Mister/ Madam/ Chairperson/ Speaker,
Honourable Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr. Blade Nzimande
Honourable Ministers and Deputy Ministers present
Honourable Members
Private and Public Sector Partners
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Good afternoon
It’s an honour and privilege for me to deliver my maiden speech as the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training. To you Honourable Minister, I am humbled by the foundation you have set in establishing this new Ministry. Sir, you have shown extraordinary leadership and commitment in setting a clear vision for post-school education and training.
You have certainly lived up to the expectations of our President, Mr JG Zuma. In establishing the Ministry in 2009, the President emphasised that: “We have to ensure that training and skills development initiatives in the country respond to the requirements of the economy. The further education and training sector with its 50 colleges and 160 campuses nationally will be the primary site for skills development training. We will improve the access to higher education of children from poor families and ensure a sustainable funding structure for universities.”
Mister/ Madam/ Chairperson/ Speaker,
The Constitution
It is appropriate for me to remind you of the oath we took in Parliament in 2009, to uphold the Constitution of South Africa. It is proper to reflect on the enshrined values that are relevant to this vote. Our vigilance should aim at ensuring that we widen access to education as a right.
The preamble to the Constitution compels us to recognise the injustices of our past and be united in our diversity. We adopted the Constitution as the supreme law of our land, so that we could heal the divisions of the past, establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights, thus improving the quality of life of all citizens and freeing the potential of each person.
This preamble promised all South Africans a better life, amongst other processes, redress of the imbalances of the past and as a result our icon Archbishop Desmond Tutu, called us “Rainbow Nation”.
In this context, education and training becomes the means of restoring our people’s dignity and the realisation of their right to economic participation.
Inequities and domination
Honourable Members, as we are all aware, our challenge in skills development, education and training is deep rooted and has a long history. Education was used as a tool of the apartheid machinery together with Influx control, Pass Laws, Group Areas Act and Job Reservation Laws.
Mr HF Verwoerd, the architect of the Bantu Education Act of 1953, anchored the thrust of the legislation, thus: "There is no place for [the Bantu] in the European community above the level of certain forms of labour. It is no avail for him to receive training which has its aim, absorption in the European community. What is the use of teaching the Bantu child mathematics when it cannot use it in practice?.” He went on to say, "…that.. "Education must train people in accordance with their opportunities in life, according to the sphere in which they live."
Fifty eight years down the line, the legacy of colonialism and all other apartheid architects is still with us.
Fellow children of the rainbow nation, we cannot boldly tackle the current challenges, without interrogating the painful past. Without a deeper understanding of systematic racism, we would be blind to subtle forms of racism. The question today is, whether we have achieved a single, united, diversified education and training system where all people young or old, rural or urban, male or female, abled or disabled, healthy or sick, black or white, rich or poor enjoy equal opportunities?
Nelson Mandela once said, “Massive poverty and obscene inequality are such terrible scourges of our times that they have to rank alongside slavery and apartheid as social ills.”
Chairperson,
In acknowledging progress made so far, we need to be able to account accurately in terms of access, enrichment programmes, and outputs for government’s special target groups in all our institutions. The determinants are Race, Class, Gender, Age, Geography, disability and HIV and AIDS?
My premise is that, we have not yet moved fast enough, quick enough and wide enough in increasing access for all. Admittedly, our responses to progress will differ depending on where one is located in society, as either a beneficiary or as alienated by our education and training skills pipeline.
The question is why have we not honoured our constitutional obligation? Is it because of racism and prejudice or other invisible factors and forces, set to undermine our democracy, or is it that we have not invested sufficient resources to deal with inequalitiesin our education system, then honourable members, we needto use this budget to quantify the costs and implement measures to eradicate these social ills.
All of us, including our partners and stakeholders in the education and training system have a certain degree of institutional autonomy but we also have a duty and obligation to ensure that government policies and legislation aimed at the promotion of social cohesion are taken seriously.
If resources are a constraint then we are prepared to make them available and if systems are a constraint then we as government are prepared to put systems in place.
The Soudien report
Chairperson,
In 2008, the then Minister of Education, Ms Naledi Pandor commissioned a Ministerial Committee on Transformation and Social Cohesion and Elimination of Discrimination in Public Higher Education Institutions. The outputs of this committee came to be known as the Soudien report which is well known within the education sector. This report will form a framework from which we will pursue our commitments.
