Speech by the Minister of Basic Education, Mrs Angie Motshekga, MP, at the 16th Annual National Teaching Awards held at the Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand
Programme Director
Honourable Deputy President Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa
Minister of Higher Education & Training: Dr. Blade Nzimande
Deputy Minister of Basic Education: Mr. Enver Surty
All MECs
Members of the Portfolio Committee
Our special guest: Mrs Louis Asmal
Director-General, Mr Mathanzima Mweli
Heads of Provincial Education Departments and Senior Officials
Parents and Educators
Organised Labour
NTA Sponsors
Adjudicators and Officials
Members of the Media
Distinguished Guests
It is my singular honour and privilege to host this august occasion, namely the 16th Annual National Teachers Awards (NTA). At the onset, I wish salute all schools and teachers who have entered the National Teaching Awards since 2000. We acknowledge their extraordinary efforts, which have been achieved often under very difficult conditions and in service to our children, many of whom come from underprivileged families and economically depressed communities.
Programme Director; I think as a nation we should be proud of your commitment and we acknowledge your selfless service aimed at the betterment the lives of the South African child. Thank you for nurturing and developing these precious young people in your care so as to ensure that they reach their fullest potential.
Today is indeed a special as we celebrate the great and remarkable exploits of teachers who give of themselves to the education of the nation and her children.
In terms of importance, the NTA is only second to the announcement of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) results.
Programme Director; we owe a special debt of gratitude to the Deputy President of the Republic Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa for gracing this occasion. We thank you for all your hard work that you do in the area of education. We all appreciate your commitment and compassion you have displayed over the years for our children. Ukwanda kwaliwa umthakathi!
Mr. Deputy President, I note with humility how this event has grown in leaps and bounds from humble beginnings in the year 2000 when the late Minister of Education, Professor Kader Asmal, introduced the awards - to what it is today. In this regard, we welcome in our midst our special guest Mama Mrs. Louis Asmal. Thank you - Mama Asmal for accepting and honouring our invitation. We are really honoured to have you.
Programme Director, we are equally indebted to all the Provincial Education Departments, districts and schools for managing this process, and we also wish to heartily congratulate them for putting this event together. To all the public and private entities, we thank you for the monetary and non-monetary support that has made this event to be a reality.
Programme Director; the 16th NTA edition of 2016 comes during the year when we mark the 40th anniversary of the June 16 1976 Uprising. Mr. Deputy President, the Youth of 1976 were trailblazers and ourselves part of that generation, continue to commit ourselves to continue to live the legacy of the 1976 generation which had a slogan that went something like this:
“Enter schools to learn, leave to serve.”
Again we celebrate another historic moment through the life of Benedict Wallet Vilakazi an educator, poet and novelist who studied and became the first black South African to receive Ph.D. in 1946 (70 years ago). Vilakazi Street named after him in Soweto, the only street in the world where two Nobel Peace Prize Laureates once lived. His works and commitment is an example of a teacher who lived by example and we are all encouraged to acquire more skills as teachers in order to better the lives of our learners.
Programme Director, to ensure our commitment to teacher development, in 2015, we launched the: “Teacher Appreciation and Support Programme (TASP)” The programme was launched under the theme, “Teachers, the Heartbeat of the Nation: A Programme for Teachers”. In this regard, the finalists of the 16th National Teaching Awards will become the Ambassadors of the Teacher Appreciation and Support Programme. I therefore impress upon all Provincial Education Departments and school principals in our education system to support all TASP ambassadors.
Programme Director; allow me to introduce to you the Deputy President of the Republic.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my honour and privilege to introduce to you, the son of the soil, and the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Honourable Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa.
As we know Honourable Ramaphosa became Deputy President of the governing party at its 53rd ANC National Conference held in Mangaung. Previously, he had served as the General Secretary of the ANC in the aftermath of the unbanning of liberation movements in the early 1990s.
In 2014, he was deployed to government as a Deputy President.
Within Government amongst many responsibilities, he chairs the Human Resource Development Council of South Africa (HRDCSA). The rationale of the government to launch the Human Resource Development Council was because we recognised that education and skills development is key to driving socio-economic growth in order to substantially reduce poverty, inequality and unemployment.
He also played a key role in the development of the National Development Plan (NDP) when he served at the Deputy Chairperson of the National Planning Commission.
Ladies and Gentlemen please join me in inviting our honorable Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa.
