Address by the Minister of Basic Education, Mrs Angie Motshekga, during the Minister’s Media Briefing held at the DBE Conference Centre
Thanks once again for attending our media briefing and for your consistent support. You have been with us the whole year, scrutinizing the work we do and helping us to communicate developments in the Basic Education Sector.
We gather here this afternoon mainly to provide an update on the progress of the National Senior Certificate (NSC), but also to share some of the developments in the Sector.
This is a busy time of year in the Sector, with our Grade 12 learners writing their final examinations, before leaving the Basic Education Sector.
Our primary goal is to conduct these crucial examinations error-free, and uphold their integrity. The Director-General and his team will update us on the progress of the 2023 NSC exams.
I can say that we have provided a wealth of materials to support our matriculants in particular, in order for them to adequately prepare for the final examinations.
The same has been for learners up to Grade 11, who sat for their internal examinations; as building a solid foundation right through the Grades, is critical to a successful system.
As you know the 92023 NSC examinations commenced on 30 October 2023, with the writing of English by over seven hundred thousand (700 000) candidates across six thousand, eight hundred and eighty nine (6 889) examination centres in the country.
We can confirm that the 2023 NSC exams have progressed smoothly thus far, with few incidents reported.
Friday, 01st December 2023, was Day 25 of the 28-day examinations. We have three (3) days to go to the conclusion of the 2023 NSC examinations.
Two hundred and twenty-five (225) of the two hundred and thirty-one (231) question papers, have already been written with six (6) more question papers yet to be written.
I can confirm that there have been no major compromises to the 2023 NSC examinations. No leakage of question papers; contrary to some fake news reports that circulated earlier alleging that there was a leak. I can categorically say that we have had a smooth exam, except for the isolated cases of crib notes; possession of cell phones; imposters having been reported. Once again, we emphasise that cheating does not pay.
We are grateful that all stakeholders have played their role in making sure that we run clean 2023 NSC examinations. Thank you very much to all involved.
Now that the Class of 2023 is about to finish writing, we urge them to be safe. This may mark the end of the 12 years that you spent in the Basic Education Sector; however, it is certainly not the end. Many of you are gathering in various places to celebrate the end of exams. As you do so, I urge you to act responsibly.
We have noted with great concern, learners hosting and attending Pens Down parties all over the show. What is clear is that as much as this time is cause for celebrating, hundreds of our youth are overindulging in alcohol, binge drinking, and even finding themselves in trouble with the law. You may have turned 18 years of age; and therefore, reached the legal age to consume alcohol. But you must understand that adulthood comes with lifelong responsibilities.
In Gauteng, we have noted the efforts of the Gauteng Liquor Board to highlight the dangers of overindulgence in drinking alcohol. This is in addition to the call to retailers to refrain from selling alcohol to underage children. We hope to see more of these efforts across the country, especially as we are now in the month of December.
May we always remember the tragedy of Enyobeni Tavern in the Eastern Cape, and many other such events, where the lives of young people were cut short, in incidents that could have easily been avoided.
We urge parents, to know where your children are; with whom they are; and what they are doing. We need them back in 2024, as they continue with their education journey.
Now, let me turn my attention to the delivery of school infrastructure.
Firstly, our commitment to provide safe ablution facilities nationally, remains unwavering. The Deputy Minister and the Director-General have been spearheading this campaign.
I am pleased to report significant progress under the Accelerated School Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI) launched in 2011.
In 2011, the Department of Basic Education launched the Accelerated School Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI-2011).
-
- Three hundred and thirty (330) of the three hundred and thirty-eight (338) schools made entirely of inappropriate materials, have been provided with appropriate structures. This is 97.6% progress.
- One thousand, two hundred and ninety-eight (1 298) of one thousand, three hundred and seven (1 307) schools with no water supply, have been provided with water infrastructure. This is 99.3% progress.
- One thousand and eighty-seven (1 087) schools with no toilets, have been provided with appropriate sanitation infrastructure. This is 100% progress.
- Three hundred and seventy three (373) schools with no electricity supply, have been provided with electricity. This is 100% progress.
