Change your perspective
Firstly I would like to convey my gratitude to everyone who made it here today, I would also like to thank Vuyolethu Sibiya, President of Kuzondlula Motivational Tour. Vuyolethu is a young passionate man who cares intensely about the future of South Africa, which lies in the hands of all of you future leaders sitting here right now.
On Monday we went to Wits University where the World Youth Summit was taking place. I met and saw a lot of young leaders from across the world who came from backgrounds that seemed against the odds. But with determination they are changing the landscapes of their countries and the world at large.
As I stand in front of you today, I can assure you that through you and your commitment to your studies, I can see creating a much better and brighter future not only for South Africa but the world at large.
Sustainable Developmental Goals
It is important to always look at how aligned the country is with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. Goal 4 places Quality education as one of the most important elements of achieving all other goals in the world. We cannot eliminate poverty without educating our people, good health and wellbeing requires a strong education system to achieve. Infact all of the goals require that we put more emphasis on education and that is the best way to achieve the goals along with the National Developmental Plan : Vision 2030
We are here today because we want you to be the best you can be in everything that you do. We do not want to hear that you finished school not knowing what you want to do, not sure how to access opportunities. Education and Skills are amongst the key priorities of the 6th administration of Government. His Excellency, President Cyril Ramaphosa has instructed everyone in government us to work in collaboration to ensure that we heighten the fight for inequality in the country.
I am so honored to be addressing a group of young people who have committed themselves to education and against all odds have made it to the most important part of your high school career “Matric”. You must all really feel good about achieving this milestone.
I would like to believe that there is no violence in your schools. No one is bringing or taking weapons to school right? You are not bullying one another or intimidating your teachers or breaking any clause of the code of conduct, right? In that case, I invite all of you to be agents of change.
Basic Education
The education you have been getting for all these years has landed you here. Your hard work is about to take you to higher heights. If anything, your life begins after you pass Matric. With South Africa’s education landscape changing and evolving, it is important that we all do our ultimate best to make sure that no one gets left behind.
Since the dawn of democracy, we have taken a resolve to transform and align our educational system for improved outcomes. More focus should be channelled into making sure that the education systems is more integrated
and is more user friendly to all students, even those with disabilities and special learning needs.
Despite the strides made by government, we do admit that a lot still needs to be done to close the gaps that currently exist in the structure such as the reading culture which is slowly rising, it is still worrying that almost 60% of households in the country have no books, which has an even bigger impact on learners. We need to applaud private companies and partners who are also going into communities to provide facilities such as libraries. We believe that with the increase of these partnership under the new governance of the 6th administration and the leadership of President Cyril Ramaphosa, we are hopeful that more of these facilities will reach your areas and make education more accessible to the community at large.
Technology and 4Th Industrial Revolution
- How many of you are computer literate?
- How many of you here are in study groups through social media platforms such as Whatsapp?
- How many of you have exchanged notes and assisted each other academically through emails, text messages and using other digital platforms?
- How many of you here have mobile phones that are equipped with dictionaries, calculators and many other educational tools?
This is a clear indication of how progressive the state of education has become. We are in the era of technology and innovation, the mobile phones you have in your pockets are on their own a career path leading to the future and we are happy to see more young people using these mobile phones to change the landscapes of their future and make an impact in their lives and those of other students around them.
The state of Basic Education is changing and information has become easily accessible. The abundance of technology has also provided you with a more integrated and accessible way of communicating with your classmates and study groups. Gone are the days where we had to all convene in a classroom late at night to exchange notes and assist each other.
Earlier this year Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said South Africa’s basic education has progressed “quite admirably” over the past 25 years of the country’s democracy, she further added that the department has developed Grade R coding and robotics curriculum and that the design of the Grade 4 curriculum was at an advanced stage. The department would be piloting this curriculum from January next year in Grade R to Grade 3 and Grade 7. This is creating a future of students who are equipped with the necessary skills and empowers them to have more options.
This is also an affirmation of the work that has been put in place by both the President of the country and the Department of basic education. There are many plans to escalate the digital sphere in South Africa as established in the 4IR summit that took place earlier this year.
But for this to become a success we need to get the basics right, it starts with making sure that our learners are well equipped to read and understand basic language skills in order to implement advanced educational skills.
Closure
Our Department has a new mandate which gives us an opportunity to service Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, this means that we are accountable to you and the young people in this country. We are the core of implementation and basic education is one of our main focus. Working at this from the ground up will definitely make sure that we tackle inequality and inclusivity from a central point.
As you embark on the journey to wrap up your matric, I urge you to put all your focus in ensuring that whatever happens this year, is a solid foundation for you to create a future you can be proud of. Do enough research to choose careers that will be relevant in the future. The world is changing and when you leave high school, you need to ensure that you are opting for careers that will help you change and impact the South Africa you aspire to live in.
The late Nelson Mandela whose sacrifices and philanthropic ways have helped shape the future of South Africa once said “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”
If you go into your exam rooms with this in mind, you already place yourself ahead of the rest as a leader of the pack. All the best with your exams and your matric.
I Thank You
