Free State Department of Education Budget Vote Speech, 2022/23 Delivered by the Honorable MEC, Tate Makgoe (MPL), Raadsaal , Bloemfontein 5 April 2022
Madam Speaker Honourable Premier
Members of the Executive Council Members of the Provincial Legislature Organised Labour
ECD Formations
Our Partners Principals, Teachers and Learners School Governing Bodies
Distinguished Guests Ladies and Gentlemen
The people of the Free State
Madam Speaker, the uniform I am wearing today is from the school called Lekgulo Secondary School in Matebeleng Village, Qwa Qwa. In the 2021 NSC results, the school obtained an impressive 100% pass rate and 74.1%. bachelors. In Mathematics the school got 92.4% pass rate. We are indeed proud of not only Lekgulo Secondary School but the entire Grade 12 Class of 2021.
Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to present the Free State Department of Education Budget Vote 6. The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt the education system a major blow, especially for poor and vulnerable learners.
In March 2020, South Africa, like most countries, went into a total lockdown. Schools were closed. We were unprepared for this. We lost teachers, support staff, officials and learners. But we have also learnt new ways of doing business. We were forced to build an emergency remote- learning system almost immediately. This threw the spotlight on access to digital devices, connectivity, having a quiet place to work and we were faced with the problem of stubborn inequality.
As we are in the middle of the term of this current administration, we celebrate the effort made in the basic education sector toward improving learning outcomes.
As we approach the remaining period of the 6th administration we realise the need to accelerate progress toward meeting the commitment made. We are intensely aware of the existing challenges facing the sector, further exacerbated by the effects of COVID-19. These include addressing issues of learning losses, strengthening care and support, quality and efficiency as well as equipping the system to meet the demand of the 21 century as we are into the Fourth Industrial Revolution with its many opportunities and challenges.
The 2022/2023 budget vote will therefore delve into the theme: ‘Equipping learners with knowledge and skills for changing the world within the context of Covid-19.’
In her closing remarks at the 2022 Basic Education Lekgotla Sector Lekgotla held in January, Basic Education Minister, Honorable Angie Motshekga implored all education stakeholders to work together to reboot, rejig, recalibrate and reposition the sector to withstand whatever pandemic and or life-threatening challenges we may face in the future.
The power to reboot education lies within all of us. Our successes are dependent on all departmental officials, teachers, trade unions, learners, parents, SGBs, faith-based organisations, business and community members committing to the ‘Code for Quality Education.’
The recent incidents of bullying, racism, violence and other antisocial behaviour in our schools do not only undermine the fundamental values and principles of the
Constitution and efforts made towards social cohesion and nation-building but also destabilise the very essence of the quality learning process.
Last month we launched the Anti Bullying and Anti Racism Campaign in our schools. This is to create safe schools that encourage respect for human rights, support the full personal development of each learner and contribute to the moral, social, cultural, political and economic development of the nation at large.
The objective of this campaign is also to develop young people who can restore the value of Ubuntu in our schools and communities – by promoting dignity and respect, breaking the walls that separate us and, based on the principles of justice, solidarity and reconciliation, reinforce cohesion and a sense of belonging.
PRESIDENTIAL YOUTH EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVE (PYEI)
Madam Speaker, we are pleased to announce that phase 3 of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI) in the Basic Education Sector has commenced on 1 April 2022. This project will proceed with the current cohort of phase two who meet the requirements of the project.
As you know, phase 2 of the PYEI in the province has been implemented in November 2021. The Free State Department of Education has appointed 15 309 education assistants and general school assistants.
While serving the educational interest, the main aim of PYEI is to provide employment opportunities to young people who are 18 – 35 years old and to save SGB posts at fee-paying schools and posts at government subsidised independent schools.
During the first phase, 114 applications were approved to save jobs from 28 Independent Schools, 2 Public Special Schools, 25 Quintile 1 to 3 Schools and 59 Quintile 4 & 5 (fee-paying) Schools. A total of 1 472 (one thousand four hundred and seventy two) jobs were saved by this initiative.
CAPACITY BUILDING OF SCHOOL GOVERNING BODIES
Madam Speaker, School Governing Bodies (SGBs) are democratically elected, consisting of parents of learners, the school principals, educators, non-educator staff, learners in Grade 8 and higher and co-opted members. Their purpose is to ensure that schools are run in an effective, efficient and cooperative manner to provide a quality learning process.
