Chairperson, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon Members of Parliament, I greet you all. Firstly, let me comment on the technical amendments that have been proposed by the Minister and the Department of Higher Education and Training. As the portfolio committee, we have discussed the amendments and we have all agreed on them.
Ngqongqoshe angiphinde ngibonge ukuthi uhulumeni okhona oholwa nguKhongolose lapha eNingizimu Afrika, ubone kufanele ukuthi ama-Setas noma konke okuphathelene nokuthuthukiswa kwamakhono akubuyise phansi koMnyango wakho weMfundo ePhakeme kanye nokuQeqesha. Njengoba ezeMfundo sezibekwe phambili zaba ngezinye zezinto thina njengeNingizimu Afrika okufanele ukuthi sizibeke phambili sazi ukuthi ziphezulu eqhulwini. Ngalokho-ke siyazi futhi siyabona ukuthi eMnyangweni wakho indaba yama-Seta ithathelwa phezulu; sivela engqungutheleni lapho sibonile umhlahlandlela wokuthi ama- Seta azosebenza kahle kangakani ukuze akwazi ukubhekana nemibuzo esibhekene nayo njengesizwe mayelana nokuswelakala kwamakhono eNingizimu Afrika. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[Hon Minister, let me thank the current South African ANC-led government again for putting the Setas or everything that has to do with skills development under your department, the Department of Higher Education and Training, as education is one of the key priorities which we, as South Africans, need to deal with seriously. In that way, we realise that in your department, the issue of the Setas is taken seriously as we just returned from a conference where we have seen Setas' guidelines that are an indication of the manner in which Setas will operate to address the skills shortage, which is our main concern as South Africans.]
Really, we need to commend our ANC-led government for that. When we were debating the issues concerning the technical amendments that had been made, in our portfolio committee meeting, one of the hottest debates that we had was around the whole issue of an educator. We debated on how to define an educator. Who do we call an educator? Can anybody just stand in front of learners, impart knowledge and be called an educator? Will we then be proud to say that that person is an educator?
That was a hot debate and we felt that, as the ANC - since we have prioritised education - we need to explain the kind of educator we envisage for this country. Minister, through your Department, we need to ensure that educator training is intensified. As the portfolio committee, we have agreed that it is vital to have, in all the public sectors, appropriately qualified educators that will perform their duties as expected.
However, before we can understand exactly what an educator is, it is important for us, as a country, to understand what kind of education we need. If we don't understand what kind of education we need as a country, it will be difficult for us to define an educator.
Firstly, we must be able to understand the roles of an educator. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Unesco, defines education as a means to empower children and adults alike to become active participants in the transformation of their societies.
It further says that learning should focus on the values, attitudes, and behaviours that enable individuals to learn to live together in a world characterised by diversity and pluralism. Again, education is defined as preparing children and adults for what lies ahead in their lives: a society characterised by development, economic prosperity, political justice, and stability.
The ANC-led government fully agrees with this definition, and we know that when we talk about education, we talk about a life-long process and not merely academic success. Therefore, we as the ANC prioritise education and we want to ensure that we fulfil such definitions in respect of the kind of education system the country envisages.
Once again, it is very important to explain what kind of educator we envisage for this country. The term "educator" can be defined as all those persons who teach or educate other persons, or who provide professional services at any public school, Further Education and Training, FET, institution or departmental office.
The term is open and broad and this is what the ANC envisages in order to ensure that we get quality education through the right kind of people and education system.
Minister, we will support you and ensure that educator training is prioritised in this country. We believe once the educator training is relevant and provides the necessary skills to educators, the national question of skills shortages on any level or in a sector will be addressed in this country.
Ngiyakholwa kakhulu Ngqongqoshe ukuthi iphepha leli esililindele ukuthi liphume, i-Green Paper, uyokwazi ngazo zonke izindlela ukuthi kulona kukwazi ukuphenduleka zonke lezi zinto esesizibalile ngaphezulu. Njengokuthi imfundo yethu lapha eNingizmu Afrika sifisa ime kanjani ukuze wonke umuntu okhiqizwa yimfundo yethu yalapha eMzansi izwe lethu lithuthuke ngaye. Ngaphambi kwakho konke futhi siyafisa ukuthi kwenzeke ukuthi lolu shintsho olungaka olwenzekile engazathi kungaba nendlela yokuthi lufinyelele kubo bonke abantu ababambe iqhaza kwezemfundo, ukuze sikwazi ukubona impumelelo nakho konke okuhlosile ngoshinstho olwenzekile sazi nokuthi kuyaphumelela.
UNGQONGQOSHE WEMFUNDO EPHAKEME KANYE NOKUQEQESHA: Ngiyabonga Sihlalo. Ngicela ukuqale ngibonge kuwo wonke amalungu ngokweseka lezi zichibiyelo esizenza namhlanje kanye nakuwo wonke amaqembu aseka lokhu esikwenzayo. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[I really believe that the much anticipated paper - the Green Paper on educator training - will be out soon and that it will be able to address all the concerns that we have already stated above. The above concerns include what we wish our education structure here in South Africa to look like, in order for it to enable everyone who is its product to contribute to the development of this country. And above all, we also wish to see everyone, who is involved in education, accessing this change in order for us to see progress in everything you were aiming to achieve because we also need to know if it is a success.