights in the process. Provisionally we will support these remedies, but it is possible that upon implementation it will be found that they are inadequate or improper in a democratic society.
Finally, the Bill also provides the Minister with the power to prescribe national minimum norms and standards regarding school infrastructure. I thank you, Chairperson. The UDM supports the Bill. [Time expired.]