In 2021, we successfully administered SGB elections in all our public schools in the province. Newly elected SGB members were inducted into their roles and responsibilities as required by Section 19 of the South African Schools Act (SASA), 1996 ( Act 84 of 1996).
The SGBs’ knowledge and understanding of their roles and responsibilities, and the type of training they receive have a marked effect on their functionality.
In the 2022/23 financial year, we will train all SGBs in all public schools. Training will focus on amongst others, the following areas:
- Policies implied by the SASA
- Meetings of the SGB and its committees
- Maintenance and procurement of school assets Financial planning and management
- The role of SGBs in supporting curriculum delivery Recruitment and selection
SOUTH AFRICAN CHORAL EISTEFOD (SASCE) COMPETITION
Madam Speaker, we call on all schools in the province to participate in the South African Schools Choral Eisteddfod (SASCE) Competition. The closing date for submission of the entry forms to the districts is 11 April 2022.
The competition seeks to promote choral music in primary, combined, secondary and farm schools. It also aim to unearth hidden talent and explore music career opportunities.
The competition will restore, create and honor the culture of learning and teaching in our schools through a properly organized, managed and coordinated school music competition.
The provincial SASCE competition will be held in May where the best choirs in the districts will battle for a provincial win and later represent the province in the national competition.
2022/23 BUDGET ALLOCATION
Madam Speaker, the Free State Department of Education’s allocated budget in the 2022/23 financial year is R17 293 137 000 (seventeen billion two hundred and ninety-three million, one hundred thirty-seven thousand rands). In the 2021/22 financial year, it was R16.279.687.000 (Sixteen billion two hundred seventy-nine million, six hundred and eighty-seven thousand rands). This is an increase of 6.2%.
ECD FUNCTION SHIFT
Madam Speaker, let me use this platform to update the people of the Free State on the Early Childhood Development Function Shift from the Department of Social Development (DSD) to the Department of Education (DBE) which has taken effect from 1 April 2022.
At the recent provincial ECD Function Shift Summit held in Bloemfontein on the 24th of March 2022, in my capacity as MEC for Education in the province, I officially accepted the ECD functions listed in Chapter 5 (which focuses on partial care) and Chapter 6 of the Children’s Act, No 38 of 2005 from my Social Development counterpart, Honorable MEC Qabathe with great enthusiasm.
Madam Speaker, the decision to move ECD functions from the Department of Social Development to the Department of Education is informed by the recommendations of the 5th ANC National Policy Conference which was held in 2017. It is at this National Policy
Conference that the ruling party reaffirmed its commitment to the upliftment of the lives of all South Africans through education.
This commitment was further illustrated during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) in 2019 when he announced: “We have established a firm foundation for a comprehensive ECD programme that is an integral part of the education system” and “we will migrate responsibility our ECD centres from Social Development to the Department of Basic Education, and proceed with the process towards two years of compulsory ECD for all children before they enter grade 1”. At the centre of this function shift, is reinvigorating the Basic Education Sector to position it as a catalyst in addressing our triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment. This will be achieved by providing quality early learning from birth to 4 years (early age) which is based on the principles of Play-Based Learning.
Madam Speaker, the function shift has seen about 1 345 funded ECD centres in the Free State being migrated from the DSD to the DBE. A total of 64 officials, which include social workers, social auxiliary workers, infrastructure technicians and administrative personnel have been transferred to the Department of Education and were warmly welcomed.
According to Section 33 of the Public Finance Management Act (1 of 1999) “where functions are transferred between departments, funds and/or resources must follow”.
We can confirm that this is currently being done to facilitate the process of the ECD function shift. The DBE will be responsible for paying the subsidies exactly the same as the DSD has been doing. Over the next two years, we will however be reviewing the subsidy model to determine whether it is still the best way to support ECD programmes.
As both the DSD and DBE, we are committed to making sure that the transition occurs without disrupting the delivery of ECD services in the province because all our children deserve love, care and quality ECD.
All ECD centres will be inducted on the expectations of the department.
PRE GRADE R
Madam Speaker, the migration of ECD provides us with an opportunity to craft and implement innovative strategies to strengthen foundational learning, looking at the continuum from birth to early grades.
To this end in the 2022/23 financial year, a total of R3.057 million (three million, and fifty seven thousand rands) has been set aside for training of three Grade R Practitioners who are at ECD Site.
About 1 000 pre-grade R practitioners will be trained in the National Curriculum Framework (NCF). We will also distribute NCF documents to 2 500 practitioners.
