Hon Chairperson, hon Ministers, hon Deputy Ministers and hon members, lotjhani. [good day.]
We as the ANC are happy to see that the education policy resolutions taken at the Polokwane Conference in 2007 are being concretised. The resolution to make the Department of Basic Education a stand-alone department is today being finalised by the amendments to the five Acts that govern basic education in the country. The amendments will provide the department with statutory authority to control and manage practices at schools well.
The processing of this Bill has revealed much regarding issues that are critical to the improvement of the quality of education. One such issue is the responsibility bestowed on the South African Council for Educators, Sace, to manage within available resources the Continuing Professional Teacher Development system. This was debated by members when reflecting on clause 19 of the Bill. Teacher development is a critical issue that has a bearing on the goal of improved quality basic education. The most important thing is that the department must lead the process and also allocate resources to entities to take the process forward.
Sihlalo, ngivumela ngidzubhule ngelimi lekhethu. Umakekere wehlangano i- ANC, engqungqutheleni yomhlangano owaba seTlhagwini ngomnyaka we-2007 nge- Polokwane, yathatha iinqunto manqophana nokubandulwa kwabotitjhere. Namhlanje sidemba indaba yomthetho ozokwenza bonyana ifundo iragele phambili, ngabotitjhere ababanduliweko ukuze baphakele abantwana bethu ilwazi elipheleleko. (Translation of isiNdebele paragraph follows.)
[Chairperson, allow me to quote from the ANC conference which was held in Polokwane in 2007. The organisation took a resolution on the training of educators. Today we debate the Bill that will make progress in the education system. This will be made possible by trained educators, so that they are able to impart the knowledge to our children.]
The importance of teacher education cannot be overemphasised. His Excellency President Jacob Zuma, in both the 2010 and 2011 state of the nation addresses, emphasised the importance of teacher education, particularly increasing the number of qualified mathematics and science educators. Educators are the key agents in the provision of a quality education system and, as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Unesco, notes:
Without teachers, Education for All by 2015 would be an unobtainable dream.
Teacher development is an all-encompassing built-in process. It includes teacher development that leads to professional growth of teachers; teacher support that leads to growth in targeted areas, particularly subject content; teacher education that leads to better qualifications; and teacher training that leads to development of skills.
That is why the Teacher Development Summit in 2009 emphasised that teacher development is a series of interlinked and integrated processes earmarked to develop, train, educate and support teachers and principals. This is itself a mammoth task, which also needs interlinked synergy from education stakeholders.
Chairperson, the effort of teacher development should be embraced by the department and all entities within the department. One of the critical areas of training to focus on is training relating to curriculum changes. At present, the department is busy consolidating a curriculum and assessment policy statement. The humble request is for all the stakeholders to assist in training teachers on the changes effected in the syllabi so that teachers are not left out of place.
We are heartened by the fact that the department has in this Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, period prioritised improved teacher capacity and practice. The department has committed to ensuring that the new teacher development plan will be made public in the 2011-12 financial year. We are worried that there is at present fragmentation with respect to teacher development, with other teacher development initiatives being of poor quality.
We hope that the teacher development plan will address these challenges effectively. We also hope that the key principles of the teacher development plan, which are enhanced capacity and capability, improved quality, increased access equity, integration, co-ordination and effectiveness, and relevance and viability, will lay a good foundation for a plan that will address all the teacher development challenges. We are awaiting the teacher development plan.
In conclusion, House Chairperson: Ngibawa iinhlangano ezikhona kileNdlu yesiBethamthetho seNarha, bonyana ziwusekele umThethomlingwa wezefundo lo. Ngiyathokoza. [I am appealing to all political parties in this National Assembly to support this Bill. Thank you.]
I thank you all. [Applause.]