In 2018, His Excellency, President Ramaphosa launched the Sanitation Appropriate For Education (SAFE-2018) initiative.
-
- Two thousand, nine hundred and seventy-five (2 975) of the initial three thousand, eight hundred and ninety eighty (3 898); which through monitoring and evaluation oversight, were reduced to three thousand, three hundred and eighty (3 380) schools dependent on basic pit toilets, have been provided with appropriate sanitation infrastructure. This is 88% progress. It is envisaged that the remaining four hundred and five (405) schools will be provided with appropriate sanitation facilities before the end of this financial year.
The Education Portfolio Committee has emphasised the importance of ensuring all learners have access to safe water and sanitation, respecting their fundamental rights to dignity and health. Significant progress has been made in this regard; but at the same time, we acknowledge that a lot of work still needs to be done, in terms of the provision of school infrastructure in our school.
We appeal to school communities to take care of the schools, especially during the December holidays, when we experience a high rate of vandalism, break-in, and theft. We require cooperation in this regard.
Secondly, the relocation of the ECD function to the DBE, has provided an opportunity to review the ECD provisioning landscape with a strategic and solution-oriented lens, and to build new models of strategic and sustainable partnerships and collaboration.
To achieve this vision, the DBE has developed a 2030 Strategy for ECD Programmes. The 2030 Strategy, provides a framework for the best endeavours of social partners, businesses and donors; as well as the thousands of ECD practitioners and workers, who are the backbone of the existing system, to be brought together with the government.
As such, it includes new solutions, such as new forms of public-private partnerships, to rapidly expand access and improve the quality of ECD programmes delivered.
Over the next two weeks, as Minister, I will be embarking on roadshows, from Monday 04 December, to engage with ECD practitioners in Gauteng, and hear from ECD practitioners, as we seek to support them.
These roadshows will enable us to share information with ECD programmes about the services that the Department already has in place to support ECD programmes.
To achieve the Department’s vision of achieving universal access to quality ECD programmes, prioritising the most vulnerable communities, through a number of initiatives, which include embarking on a mass registration drive.
For this to succeed, we will require a comprehensive social compact, which requires all of us to strengthen integration within and across sectors; so that we create an ECD programme, that is compliant with legislation, and is seamlessly linked to the Foundation Phase of our Basic Education system. Together, we must strive to lay a solid foundation, where children will be positively stimulated and nurtured to become responsible citizens in later life.
Therefore, it is in our hands to expand access, improve the quality and strengthen the ECD programmes. We are aware that the current legislative requirements are inhibitive to register Early Learning Programmes (ELPs). The DBE is currently looking at a menu of alternatives to assist practitioners to register ECD centres to the extent necessary. We are also encouraging aspiring ECD practitioners to take agency and ownership for their own development.
Thirdly, I want to remind all of us in the basic sector of our commitment to combating Gender-Based Violence and Femicide. This battle in our Sector began in 2008, and we originally envisaged an aim to end it by 2030, in line with the National Development Plan.
Fourthly, ladies and gentlemen, by now you all know that the National Assembly has passed the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill. The BELA Bill is now in the hands of the National Council of Provinces, which will request for the submission of public comments, after conducting public hearings all over the country.
Our concern though, is still the amount of misinformation on the BELA Bill doing the rounds in media platforms, worse on social media.
I would like to urge the public and anyone interested in the education of children of this country, to read the BELA Bill itself with understanding, and stop relying on social media as a source of information.
People will then be in a better position to make informed and meaningful contributions in the hearings at different venues in all provinces. Also be on the lookout for advertisement for written comments. Your participation in the hearings, or through written comments, will strengthen the content of the BELA Bill.
Fifthly, I intend to set up a meeting with interested parties in Home Education. We need to have an open and honest discussion about Home Education. The content we currently have in the BELA Bill on Home Education, is in conformance with section 29(3) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, and nothing else.
In closing, I want to thank each of you for your dedication and sacrifice in ensuring the success of our Basic Education system. I wish you and your families a safe and blessed festive season.
Thank you.