Another cohort of 1 000 practitioners will be trained on how to use toy libraries to ensure that children learn through play. About 200 centres will receive educational toys.
In addition, 200 pre-grade R practitioners from Motheo, Xhariep and Thabo Mofutsanyane District will be up-skilled towards NQF Level 4.
GRADE R
In this financial year, funding for Grade R in public schools and ECD centres is R294.003 million (two hundred and ninety four and three thousand rands) and R12. 012 million (twelve million and twelve thousand rands) respectively.
These allocations will be used to strengthen and fast track the universalisation of grade R in the province. Our focus will be on building capacity of educators in this sector by:
- Upskilling 300 grade R practitioners and absorbing 290 fully and relevantly qualified grade R practioneers.
- Training of 1 000 grade R teachers on subject content knowledge and pedagogy
- Supplying 90 primary schools with grade R outdoor equipments.
GRADE 1 – 7
Madam Speaker, our targets for the 2022 academic year in grades 1- 7 are as follows:
- Grade 1 – 3, 100% pass rate with an average performance of 75% Grade 4 – 7, 95% pass rate with an average pass rate of 70%.
In our endeavour to achieve our target and equip Grade 1 – 7 learners with the knowledge, skills and competencies of a changing world in the context of COVID-19, the following interventions will be implemented in the 2022/23 financial year:
- Equip 450 Grade 1-3 teachers with literacy skills
- Provide four Readalot Bulletins to grade 4-7 learners
- Support 13 schools that are currently piloting the use of African Reading Manuals to develop creative writing and reading with understanding
- Train 500 grade 1-3 teachers on Fraction Tools and Ten Frames Provide resouces such as Lego Bricks, blocks and ten frames as well as mathematics manipulatives to 46 primary schools to benefit grade R-3 learners
- Support 100 Departmental Heads of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Technology in Subject Management and Leadership Provide Natural Sciences Mobile Labs for 180 primary schools.
We also plan to conduct the Provincial Mental Maths Championships and Language Festival in September 2022 where grade 3 learners from all districts will be showcasing their literacy and numeracy abilities by participating in competitions such as Spelling BEE, Story Book Writing, Story Telling and Mental Maths.
The Entrepreneurship, Employability and Education programme which aims to equip learners with the skills needed for the future world of work, will be implemented in 70 primary and 60 secondary schools across the province.
Early Learning National Assessment (ELNA)
The Early Learning National Assessment (ELNA) will be administered from 11 April to 13 May 2022 in Grade 1. The main purpose of ELNA is to determine Grade 1 learners’ state of readiness. The study provides information about learners who come from ECD, assessing how much work was done to prepare learners to enter Grade 1 as their first year of schooling.
SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Madam Speaker, in the last few years we have taken several initiatives to advance an agenda of equipping learners with relevant 21-century skills and enabling a greater up-take of work-related and entrepreneurial competencies.
These include conceptualising a competency-based curriculum, piloting technical and vocational subjects that feature in a 3-stream model, drafting a recovery plan to recover, reboot and rejig the system, drawing on modern information communication technologies (ICTs) and blended learning platforms to ensure that the relevant learning outcomes are achieved and improved.
However, the disruption to normal schooling, rotational classes and learning under COVID-19 conditions has posed challenges and constraints on curriculum coverage, learning loss and teacher-learner wellbeing that need to be addressed through creative and innovative solutions.
Commendably, since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to source funds to address these challenges.
The 2021/22 financial year, marked the second year of implementation of our 3-year plan wherein we were able to procure laptops for 18 officials providing support to curriculum delivery, 14 teachers who won NTA, data projectors for 30 EGD teachers, tablets for 1 690 grade 12 learners offering Mathematics and Physical Sciences.
These ICT gadgets play an essential role in the mediation of the Recovery Annual Teaching Plan (ATPs) and in conducting virtual meetings to support curriculum delivery and other critical services amidst the COVID- 19 pandemic.
Our 2022 plans to reboot secondary schools are as follows:
To achieve the ideals of equipping learners with knowledge, skills and competencies of a changing world in the context of COVID-19, the following interventions will be implemented in secondary schools.
• Grade 8 and 9 learners in all Agricultural Schools will be introduced to the planting of seedlings and eventually harvesting crops in partnership with a Dutch company called Rijk Zwaan. The partnership aims to teach learners about food security
• We will provide 14 agricultural schools with tunnels for the realisation of this project's objectives
• As part of the provincial reading strategy, all grade 8 and 9 learners will be supplied with printed readers in the Home Languages and English FAL
• In improving performance in Home Languages, a pilot will be introduced in 70 quintile 1 schools this year. These schools will be supplied with English and Sesotho reading packages to be used during a reading period
• All CAT and IT schools with grade 9 classes will be sampled to participate in the pilot training towards obtaining ICDL certificates
• A special support program will be implemented to support grade 10- 12 Mathematics and Physical Sciences.
