Agb Voorsitter, dit is my nooienstoespraak en ek sal so ver as moontlik onkontroversieel bly. [Hon Chairperson, this is my maiden speech and as far as possible I will remain uncontroversial.]
Hon Chairperson, Minister Motshekga and members of the NCOP, education is the backbone of the strength, wealth, growth and sustainability of a country. If this sector, in a country, is well structured, with the promise of a quality outcome for learners and students in all of our learning institutions, certainly we can have a competitive response and outcome with regard to skills and employment opportunities in South Africa and elsewhere in the world.
The Basic Education department has framed five principles in the 2009 budget, and they are as follows: protecting the poor; sustaining employment growth and expanding training opportunities; building capacity for long- term growth through investment in infrastructure; promoting competitiveness; and maintaining a sustainable debt level. The DA can agree with these principles.
However, we must bear in mind that value for money in the context of the economic meltdown is the most important factor. The answer to this is efficiency in all our deliverables in education, which play an important role in our success and achieving our goals. Education must be our single largest investment in government. But we must make sure, from the start, that an effective delivery outcome is reached.
The following things are planned: 3 500 practitioners in early childhood development with a level 4 education; the increase of no-fee schools to 60% of the total number of schools; the expansion of the nutrition feeding scheme to secondary schools; and the increase of Grade Rs in public schools. This is all well and good, but the question remains ...
... sal die kwantiteit van dienslewering die gewenste uitkoms lewer, of moet ons nie liewer seker maak dat die hulpbronne en fasiliteite tot ons beskikking eerder tot maksimale effektiwiteit ontwikkel word nie? Ons het reeds die afgelope vier jaar n teleurstellende verslag ontvang dat die prestasie vir lees- en syfervaardighede van leerders in graad 1 tot 3 ouder die 40%-standaard is. Daar is definitief 'n probleem met ons onderwysstelsel wat ook ons opleidingskolleges en universiteite nadelig benvloed. Die effektiwiteit van onderwys en opleiding bring dus die volgende vrae na vore: Eerstens, hoe verseker ons dat die ruggraat van ons land versterk word? Tweedens, waar staan die voorskoolse kind se ontwikkeling binne die basiese onderwys en opleiding? Derdens, wat is die kwaliteit van die grondslagfase ten opsigte van die primre, sekondre en tersire ontwikkeling van die stelsel? Vierdens, watter rol speel die geengeldskolestelsel in gehalte onderwys? Vyfdens, om watter redes lewer di? voormalige model C-skole beter resultate as die publieke skole?
Sesdens, watter rol speel die morele waardes en standaarde van gemeenskappe ten opsigte van die gehalte van leerders en hul dissipline in skole, ensovoorts?
Die antwoord hierop is dat die gemeenskap, ouers, kinders en die skool, n holistiese benadering moet volg om beter gehalte te kan lewer. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[... will the quantity of service delivery have the desired outcome or should we not rather ensure that the resources and facilities at our disposal are developed to maximal effectiveness? For the past four years we have already received a disappointing report that Grades 1 to 3 perform under the 40% standard in reading and numeracy tests. There is definitely a problem with our education system which also has a detrimental effect on our training colleges and universities. The effectiveness of education and training, therefore, begs the following questions: Firstly, how do we ensure that the backbone of our country will be strengthened? Secondly, where does this leave the development of the pre- school child in relation to basic education and training? Thirdly, what quality does the foundation phase contribute to the primary, secondary and tertiary development of the system? Fourthly, what role does the no-fee school system play in quality education? Fifthly, what are the reasons for former model C schools producing better results than public schools?
Sixthly, what role does the moral values and standards of communities play with regard to the calibre of learners and their discipline at school, and so forth?
The answer to these questions is that the community, parents, children and the school should follow a holistic approach in order to improve the quality.]
The report says the Dinaledi schools comprise 7% of the total number of schools and contributed 24% to the 62 000 high-level mathematics matric results in 2008. If this is true, we certainly have a successful method of training for mathematics in all our learning institutions. We have to use it more to improve mathematics results. The problem in education lies in the fact that learners don't need to know tables - that is minus, plus, division and multiplication - off by heart any more. We have diverted from basic education and placed too much emphasis on the wrong things in education. Numeracy and literacy are very important in early childhood development and foundation-phase education. It is not the quantity of teachers and learners we have in our schools, but how well the foundation phase is managed.
The dropout rate is still unacceptably high. We must find out what the reason is for learners dropping out. Only the dropout learners and their parents can give responsible answers to this situation. Then we can try to solve the dropout rate in our schools. We must address this problem as soon as possible and with urgency. If every learner manages the basic principles of learning and training, fewer learners will drop out, there will be better results in the foundation phase and primary and secondary schools and colleges and universities will get better quality students. We will get quality workers in all sectors of the economy, and then we will obtain all the principles set for the nation. I thank you, Chairperson.
[Applause.]