Reverend Phidian Matsepe
The Congregation
Fellow Christians
The Kwa-Thema Class of 2011
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen,
Ntate Moruti, ntumelle ke thome ka go dumedisa phuthego le setśhaba sa Kwa-Thema ka boikokobetso. Madume le ditebogo go baithuti baba tlileng go ba le rona mo thapelong ena e botlhokwa ya kajeno.
Re leboga le matishere kaofela a iphileng nako go tla go beya baithuti mo dithapelong. Nnete ke go re, ke thato ya Modimu eo ere kopantshitseng mo kerekeng ya Central Methodist.
Ke ka moo re lebogang Ntate Moruti le phuthego ka matsapa ao bawa tsereng. Le ka moso.
The good work you do for our children as the Central Methodist Church and as members of the community, izakhamuzi zaseThema, will not go unnoticed.
Indeed through this important service meant to pray for the Class of 2011, you have greatly helped us in making a huge difference in the lives of our children, your children, the future leaders of our nation, to whom belongs the future.
As we say in our rich African culture, by lending a hand in nurturing and humanising our children, you are also helping yourselves and your families. Indeed you are making it possible for all of us to live in a safe, caring, loving, democratic, value-based and prosperous society. This is precisely what we mean when we say: Motho ke motho ka batho, Umuntu ngumuntu ngabanye abantu, You are because we are
We welcome all educational interventions from our communities. Education is a societal issue.
If we are able to give about 800 learners from Kwa-Thema a chance to pass matric in 2011, we would have transformed the lives of more than 800 families and neighbours.
My message to you today is that the government cannot educate the nation all alone. All of us must play a role.
The learners themselves must take responsibility for what happens in the schools.
At the end of the day, they are responsible for what becomes of their lives. The role of parents is to guide the little ones; by teaching them values and respect for the rights of others.
Many challenges we’re facing in our schools are exacerbated by the failure of parents and guardians to play a prominent and active role in the lives and education of their children.
As parents, we are the first to detect signs of delinquency, anti-social and criminal behaviour among our children.
As we speak, we are confronted by a very worrying situation wherein teachers in some of our schools feel threatened because of unacceptable behaviour like the attack and stabbing of a teacher in Soweto. Some are saying these problems must be solved by the government.
But the truth is that all of us have a duty to stem the tide of violence and criminality in our schools and in our communities.
We all have a duty to create functional, safe and productive schools where children are prepared for various careers and roles in society whilst they are simultaneously taught the values and ethos of our democratic society.
Discipline starts at home. Parents must make means to ensure children are not in possession of weapons or drugs when leaving home for school.
I want to use this opportunity to inform the community of Kwa-Thema that on Wednesday 23 March we launched a campaign meant to promote the Bill of Responsibilities. Our partners in this effort include an organisation called Lead SA which was formed in 2010 by Primedia and the Independent Group of Newspapers.
We are supported also by the South African Inter-faith Council in this effort that must help us to create a foundation for moral regeneration in our schools.
We must use this Campaign to support the Class of 2011 to study in a safe, peaceful and human rights-based environment conducive for quality teaching and learning.
I have the full confidence that these we can do united by the overarching vision of creating a united, democratic, non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous society.
I want to turn now directly to our learners. As our children and as future citizens of this country, you are our only hope for defeating the scourge of poverty. You are our hope for improving the health and wellbeing of our communities.
You are our very hope for building an economically-viable society of educated, enlightened and employable people with the right and valuable skills and knowledge.
As the young of South Africa, you are our hope for creating a value-based crime-free society where all live in peace, security and comfort as envisaged in the Freedom Charter.
I want to say to the Class of 2011 that this is your chance, your golden opportunity. Make the most of it or live to regret it for the rest of your lives. Your future as young people is now. All we can do as government, as religious communities and as community leaders, is to help you prepare for a better future.
As your teachers always tell you in class: “You can take a horse to the river, but you can’t force it to drink”. It’s all in your hands. You have to make choices, the right choices. Choose to put your education first. You are left with only seven months before the final exams. It is not too long a sacrifice to make.
Choose not to do drugs. Tell yourselves that getting drunk is not smart. Choose a good life and practice safety. Teen pregnancy is a sure disruption to your future. There are diseases out there. Abstain and live long. AIDS kills.
Now, speaking as a parent, a teacher and your Minister of Basic Education, do one thing good for me in 2011. Help me improve the high pass-rate we achieved last year, in 2010. As you know, last year we got 67.8% which was an increase of 7.8% on 2009 results.
A total of 364 513 learners passed their exams in 2010. What will make it difficult for you to be counted among these learners? Nothing will. Some of them are now in universities and in post-school colleges. Some are already working. You can make it if you tell yourself: ‘I can make it!’.
Once more, I would like to thank warmly the Kwa-Thema Central Methodist Church for the commendable community work you are doing. You have shown a keen interest in the education and future of the African child. Thank you Rev Phidian Matsepe.
Working together we can improve the quality of basic education.
Ke ya leboga.
Source: Department of Basic Education