General Education Certificate (GEC)
As mentioned by the Honorable Minister Motshekga during the announcements of the 2021 Grade 12 results, the General Education Certificate (GEC) will be piloted in several sampled schools in the province. The GEC is going to be written by learners in Grade 9 only. This will give Grade 9 learners and schools the tools to identify different skills and knowledge that will help them to choose the correct stream to follow in the FET Band (Grade 10). Learners will choose from the academic, occupational and vocational streams, in line with their future career paths.
TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL STREAM
Madam Speaker, the recent study on teacher supply and demand conducted by three Stellebosch University researchers revealed that only 8% of the historically disadvantaged pupils study at least one technical subject in schools compared to 56% of all white pupils. The study which was done on behalf of the National Planning
Commission (NPC) also found that 6.6% of quintile 1 – 3 schools offered Engineering, Graphics Design and Computer Application Technology compared with 23.1%of former model C schools.Clearly, we need to close this gap between the poor schools and the suburban schools. Curriculum must be inclusive to all learners. All schools must be appropriately resourced to enable the teaching of the 21 century skills.
To address the skill deficit in technical and vocational education among the youth and to prepare our learners to participate fully in the economy of our country, the department has identified three schools in the Xhariep District that will be provided with technical workshops. These schools are: Wongalethu in Bethulie, Boaramelo in Jagersfontein and Reikaeletse in Koffiefontein at an estimated cost of R53 million (fifty three million rands). The workshops will offer the following subjects: Automotive, EGD, and Civil Technology. Construction is expected to start in 2022.
Learners in the Technical Vocational Stream will receive materials to complete their Practical Assessment Tasks (PATs) to ensure that they acquire the necessary knowledge and skills needed for the world of work and further learning. Monitoring the use of workshop equipment remains a priority.
PILOTING THE TECHNICAL OCCUPATIONAL CURRICULUM IN THE TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS
Madam Speaker, five technical schools and five agricultural schools will continue to pilot the Occupational Curriculum. These schools replaced two subjects in grade 8 (Creative Arts, Technology or EMS) with two subjects from Civil Technology, Electrical Technology and Mechnical Techonology in the Occupational Curriculum. These subjects will increase the participation rate in grade 10 as learners will have acquired the requisite skills needed in the subsequent grades.
CODING AND ROBOTICS
Our learners are prepared to actively participate in the 4th Industrial Revolution by being exposed to solving problems, thinking critically, functioning in a digital and information-driven world through Coding and Robotics.
Learners who learn how to code today will develop a better logical, computationa and analytical.
In the previous financial year we provide laptops to 150 teachers in 111 Primary Schools who are currently piloting Coding and Robotics.
2021 NATIONAL TEACHING AWARDS
Recognising and acknowledging the best performing teachers is critical to us.
In the 2021 National Teaching Awards (NTA), our teachers participated in 14 categories. The Free State achieved position 1 at national level in the following categories:
CATEGORY NAME School
Best Learner Award - Nhlakanipho Lindokuhle Lesedi Nkosi - Tlotlanang Secondary School- Motheo
Excellence in Grade R Teaching - Ms Nneheng Thamae - Meqheleng Primary School: Thabo Mofutsanyana
Excellence in Physical Science Teaching - Mr Awonke Tshefu - Unicom Agricultural School – Motheo
The following educators from our province obtained position 2.
CATEGORY NAME School
S/Hero Award - Dr. Thabo France Sithole - Philippolis Secondary School : Xhariep
Excellence in Secondary school Leadership - Mr Jerry Bongane Mokoena - Kgolathuto Secondary School: Thabo Mofutsanyana
We take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to all the teachers who have participated in this initiative since its inception.
We plan on strengthening the implementation of the Teacher Appreciation and Support Programme (TASP) which entails our efforts to appreciate our teachers without whom we would not achieve what we achieve as the Free State. Through this programme, we will also provide support to our teachers to enable them to deal with challenges they are confronted with daily.
