Chairperson, hon Minister, Deputy Minister, hon members, hon MECs who are here today, the director-general, officials from our national department, officials from our statutory bodies - Umalusi, I hope the SA Council for Educators is here, and the Education Labour Relations Council - our trade unions present, and guests - I greet you. I feel humbled, and at the same time it gives me great pleasure to address this august gathering today on Vote 15 for the Department of Basic Education.
Voorsitter, as die ANC-regering het ons belangrike vordering gemaak ten opsigte van die verbetering van die onderwysstelsel. Ek wil vandag in my toespraak erkenning gee aan die feit dat ons daarin geslaag het om weg te beweeg van 'n onderwysstelsel wat gebaseer was op kontoere van 'n ongelyke samelewing. Ons het beweeg van 'n situasie waar die apartheidregering aangevoer het dat swartmense nie akademiese opleiding in skole moes ontvang nie, sodat hulle gedoem sou wees tot 'n lewe van slawerny.
Die ANC-regering het die voorstelle dat onderwys gebruik word ... (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Chairperson, as the ANC government we have made significant progress with regard to the reform of the education system. In my speech today I would like to acknowledge the fact that we have been successful in moving away from an education system that was based on the contours of an unequal society. We have moved from a situation where the apartheid government argued that black people should not receive academic education in schools, so that they would be condemned to a life of slavery.
The ANC government has rejected and debunked the suggestions that education be employed ...]
... "to serve narrow ideological and political ends" ...
... waar swartmense toegang tot onderwys onts is en dit boonop op rassegrondslag gefinansier is, verwerp en afgetakel. As die ANC roem ons onsself daarop dat ons die onderwysstelsel ontwikkel het deur middel van nuwe opvoedingswaardes, sowel as grondwetlike grondbeginsels, met die doelwit om onderwys wat voorheen 'n voortdurende agent vir die omskepping van ons mense in 'n goedkoop arbeidsmag sonder menseregte was, tot niet te maak. Inderdaad, die ANC het die situasie omgekeer. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[... where black people would be denied access to education and, on top of that, is funded on the underlying principle of race. As the ANC, we take pride in the fact that we have developed the education system by means of new educational values, as well as fundamental constitutional principles, with the aim of doing away with education that in the past continued to be an agent in the transformation of our people into a cheap labour force without human rights. The ANC has indeed reversed the situation.]
Chairperson, this system the ANC-led government has created is a decent education system that everyone is proud of. It is a system that caters for all, regardless of race and skin colour. Our journey since 1994, led by the ANC, was threefold. Firstly, the ANC-led government managed, through the Department of Education, to put education policies in place that changed all facets of the education system. The South African Schools Act puts it clearly that our "country requires a new national system for schools, which will redress past injustices in educational provision". The ANC-led government dismantled the education system under apartheid with a single national education system, which has nine provincial education systems.
Secondly, the ANC-led government has made education accessible to all who were previously denied access or had limited access. In this regard, statistics by the General Household Survey show that school attendance for the 7-to-13-year age group has increased from 96,7% in 2002 to 98,6% in 2009. The functional literacy has also risen from 88% to 91% during the past decade. South Africa's performance in terms of access to schooling rates among the best in the middle-income countries. Schooling is now compulsory. Marginalised, vulnerable and special needs groups are receiving particular attention through the inclusive education programmes and pro- poor funding policies. We are satisfied, as the ANC, with the above progress made with the abovementioned foci. However, we as the ANC know that we still face other additional challenges.
Thirdly, the current endeavour of the department is to improve the quality of basic education we offer to our learners. This is a strategic outcome the department has focused on. It is an outcome our Minister has committed herself to through the service delivery agreement she signed. This is extremely relevant at this point in our history. Democratic policies are in place, and we as the ANC are satisfied with the access to education in our country. Our current challenge and responsibility is to improve the quality of teaching and learning.
Voorsitter, as die ANC-regering erken ons die uitdagings, en in sy verklaring op 8 Januarie 2010 het President Jacob Zuma aangedui dat ...
In pursuance of quality education for all and skills development in the country, we split the Department of Education.
Die nasionale algemene raadsvergadering in 2010 het die sentrale posisie van onderwys as top-prioriteit herbevestig, soos aangedui in die aksieplan, gedentifiseer deur die ANC en goedgekeur deur die regering. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Chairperson, as the ANC government we acknowledge the challenges, and in his statement on 8 January 2010, the President indicated that ...
In pursuance of quality education for all and skills development in the country, we split the Department of Education.