The Soudien report concludes thus: “It is clear from this overall assessment of the state of transformation in higher education that the experience of feeling discriminated against, in racial and gender terms in particular, is endemic within institutions.”
Minister Nzimande made the report a subject of vigorous discussion and debate within the sector through the Higher Education summit. The summit concluded with a firm declaration, that we have to deal quickly and decisively with the question of access for all.
Chairperson,
Preparations for a follow up seminar on the recommendations of the Soudien report and the subsequent summit are underway. The seminar has been scheduled for July 2011 and it intends to identify the driving forces of inequity, such as race and gender. Out of the planned seminar we should agree to measurable process and outcome indicators to deal with those inequalities requiring focused attention and immediate action.
Funding and resourcing
Honourable members,
Transformation cannot take place without a cost. In this regard the Strategic Plan of our department deals with administrative actions required for inclusion and equity.
We welcome the launch of the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) III by the Minister earlier this year. We have great expectations for this strategy because it deals deliberatively with challenges related to race, class, gender, geography, age, disability and the HIV and AIDS pandemic that our system must address through its institutions, the Sector Education and Training Authorities and the National Skills Fund. In addressing these challenges the impact achieved over the five year life of the NSDSIII must be measurable.
The National Skills Fund is a “catalytic” fund that will enable government to drive key skills strategies as well as meet the training needs of the unemployed, non levy-paying entities, cooperatives, non-governmental organisation (NGOs), community structures and vulnerable groups. As such, it promotes strategic partnerships and innovation in project delivery.
The fund will be used to target gaps and complement resource shortages for national priorities. Funds will be set aside for competitive grants/bids from community-initiated skills development projects and other initiatives in line with the objectives and goals of NSDSIII.
We as the department will review the funding policies applicable to Universities and Further Education and Training Colleges so that consideration is given to fund innovative and creative programmes relating to race, class, gender, age, disability, geography, HIV and AIDS.
Chairperson,
Information communication technology (ICT) in Higher Education and Training
We acknowledge that technology in education is increasingly occupying a dominant space in the 21st century. We will intensify a consultative process on an e-education policy for the post school education and training system.
E-learning has the potential to fast track open and distance education and training which will enable access for vulnerable groups, including the disabled and learners from rural communities. We should eventually aim to provide free learning materials to the public to promote lifelong learning using ICT.
Chairperson,
I want to share with you my experiences during a visit to the University of Venda on the 19 March 2011 and my recent visit to the Council for the Blind on Monday, 23 May 2011. These experiences were an eye opener on how ICT can be utilised to provide quality education and training to the disabled.
I am grateful to my colleagues, Deputy Minister Henrietta Bogopane Zulu for her uncompromising approach in demanding access to education for disabled learners. In our NSDSIII we make a firm commitment to enhance our effort to significantly opening up opportunities, for skills training for people experiencing barriers to employment caused by various forms of physical and intellectual disability.
Women empowerment
Honourable members,
On the question of women empowerment we have made great strides by ensuring that women have access to the same opportunities available to their male counterparts within the education system, but we cannot ignore patriarchy related challenges. Women within certain fields of study such as Mathematics and Science and Technology still have to deal with many barriers, cultural stereotypes and attitudes.
As the department, we will support research and other projects and do analysis of the status of women in the post school system so as to establish the level of skills development as well as their participation and contribution to the economy. This will help us come up with clear and relevant policy plans that will ensure that they become full beneficiaries of the post school system and ensure their economic participation.
One practical project that I am impressed with is TECHNO-GIRLS, a South African project aimed at exposing vulnerable young girls from rural and poor families. The output of this project is that girls who have gone through the programme will increase the number of girls in critical and scarce skills, such as engineering, Mathematics and technology.
Collaboration
Chairperson,
Our NSDSIII objectives cannot be realised without collaboration and cooperation with other sister departments and structures of civil society.
Department of Basic Education
Notwithstanding, the split of Higher Education and Training and Basic Education into separate ministries and departments, it is more than ever necessary, for our success, to ensure alignment and closer collaboration between us.
