Agb Voorsitter en lede, die agb Minister en Adjunkminister van Basiese Onderwys het gister met die SA Demokratiese Onderwysersunie, Sadou, vergadering gehou. Vandag in hierdie Parlement hou die Minister vergadering met die mense van Suid-Afrika oor die onderwys van hul kinders. [Tussenwerpsels.] Die mense van Suid-Afrika sal die Minister en Sadou aanspreeklik hou vir die ooreenkoms wat hulle gister bereik het.
Van my kant af wil ek vandag my nek uitsteek om vir die Minister te waarsku dat as sy nie vir Sadou kan beheer nie, gaan die mense van Suid-Afrika met haar afreken. Hulle gaan dalk vra dat sy moet bedank. [Tussenwerpsels.]
Die agb Adjunkminister het probeer om my kollega se toespraak af te kraak, maar hy het ongelukkig daarin gefaal. [Tussenwerpsels.] Al wat gebeur het ... [Tussenwerpsels.] [Gelag.] ... is dat hy net daarin geslaag het om weer eens, soos die ANC gewoonlik maak, apartheid te blameer. [Tussenwerpsels.] Dit is 'n ou snaar wat hy elke dag en elke jaar hier kom tokkel ... [Tussenwerpsels.] ... en hy moet daarmee ophou. [Tussenwerpsels.]
Ek wil voortgaan deur aan die agb Minister te s dat my kollega 'n rigtinggewende toespraak gelewer het, en as ek sy was, sal ek definitief luister na wat my kollega ges het en dit implementeer. [Tussenwerpsels.] Ek wil graag op een aspek fokus, en hierdeur wil ek probeer om aan te dui wat die tekortkominge in voorskoolse onderwys is. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mr D C SMILES: Hon Chairperson and members, the hon Minister and Deputy Minister of Basic Education had a meeting with the SA Democratic Teachers' Union, Sadtu, yesterday. Today, in this Parliament, the Minister is meeting with the people of South Africa about the education of their children. [Interjections.] The people of South Africa will hold the Minister and Sadtu accountable for the agreement that they have reached yesterday. From my side, I want to stick my neck out to warn the Minister that if she is unable to control Sadtu, the people of South Africa will hold her accountable. They might ask her to resign. [Interjections.]
The hon Deputy Minister tried to slate my colleague's speech, but unfortunately he failed in doing so. [Interjections.] The only thing he managed to do ... [Interjections.] [Laughter.] ... was to succeed in blaming apartheid once again, as the ANC usually does. [Interjections.] It is an old song that he comes to sing here, every day and every year ... [Interjections.] ... and he must stop with that. [Interjections.]
I want to continue by saying to the hon Minister that the speech delivered by my colleague is indicating which course to take, and if I were her, I would definitely heed what was said by my colleague and implement it. [Interjections.] I would like to focus on one aspect, and in this way make an attempt to indicate the shortcomings in preschool education.]
The DA doubts that the Department of Basic Education will, in terms of the Action Plan 2014, achieve their target of 80% of universal access to Grade R. Early childhood development, ECD, is one of the top priorities of the NDP, and also of the department. However, unless the other provincial education departments drastically improve their action plans and follow the exceptional example set by the Western Cape Education Department, WCED ... [Interjections.] ... the expansion of ECD will not happen as it is planned by the department. [Interjections.] As a national co-ordinating body, the department ...