Master of ceremony
The Emfuleni Mayor, Councillor SA Mshudulu
Members of the Gauteng legislature
Members of the executive mayoral committees of Gauteng municipalities
Local government speakers, chief whips and councillors
Gauteng Agriculture and Rural Development’s head of department
Gauteng Department of Education and Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development representatives
Principals, educators, learners and parents
Representatives from various organised labour (unions)
Members of school governing bodies (SGBs)
Community members
Members of the media
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen
Molweni, sanibonani, dumelang, abusheni, dimatsheroni, lotshani, gooie more, good morning ladies and gentlemen! Allow me to start by conveying compliment greetings from the Honourable Premier Nomvula Mokonyane, the Gauteng provincial government and Gauteng legislature.
It is indeed a great honour for me to speak during this Gauteng provincial government Back to School campaign. This campaign aims to convey the message of the province’s commitment to quality learning and teaching. This can be achieved through collective co-operation between the learners, educators and parents through school governing bodies. This is in line with the commitment made by Gauteng Premier in her opening of the legislature last year, that quality education should be part of the province’s priorities for the next five years, in order to improve the quality of life of our people.
These priorities, in-line with the ruling party’s manifesto are:
* creating decent work and building a growing and inclusive economy
* promoting quality education and skills development
* better health care for all
* stimulating rural development and food security
* intensifying the fight against crime and corruption
* building cohesive and sustainable communities
* strengthening the developmental state and good governance
It is this commitment by Gauteng provincial government led by ANC that as government we cannot make a better life for all if the government fails to provide quality education for young people who are the future leaders of this country. At the same time, we need commitment from all of us, to help teachers provide quality teaching. We also need to ensure that learners are committed to quality learning and parental support’s needed to achieve this.
During his address on 8 January statement, the state President Jacob Zuma sent a clear message that “it is non-negotiable that teachers must be on time, in class and teaching for seven hours everyday and we must build a movement for quality education involving learners, teachers and parents”.
When implementing the instructions, we need to refer back to what former MEC of Education in Gauteng and now the Minister of Basic Education, Comrade Angie Motshekga said: “In the poor communities, teachers are supposed to be working seven to eight hours a day, but unfortunately they only teach for three and half hours. Teachers and learners arrive late and our children are distracted. Some teachers or educators just do not come to work at month end”.
I hope that this does not happen in this district because our commitment to quality education and the call by the President to improve education is taken seriously. We all want to see changes in education for the betterment of the life of our people, as Mahatma Gandhi says: “let everyone be the change you want to see”.
We are raising this issue of commitment to quality education, influenced by the 2009 matric result in this area. On average, Evaton got a pass rate of 44.1 percent across all the high or secondary schools, with the highest pass rate obtained by Maxeke with 68.75 percent and the lowest by ED Mashabane with 26 percent. We see consistent results going down in schools such as Jordan, from 82.80 percent in 2007, 72.04 percent in 2008 and 40 percent in 2009. While there is an indication of consistent improvement of ED Mashabane with two percent between 2007 and 2009, it is of snail pace.
In conclusion, I want to touch on two important issues related to the mandate given to Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Firstly is the issue of teaching and practicing with learner’s good environmental management. Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development launched the Clean and Green campaign as part of educating and creating awareness to our communities about the importance of healthy environment and the effect dirty environment has on human life.
We believe that we can achieve the objective of the campaign if we begin with learners at school. We believe that “isihlahla sigotshwa sisemanzi”. We can spread the message through schools by entering the Bontle ke Botho and Clean and Green campaign. By entering the competition, the schools can also supplement their income if they win the competition. School children are the best vehicle to take the Clean and Green campaign message to parents at home.
Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has a programme on alleviating poverty at schools by planting vegetables. Schools can also supplement the feeding scheme by planting vegetables. After learning, learners will practice this at home and help the country in making sure that we live in a greener and life giving environment, planting vegetables that help to reduce cost of living. The department is committed to deploy more agricultural extension officers and environmentalists responsible to promote the successful implementation of projects.
Secondly to the learners at high school level, the department offers bursaries to address scarce skills within the agriculture and veterinary service sectors. If you want to follow a career in any field within the agricultural sector, feel free to apply for the bursaries in our department, so that you can attend tertiary institutions. This year alone, Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has offered bursaries to 60 students across Gauteng universities, mostly in technology. We want to see our children following careers in agriculture and veterinary fields. Bursary forms are issued during the second quarter of each financial year, after June every year.
We congratulate all the learners who passed matric this year and thank both the teachers and parents for their dedication in giving support to the learners. To those who failed, grab the opportunity of supplementary examination in March this year. Learners who must repeat their matric, it is never too late, go back to the classes and work hard than ever before. Also search other opportunities
Let’s work for the betterment of the people of Gauteng by committing ourselves to provide a quality education for our children. Kuyasheshwa!
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Gauteng Provincial Government
13 January 2010
Source: Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Gauteng Provincial Government (http://www.gdard.gpg.gov.za/)