The ANC's national general council meeting in 2010 has reaffirmed the central position that education be a top priority, as indicated in the action plan, identified by the ANC and approved by the government.]
Chairperson, as I debate the Budget Vote, I am pleased that the department has inculcated in its strategic priorities the imperatives as outlined in the ANC manifesto, the 2010 January 8 Statement, the 2010 national general council resolutions, government's Programme of Action, the Minister's Delivery Agreement, and the 2011 state of the nation address by President Jacob Zuma. Through its Action to 2014: Towards Schooling 2025, the department has committed itself to the overarching goal of improving the quality of learning and teaching.
I therefore debate on the R13,8 billion budget allocated for 2011-12 with conviction that it will assist the department to achieve the outputs and measurable objectives that support the goal of improving the quality of teaching and learning. Our oversight responsibility focused on assessing the department's efforts towards spending that addresses the targets to which the department has committed itself.
The department has made a commitment to the committee to focus on, among other things, the following: Making Grade 3, 6 and 9 learners undertake regular assessments, which was mentioned by the Minister; improving early childhood development; teacher development; learner support materials - textbooks and workbooks; addressing infrastructure backlogs through the Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative; the National School Nutrition Programme; scholar transport; the Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign; HIV and Aids; and shortcomings in school sports.
The onus is now on the department's officials to do what is right. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, has noted that, and I quote:
Gaps exist in all countries between policy aspirations and implementation.
I am not saying this to pre-empt the department's efforts, but rather to caution the department to do things smarter while implementing its priorities. I therefore encourage the department to keep to its priorities and honour its commitments to the nation.
One of the priorities is the campaign for quality learning and teaching, which is important. The President reminded us in his 2011 state of the nation address to embrace our the "Triple T principle". It is clear that this principle places a responsibility on all stakeholders in education. For teachers it means giving much more time to tasks, not coming late and being child-centred. Equally, it is the department's duty to ensure that resources which enhance classroom activities are available. As the Portfolio Committee on Education we encourage teachers, learners and the department to honour their call of duty in their respective ways. To us as a portfolio committee, quality in teaching cannot be separated from adequate infrastructure, teacher development and the provision of educators. We need a post-provisioning norm that is able to cater for all the challenges in the classroom, including farm schools and multigrade classes. Looking at the current national norms and standards for teacher- learner ratios, that of 1:45 in primary grades and 1:35 in high schools, we would like this to apply to our Level 1 teachers.
We further regard the Eastern Cape infrastructure backlog and that of the rest of the country as an immense test to the department. We have seen allocations of billions of rands coming to assist in this regard, and yet the throughput was not enough. We should bear in mind that addressing the challenge of unsafe schools, as you have said, Minister, is long overdue.
I would like to speak about the Eastern Cape with regard to stakeholders, and commend the Minister on that. They wanted the fulfilment of promises by the national and provincial departments; clean administration in the province; districts to be within reach of towns; the tightening of procurement processes; safe and quality classrooms; electricity and sanitation at schools and libraries; security at schools; properly trained teachers for the foundation phase; and scholar transport. These were the requests when we interacted with the communities.
Ek wil die departement gelukwens omdat daar ag geslaan is op die protes deur ons mense en bewys gelewer is van sy verbintenis tot die nasie deur daadwerklik op te tree deur die Oos-Kaap doeltreffend onder administrasie te plaas. [I would like to congratulate the department for paying attention to the protestations by our people and for proving its commitment to the nation by decisively taking action in the Eastern Cape by putting it under administration.]
They also worked out the strategy on what to do.
Ek raai ook die Minister aan om bestekopname in ons ander provinsies te doen, sodat sy in staat is om kwessies vroegtydig te identifiseer en tydig daaraan aandag te skenk. [I would also suggest to the Minister to do a survey in our other provinces so that she is able to identify issues in good time and is able to attend to these timeously.]
In conclusion, I would like to thank the Deputy Minister and the director- general, the senior officials of the department, Umalusi, Sace and ELRC for the fruitful deliberations on the strategic plan and anticipated allocations, and the Minister for a comprehensive policy and budget speech and giving leadership to the department. I would like to thank the hon members of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education for their spirit of co-operation, professionalism, and working together, which assures me that we'll achieve more.
Thank you to the supporting staff, Mr Brown, Mahada, Bandi, and my secretary, Ms Nourse, for the support they give to the committee on a daily basis.
We as the ANC, Minister, support the Budget Vote. I thank you. [Applause.]