The Gauteng provincial government is this year putting emphasis on education as the province’s top priority, Gauteng Premier, Nomvula Mokonyane, told Gauteng lawmakers on Monday.
“Providing high quality education to our people, especially children, will lay a solid foundation to secure a better future for all,” Mokonyane said while delivering her second State of the Province Address at the Gauteng legislature today.
The premier said her government had passed the planning stage and was now geared for implementation.
“This is the year of action. It is the year for all of us to work together to speed up delivery,” she said.
In this regard, she said the Gauteng provincial government had initiated the Foundation for Learning campaign which would focus on the expansion and quality of grade R, as well as the external assessment of learners in grades three, six and nine.
The development of young children was a critical phase in laying the foundation for successful learning and the production of good citizens, Mokonyane added.
“Our vision is to ensure that every learner does well at school and leaves our institutions with knowledge, skills and qualifications that will give them the best chance of success in adult life,” she said.
Addressing the issue of unsatisfactory grade 12 outcomes, Premier Mokonyane said the 2009 results were due to wide ranging systemic problems within the Education department involving; educators, school management, learners themselves, as well as wider socio-economic factors.
“We will intensify our Secondary School Intervention programme, especially to improve grade 12 performances and the performance of learners in mathematics and science,” the Gauteng premier said.
Amongst other things, the new intervention will be system-wide and flexible enough to allow for provincial and district specificities and applications. Greater and more focused attention will be given to the foundation and primary stages of education, producing more learners who are better prepared for grade 12.
Mokonyane announced that the province had set itself a target to achieve 80 percent grade 12 pass rate by 2014. Furthermore, she reiterated that the education of children was something that should concern all the people and not just government alone.
“Parents, community leaders and everybody in communities must get involved in education,” said the premier.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Gauteng Provincial Government
22 February 2010
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government (http://www.gautengonline.gov.za/)
