Hon Chair, hon Minister and hon MECs of different provinces, the ID will make a positive contribution to finding solutions to the challenges facing the youth in education. These challenges belong to all of us. We must begin a programme of education, and encourage our communities to play a more active role in our schools because our children are a blessing to us.
There are still far too many parents who neglect their duty to play an active role in the education of their children, simply leaving this responsibility to teachers alone. Sadly, this behaviour is more prevalent in our poor areas. Equally guilty are the many businesses in our communities who also turn a blind eye. We must remind them that unless they make an investment in education today, they will also suffer the consequences tomorrow.
Over the past 15 years we have spent more on education than most other developing nations, and the ID believes we still do not have enough to show for it. We must also invest in human development and build sports facilities at previously disadvantaged schools. The ID remains concerned about the massive inequalities in education, which, we believe, outcomes- based education has made worse because rich schools have the resources to implement it and poor schools do not.
Transformation in previously advantaged schools needs urgent attention. You cannot have a school in which 40% to 45% of the learners are black and coloured children, but there is only one black or coloured teacher. It is impossible to have this 15 years down the line, and it is happening in the Northern Cape.
We need to focus more on reading, writing and mathematics, and each school must be given access to electricity, water and sanitation, a library, a functioning science laboratory and free Internet connectivity. Let me just give you one very important piece of advice today. The Bible says that money is a shelter; wisdom is also a shelter, but the excellency of knowledge is that the preserver thereof has eternal life.
Every school must have a social worker that can identify and deal with problems such as sexual and substance abuse in children. We would like the department to consider replacing the no-fee schools with a child education grant, targeting poor learners rather than poor schools and covering school fees, transport and uniforms. This will mean that schools will no longer have to struggle to collect fees and that poor learners at wealthy schools will also be covered. We would like to say to you, hon Minister, Deputy Minister and Minister of Higher Education and Training, that we hope and trust that the budget that you have received will be sufficient to see to all these challenges - they are big challenges - because if we invest in our children, develop and train them, that is the best investment that we can make. I would like to say, as I would normally say, to each and every Minister in education or MEC in education: if you overspend by building schools and teaching the children, we will support you. Thank you.