Chairperson and hon Ministers, the enthusiasm that has been shown by both hon Ministers is welcome indeed, but put enthusiasm aside and our education system remains a skorokoro [jalopy] type of system - it's repair, start, push, start and push again. The system is characterised by very serious policy weaknesses. For instance, the IFP has always argued that the successful implementation of the new curriculum depended on two conditions. These are: teachers with sufficient subject knowledge and well-resourced schools. Yet, these two issues continue to trouble our system.
The recent studies have shown that with the closure of training colleges the number of teacher graduates dropped from 70 000 in 1994 to 6 000 in 2006. Put this together with teacher attrition, which is currently estimated at 17 000 to 20 000 each year. This is a crisis which needs urgent attention. And that is why we urge: please do not delay, open up colleges of education now.
And, of course, it is important to look after our teachers who are already in the system, by paying them well and on time. Quality education is what we all want but the system is failing thousands and thousands of our children. All these things, I want to argue, are caused by wrong policy choices and at times by ideologically driven transformation.
Let me refer to some of these policies, of which the deployment policy is one, and let me say right now that we are not in principle opposed to deployment. For example, I acknowledge that my friend, the hon Minister Nzimande is here as a political commissar of his party. We find nothing wrong with that deployment. But, this policy of deployment has given rise to many educational evils.
Let me mention a few of them: Firstly, the educational agenda is sometimes, or in fact most of the time, subjected to the political agenda of the ANC which is not always the best agenda. Secondly ... [Interjections.] Listen, please. You are the democrats, you must listen, you must not be too intolerant. Secondly, unsuitable and incapable people are placed in crucial and strategic positions.
Uyazi ukuthini, uboke uhambele lapho kwenziwa khona inhlololwazi kubantu abazofuna umsebenzi - uyaye uzwe umuntu ethi: heyi mina ngiphethe i- mandate. Kusho umuntu nje ongenamsebenzi, uthi yena uphethe i-mandate ka- ANC ... (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[You know what, you must attend these job interviews - and whilst you are there, you usually hear these people saying: Hey, I have a mandate. Just a useless person says he has a mandate from the ANC ...]
... and he wants to be employed. [Applause.] Now, with all the money in the world, how does the department hope to achieve quality education if it is still saddled with such defective deployment policies?
Secondly, I want to refer to policy half measures. In an attempt to introduce free and compulsory education, the department has resorted to measures which have, instead of delivering quality education, perpetuated educational inequalities. So, what must be done? We propose the following: Firstly, please do away with ... [Interjections.] I am surprised these people call themselves democrats but they are very intolerant when it comes to arguments. Firstly, do away ... [Interjections.]