GRADE 12 CLASS OF 2021
Madam Speaker, the Class of 2021 was the biggest cohort ever that sat for the NCS examination in the Free State. The 35 052 candidates who wrote, represents 96.3% of the registered candidates and although we had two difficult years of learning and teaching due to the pandemic, they still scored an outstanding 85.7% pass percentage. This truly reflects the momentum of continued dedication to supporting candidates at all levels.
- Their performance makes us extremely proud, given that they were the third class in a row to put the Free State in the number ONE position. It is also worth mentioning that the NUMBER ONE position was achieved 6 times in the last 9 years since the advent of the NSC in 2008.
- The TOP 10 districts in the country include FOUR of our districts. This is a truly remarkable achievement.
- The Free State outperformed all other provinces in 21 subjects for the first time in our history.
- We are the only province that obtained a pass rate of above 80% in the Life Sciences and in Geography.
Madam Speaker, our targets for the 2022 Academic Year for the FET Phase are as follows:
- Grade 12, 90% pass rate with 50% bachelor pass
- Grades 10 – 11, 88% pass rate with 35% bachelor pass
- Grades 8 – 9, 90% pass rate with an average pass of 65%.
Inclusivity
Madam Speaker, the Free State Department of Education is embarking on a drive to an education system that is more inclusive, giving parents who do not have the financial means to send their kids to specialised
schools, an entry into mainstream schools with the guarantee that they will be given the same care as learners without barriers in these schools.
Genevieve Croeser enrolled at Parys High School in grade 8 in 2017. She was at the time of enrollment able to read Braille. To the best of my knowledge, she is the first blind learner to be accommodated in an ordinary mainstream school which must be a breakthrough for education in the Free State as well as in the country.
The dedicated staff created teaching methods and materials that she could use and understand. She achieved FIVE distinctions in the 2021 NCS exams. Genevieve is living proof that adverse circumstances should be no excuse for someone to excel. Her success is the result of cognitive excellence and sustained effort.
South African Sign Language (Home Language)
The Class of 2021 was the fourth cohort to be introduced to South African Sign Language (Home Language), written by 127 candidates nationally.
In the Free State, we had one candidate in Bartemea and eight candidates in Thiboloa offering Sign Language as a Home Language. All of them passed with a remarkable average of 56.6%.
NATIONAL SCHOOL NUTRITION PROGRAMME (NSNP)
Madam Speaker in the 2022/23 financial year, the NSNP has been allocated R488.785 million (four hundred and eighty eight million and seven hundred and eighty five thousand rands).
The feeding costs will increase in line with the DoRA prescripts. In 2022/23 the NSNP beneficiaries in the Free State are approved at 606 148 (six hundred and six thousand and one hundred and forty eight) learners that will benefit from this programme and the creation of work opportunities will be extended to 3 412 (three thousand and four hundred and twelve) Volunteer Food Handlers (VFHs) and 120 NSNP Assistants.
The NSNP also provides work opportunities to Volunteer Food Handlers in all NSNP schools and NSNP Assistants in selected schools under the auspice of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). The unemployed parents of learners are appointed as Volunteer Food Handlers (VFHs) to prepare meals for learners. In line with a food handler to learner ratio of 1:200 on an approved sliding scale, 3 412 VFHs were appointed for 12 months, and they received a stipend of R1 566 (one thousand five and fifty six rands) per person per month according to the approved rate for EPWP participants.
Through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) has been granted the opportunity in the 2021/22 financial year to engage NSNP Assistants (NSNPAs) in 113 of the 828 schools that implement the NSNP. The objective of the NSNP Assistants is to support the school administratively to ensure greater adherence to the prescripts of the NSNP Conditional Grant and to ensure that NSNP Coordinators at NSNP schools focus on teaching and learning.
We seize this opportunity, Madam Speaker, to congratulate Thaba Primary School in Thabo Mofutsanyana for scooping the first position nationally in the 2021/22 NSNP
Best School and District Awards held on 29 March 2022 in Pretoria. We are indeed providing ‘ safer meals for better education.’
EDUCATION INFRASTRUCTURE
New infrastructure, upgrades and additional facilities at existing schools
Madam Speaker, for the new infrastructure which involve construction of new schools and hostels we spend R181, 469 million and R186, 660 million in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 financial year respectively. In the 2022/23 financial year R375, 271 million has been set aside for the same purpose.
For upgrades and provision of additional facilities in our schools, R260, 596 million and R297, 440 million, we spend in 2020/21 and 2021/22 financial year respectively.
