official opening of the Mondi Education Centre, Piet Retief
9 October 2006
"A new vocational curriculum"
Programme director
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
It is an honour and privilege to be invited to the official launch of the
Mondi Education Centre in Piet Retief. I am also pleased to share this platform
with Cyril Ramaphosa, who was instrumental in drafting our country's
constitution that enshrines the fundamental human rights that all our people
now enjoy.
It is our collective responsibility as a country to protect these enshrined
rights and ensure that they are enjoyed by all citizens of our country. In this
regard every citizen of our country must make a contribution, however small, to
education so that we may build a numerate and literate society.
We must continue to seek ways and continue to devise means so that the
people of our country have access to education that will expand their
opportunities in life, enhance their dignity, and improve their ability to
participate in the economy and democratic life of the country.
It is against this background that I would like to applaud the Mondi Group
and their associated partners in supporting this initiative to establish the
Mondi Education Centre.
I also want to thank Mondi for their contributions to educational
supplements such as "Read Right" and "Matric Matters" that enhance the learning
opportunities and performance of our learners.
The launch of the Mondi Education Centre takes place at a time when 748 000
Grade 12 learners begin sitting their matric examinations. Of the 748 000
learners enrolled for Grade 12 examinations, only 48 102 have enrolled for
Mathematics High Grade (HG). Six times as many, 279 000, enrolled for
mathematics at Standard Grade (SG) level.
The numbers are slowly increasing but much more has to be done.
Numbers passing maths and science on HG and SG 2003 to 2005
2003
Maths HG: 23 412
Maths SG: 104 707
Science HG: 26 067
Science SG: 75 693
2004
Maths HG: 24 143
Maths SG: 109 664
Science HG: 26 975
Science SG: 73 994
2005
Maths HG: 26 383
Maths SG: 112 279
Science HG: 29 965
Science SG: 73 667
Enrolments in mathematics SG demonstrate the potential that exists amongst
our people that needs to be harnessed. Hence, we need to devise strategies that
will encourage the many learners who enrol at SG to consider HG studies, and
provide them with the necessary support to achieve success. The 400 Dinaledi
schools are central to this strategy and I do hope that Mondi and other donors
will assist the 30 Dinaledi schools in Mpumalanga. The Science and Careers
Centre will certainly be a beacon of support for these schools.
In January 2007, we will also be introducing a new vocational curriculum in
the Further Education and Training (FET) colleges. This curriculum provides an
alternative pathway that will give impetus to the skills development revolution
we have launched.
As a fully equipped and sophisticated maths and science facility, the Mondi
Science Career Centre will therefore be ideally positioned to engage with FET
colleges in ensuring that the skills needed to support provincial and regional
economies can be readily supplied. The Ermelo Campus and the recently opened
Sibanethu Campus of the Gert Sibande FET College, a partner in this project,
can and should be your close allies in the supply of these relevant skills.
The new vocational programmes that will be offered at the FET colleges from
January 2007 include three engineering programmes and information technology
and computer science. Mathematics is a compulsory subject in the new national
certificate qualification, while physical science is an optional subject that
will be available to students. Despite the fact that it is optional, it is our
intention to promote the study of physical science at FET colleges because it
is clear that top-end and skilled jobs require science.
However, colleges are not in a position to offer the subject immediately on
a large scale, because colleges historically did not offer applied or physical
sciences and therefore did not build or equip science laboratories. A
collaborative relationship between the college and this facility can provide a
wonderful opportunity for students at FET colleges to take physical science
almost immediately. This can happen as early as next year!
Centres such as these must work towards dismantling the perception that
science is only for the rich, the clever or the select few. With the necessary
infrastructure and facilities the study of science becomes a vibrant and
exciting sphere of learning and can open up many career opportunities.
The consequence of this will have magnificent spin-offs for the local
manufacturing sector that includes forestry, wood manufacture, agriculture and
coal mining.
The Centre, in providing career guidance to students, will need to introduce
and support students in the relevant further education and training
opportunities available at sister institutions, so that they may acquire the
skills and knowledge to enable their participation in the formal economy.
The challenges of globalisation, and the shortage of relevant skills to
compete and sustain our economy in the 21st century, require that our learners
follow careers that will offer them opportunities. Today, all careers call for
basic knowledge in mathematics and science. On a daily basis we are all forced
to make decisions using our knowledge of mathematics and science. In South
Africa, there is still a shortage of black engineers, scientists and
accountants. The Mondi Education Centre should therefore serve as an
encouragement to young people to observe the benefits of mathematics and
science.
Ladies and gentlemen, the knowledge and skills you are acquiring now might
become outdated relatively quickly. You will also find, like many others across
the world, that regular and secure jobs are not a feature of the world of work
anymore.
For you to succeed and survive in the workplace you continually need to
upgrade your skills and take responsibility for your own development. Jobs are
increasingly evolving to favour those educated to think critically and those
who know how to learn. With each generation, such workers are more likely to
adapt to our knowledge-driven society than those trained to execute specific
skills.
The old maxim that knowledge is power is now being accompanied by a
realisation that knowledge is money and is therefore a primary resource. I
believe that this Centre will provide opportunities to acquire the computer
skills and other competencies necessary to participate more meaningfully in
society and take greater advantage of opportunities offered in the world of
work.
Internet facilities at this Centre can offer access to a wide range of
information sources and the communication possibilities of e-mail and instant
messaging. Computer literacy can lead not only to economic and social
advantage, but it can also be a potent force to reinforce inequalities,
especially where there is unequal access to the networks of knowledge and
information.
Today, I want to pay tribute to the efforts and contributions that this
community centre will make, not only in ensuring that our youth are provided
with skills that are sorely needed within our country, but also to the
contribution it will make in helping this community to bridge the "digital
divide."
It is efforts such as these that will ensure that our youth, particularly
those who have been marginalised by inadequate education and training in the
past, acquire those skills that will assist them to function effectively within
the ever growing knowledge society.
It is my deepest wish that this Centre will also offer a valuable service to
those community members in need of safe and supportive environments for after
school and work related studies.
In closing, let me say that I am delighted to have been here not to implore
you to become an active partner with government in education but to applaud you
for taking up this challenge and doing something about it. May many more
companies follow your excellent example!
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Education
9 October 2006
Source: Department of Education (http://www.education.gov.za)