The Deputy Minister of Basic Education and myself lead an interdepartmental liaison committee to deal with amongst others (1) collaboration on the Funza Lushaka Teacher Bursary Scheme (2) the evaluation of Teaching Qualifications (3) teacher development matters (4) Khari Gude and Adult Education and Training (5) Data and information sharing (6) Quality councils and South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) (7) Quality of the basic education qualifications as input to the higher education and training system (8) the Human Resource Development Strategy – South Africa (9) Improving Mathematics and Science (10) The relationship between Technical Colleges and Technical Schools.
Our commitment to teacher training, career guidance and the improvement of the quality of basic education will be intensified. This collaboration is important as it ensures continuity and alignment on education matters.
Department of Health
We also collaborate with the Department of Health on: issues of HIV and AIDS through the South Africa National Aids Council (SANAC); the first things First Campaign which creates HIV and AIDS awareness in Universities and on skills development for the health sector. We have secured R21 million for the current Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) from the national treasury to sustain HIV and Aids programmes.
We welcome the announcement by the Minister on the undoing of the previous merger of Medunsa with the University of Limpopo. We also welcome the establishment of a medical school at the University of Limpopo located in Polokwane. We encourage the respect and observance from all role players to ensure a smooth and seamless process towards an ultimate goal.
Social Development
We continue to work with the Department of Social Development on the training of Social Development professionals and community development workers. We also through the Inter-Ministerial committee for combating alcohol and substance abuse, led by the Minister of Social Development promote education and awareness about the effects of substance abuse.
Honourable members,
Our young people in education and training are most vulnerable to this scourge. At the second Biennial Substance Abuse summit, held on 15 to 17 March 2011 we have committed ourselves to controlling the alcohol value chain from production to consumption and supported a number of resolutions to curb and restrict the use of alcohol by young people who attend or potential attend our institutions.
We also intend setting an example to the public by ensuring that all public educational and training institutions are alcohol free. We would in fact want to go further by extending these restrictions to private education and training institutions.
Correctional Services
We will continue to support the development and care programmes of the Department of Correctional Services. The challenge is huge and unacceptable. It is estimated that, monthly, 43 thousand and six young offenders aged 18 to 24 years in the Republic of South Africa are incarcerated. These are young people who should be rehabilitated through education and training.
Human Resource Development Council (HRDC)
The department is responsible to administer and manage the Human Resource Development Council which is chaired by the Deputy President. This council, consists of stakeholders from organised business, organised labour, relevant government departments, state owned enterprises, researchers and experts in the field. We are very appreciative of the high-level business representation in the council.
Mass mobilisation of communities around skills development
I am sure that members are quite aware of the acronym N.E.E.T which stands for young people between the ages of 18 to 24 Not in Employment, Education of Training and Not disabled. In research done funded by the Ford Foundation it was found that in South Africa some 2.8 million young people between the ages of 18 and 24 were in this category, I am sure that by now this figure is over 3 million.
What is of concern is that half million of these young people have less than a primary education, another half million have a secondary education less than grade 10, a whopping million have either a grade 10 or 11 and 6 hundred thousand a matric without an exemption to enter University. We have a responsibility, to do everything in our power, to provide them with opportunities for education and skills development.
For this we need the support of communities to assist in massifying education and training. We call on NGOs, community based organizations and faith communities to identify venues and programmes to provide these young people with skills.
Let’s emulate the dream of Steve Biko, Mthuli Ka Shezi, Onkgopotse Tiro and others in massifying relevant and effective education. There are also lessons to be learnt from Marcus Garvey’s strategy of empowering the masses through appropriate and relevant multi-cultural education.
Speaking of community involvement let me at this stage acknowledge the presence of Mr Mustafa Eroglu from the Horizon Education Trust, representing the Turkish business community in South Africa, as an example of community contribution through school building projects to education and training.
Support for historically disadvantaged universities
Honourable members, we have to admit that a one size fits all policy of funding our Universities is not effective, especially if we want to redress the decades of underdevelopment in historically disadvantaged institutions, especially those that mostly served Africans. We will deliberatively look at supporting such institutions to take their rightful place in the community of higher education and training. We have to address the fundamental issues in these institutions. I promise to make it a personal mission to look at how these institutions can be sustained.
Conclusion
Chairperson, finally I would like to thank our Minister Dr Blade Nzimande, the Acting Director General, Mr Qonde, the staff of my office and all officials in the Department of Higher Education and Training for their unstinting help and support since my arrival in the department.
Thank you.