In the 2022/23 financial year, R360 million have been set aside to provide schools with additional facilities such as ablution facilities, grade R classes, nutrition centres and laboratories. This is to ensure that Minimum
Norms and Standards for school infrastructure are complied with.
School of Autism
As previously committed, the department will convert Lourierpark Intermediate School into a School for Autism. The first phase was completed in June 2021 at a cost of R11.5 million (eleven million and five hundred thousand rands). The second phase is at the planning stage and is expected to be handed over for procurement this year.
New Hostel Projects
The department is building the following school hostels to focus on improving accommodation needs for learners with special needs and farm school learners:
School Name District Status
1 Leboneng Special school Hostel - Lejweleputswa - 76% Complete
2 Breda Primary School - Thabo Mofutsanyana - 58% Complete
3 Dr. Blok Secondary school Hostel - Motheo - 78% Complete
4 Oranjekrag primary school hostel - Xhariep - Site Handed Over
5 Boitumelong special school - Motheo - Procurement Stage
6 Trompsburg special school hostel - Xhariep - Procurement Stage
Asidi
Madam Speaker, we are proud to announce that out of 31 schools that were built with inappropriate material, 30 schools have been fully completed.
EPWP Factotums and Cleaners
Through good performance and consistency, the department has once again qualified to receive the Expanded Public Works Programme grant for the 2022 financial year. The programme will be implemented in the Xhariep District where factotums and cleaners will be appointed to intensify the cleaning of schools as well as attend to minor maintenance work.
For upgrades and provision of additional facilities in our schools R260, 596 million and R297, 440 million we spend in 2020/21 and 2021/22 financial year respectively.
In the 2022/23 financial year, R360 million (three hundred and sixty million rands) have been set aside to provide schools with additional facilities such as ablution facilities, grade R classes, nutrition centres and laboratories. This is to ensure that Minimum Norms and Standards for school infrastructure are complied with.
HANDING OVER OF PROJECTS TO IMPLEMENTING AGENTS
The department will in future handle Infrastructure Delivery Management System (IDMS) stage 1 up to stage 4 internally and only hand-over projects to Implementing Agents to handle stage 5 (construction stage) onwards. This process will assist in curbing unnecessary excessive architectural design costs even in repetitive designs and also encourage creativity.
Furthermore, the department will have different prototypes for different age groups or phases of the schools.
Safety of our learners and teachers in schools is of paramount importance. Foundation phase learners should always be monitored by the school principals.
Due to declining national fiscus (budget), the department will ensure that there is value for money through this process of taking over designs of new schools without delaying service delivery.
CONCLUSION
Madam Speaker, as I conclude, I wish to assure this august house and the people of the province that we are committed to recalibrate, reboot and reposition schooling in our province.
Madam Speaker, let me take this opportunity to thank the Premier, Executive Council, Members of the Education Portfolio Committee,
Mayors, Executive Mayors, our social partners, SGBs and teacher unions for their continued guidance and cooperation.
We are much obliged to our social partner, NEMISA, for training 202 subject advisors in Basic Digital Training programme. This will enable learning and teaching to take place even during disruptive periods adversely affecting normal schooling.
Our gratitude also go to Dot Za domain (ZADNA) for partnering with us in connecting 35 Thabo Mofustanyan District chools to a za.domain to facilitate easy communication between schools, teachers learners and parents.
As we are wrapping our partnership with KT and KST at the end of this year, we convey our hearfelt gratitude to these NGOs, for their commitment and overwhelming support to our project of delivering quality basic education and equipping learners with knowledge and skills for a changing world.
Let me also recognise our teachers who are at the coalface of basic education delivery. What our teachers do at school level is what matters most as they prepare learners not only for current challenges but also for opportunities of the future and the changing world of work.
Thank you my organisation, the ANC, for continuing to make basic education priority number one.
My gratitude also extends to all officials of the Free State Department of Education under the able leadership of HOD, Advocate Tsoarelo Malakoane, for their tremendous hard work and dedication.
I also salute the Honourable Members of this House for their ongoing hard work in ensuring that education is, and always will be, a societal priority.
I thank my wife, Ivy, my daughters Palesa and Maki and my son, Junior, for their loving support and for putting up with me throughout my career. I really thank them for being patient with me as I juggle many revolutionary projects in my political life. I thank them for giving me space and time to focus on the ever-changing priorities of each day, I am so fortunate to have their love and acceptance
Finally, to all comrades, colleagues and friends, let us build a solid post- COVID-19 social compact where everyone will take responsibility for their sphere of influence.
I, thank you.
