Deputy Minister Surty,
MECs,
Parents and educators,
Leaders of teacher unions,
Business and community partners,
Adjudicators and officials,
Members of the media,
Distinguished guests.
Thank you for making the Annual National Teaching Awards a success. Your presence signifies high regard for education. We chose Sandton Convention Centre just so we can include many of our people. From 300 guests, we now have 1 000 guests.
We were able, through a new ‘look-and-feel’, to broaden participation of the media just so we can reach more of our people with whom we should motivate our teachers. It is important always to be with the people with whom we should construct a quality basic education system better geared to meet challenges of the 21st Century, and most importantly, to create a better life for all South Africans, whatever the cost.
Paulo Freire rightly says in Pedagogy of the Oppressed: “Revolutionary leaders cannot think without the people, nor for the people, but only with the people” (1996:112).
It is through people’s power, fortified by the will to be fully human, that over 100 years of selfless struggle we re-imagined a new reality glued by a progressive vision of a united, democratic, non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous society. At the heart of this stunning revolutionary achievement lie legitimate reasons to celebrate the centenary of the African National Congress (ANC).
Tonight we celebrate, with no fear of persecution, heroic classroom excellence of teachers, under one roof, black and white, women and men, united in our diversity. Although we’re conscious of inequalities inherent in capitalist societies, this is a milestone that must define the 2012 National Teaching Awards located in the 100th year of the ANC.
Notwithstanding challenges in education, we’re enthralled by exceptional prowess of teachers precisely because teachers are a vital cog in the wheel of transformation. A happy day would be to wake up in a world wherein teachers are accorded universal respect. This would be in recognition of the fundamental role they play as educators, nurturers, and agents of change.
Sandton Convention Centre is an exquisite arena for the prestigious National Teaching Awards precisely because it is itself a product of skills and cutting-edge technology derived from teaching – the proverbial mother of all professions.
Looking at this marvel of architectural excellence and the spectacular 2010 FIFA World Cup, I am confident South Africa will indeed deliver on infrastructure development unveiled by President Jacob Zuma during the opening of Parliament.
Just as you’ve mobilised resources to be here tonight, working together we can defeat the triple problem of inequality, poverty and unemployment. This we can do, with success, by among other things, improving education quality, as government, the private sector, organised labour and broader society.
With limited resources, and educational services expanded to embrace over 12 million learners, we have a school infrastructure backlog to tackle. This is a reality impacting the right of children to learn in a conducive environment, with adequate classrooms, libraries, laboratories, computer centres, fencing, electricity, water and sanitation.
We have an estimated shortfall of 63 000 classrooms. It is under these difficult working conditions that teachers demonstrate the sterner stuff they’re made of. Nonetheless, from 2000 to date, we have built 1 206 new schools, 38 664 additional classrooms; provided water to 5 214 schools, electricity to 2 847 schools, fencing to 2 655 schools, sanitation to 10 621 schools and 28 805 toilet seats.
These interventions go to creating a climate for quality teaching and learning. From this will flow improved learner outcomes we have committed to in the basic education performance agreement and strive to achieve through the Action Plan to 2014: Towards the Realisation of Schooling 2025.
An important development in making education a societal issue is the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) Accord on Basic Education we have signed in 2011 and are implementing. This people-driven accord, which is part of the New Growth Path’s social dialogue, will give impetus to the multi-stakeholder Quality of Teaching and Learning Campaign.
The Times newspaper, of 31 January 2012, was right to say: “There should be a pact between the pupils, teachers and parents. Once the pact is broken, the school and pupils become the problem of the department and teachers.”
March is earmarked for School Governing Body elections. It’s in the best interest of children for parents, and communities, to make this process a success.
The annual national teaching awards are one of essential instruments we have employed both to incentivise teachers and to impress among the people, with the people, consciousness of the educators’ role in the production of skills and knowledge.
These are skills our developmental state requires to stimulate the economy, to fight poverty, to create jobs, to build a healthy society, to combat crime and substantially to roll-back the tide of underdevelopment, particularly for rural communities.
The infinite riches here represented by these industrious award recipients offer an idea of where South Africa’s education is and where it seeks to go. Teachers we honour have discharged their duties with excellence, as servants of the people. They understand the essence of the President’s call for more focus on the Triple T – Teachers, Texbooks and Time.
The National Teaching Awards are for excellence in primary school teaching, secondary school teaching, primary school leadership, secondary school leadership, Grade R teaching, special needs teaching and Adult Basic Education & Training.
From this you will see that our interest is in improving the whole schooling system, from the foundation phase to Grade 12. As we honour excellent teachers, we also celebrate improvement in the Grade 12 pass-rate: over 70% in 2011. Accordingly, we say to the teachers, ‘thank you for a great job’.
We can do better. As they say: a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. As much as we appeal for public interest in matric, it’s important to focus on the entire system.
It is in this context that we instituted, on a wider scale, the Annual National Assessments for Grades 1-6 and 9 to test and diagnose problems related to literacy and numeracy. Improving educational quality is our challenge and necessarily improving educational quality is our highest priority.
I will have a rest the day employers and institutions prioritise learners from schools in disadvantaged communities. Such progression would demonstrate the extent to which quality and efficiency of our system would have improved.
We confer a Lifetime Achievement Award to educators with a minimum of 30 years of unbroken service. We have introduced a special ministerial award named after the former Minister of Education, Prof Kader Asmal – Professor Kader Asmal Award.
We now have a new People’s Choice Award for educators who have inspired learners to achieve excellence in the classroom and have served as role-models for learners and communities.The awards are now in their 12th year. We’ve tightened selection criteria and have urged provinces to do the same. Achievers represent over 365 447 educators. The selection process was therefore a mammoth task.
‘Thank you’ to all adjudicators for discharging the task with absolute distinction.
We have done a lot to improve working conditions of educators. We are attending to issues impacting on performance, including compensation, teacher supply and utilisation.
Discussions are continuing on a new performance management system for educators at the Education Labour Relations Council.
We are implementing the Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education and Development which we launched with teacher unions. We are working on a protocol in terms of which the funded role of unions in teacher development will be formalised.
Priorities for 2012 include reducing teacher absenteeism, with managers managing properly, and unions impressing the value of professional conduct upon their members. Targets include filling vacant posts and attracting young people to teaching.
As we said in the Action Plan, we want teachers who are confident, well-trained, and continually improving their capabilities. These would be teachers who are committed to giving learners the best possible education, thereby contributing to the development of the nation. This is the calibre of teachers lined-up for excellence awards in the coming years.
In closing, I salute all schools and teachers, particularly recipients and finalists, for their extraordinary efforts. To those teachers who did not make it, do not despair.
Teach like you’ve never taught before. Leave a legacy. Be recorded in Bicentenary celebrations of Africa’s oldest liberator and ‘teacher’. The ANC has taught us to live in sisterhood and brotherhood. It has produced great teachers like Sefako Makgatho, Oliver Tambo and many others.
It is befitting therefore that we chose as our theme: “Celebrating the heroes of yesterday, recognising today’s achievements and motivating teachers for tomorrow”.
I would like to thank all patriots who have upheld Batho Pele principles, making this historical award ceremony a success.
Ladies and gentlemen, enjoy the rest of the evening. Working together we can do more to improve quality of basic education.
I thank you!
