programme Director SGB Associations Organised Labour,
Organised Business Chambers Traditional Leaders,
Faith based organisation representative of student bodies all government officials present,
Ladies and gentlemen.
I humble request that we all rise and observe a moment of silence in the loving memory of the founding President of the new South Africa, International icon and Nobel Prize Laureate, u Tata Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela who has since departed.
All rise!!! Silence thank you.
Mphathi wohlelo, angibonge ithuba ongipha lona. Angiqale nje ngibonge ngempumelelo yenu yokuba nibe lapha namuhla, kimina kungiqinisa idolo futhi kubonisa ngokusobala ukuthi loMnyango uzokwazi ukubhekana ngqo nanoma iziphi zinselelo ohlangabezana nazo ukuze kuqhakanjiswe isiko lokufunda nokufundisa eliphilileyo.
Introduction
Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to discuss the concept that is closer to my heart i.e. the Quality Learning and Teaching campaign. Sihlangene lapha ukudingida ngesiko lokufunda nokufundisa elisezingeni eliphakame.
In his first State of the Nation Address in 1994, our now late founding President Nelson Mandela said and I quote: “everyone must re-inculcate the culture of learning and of teaching and make it possible for this culture to thrive”.
Lokhu sikwenzele uTata uMandela owathi enkulumeni yakhe yokuqala njengoMongameli kumele sivuselele isiko lokufunda nokufundisa okuseqopheleni.
In his 2008, January 08 Statement, the then President Thabo Mbeki said, and I quote: “Education must be elevated from being a departmental issue, or even a government issue, to a societal issue – one that occupies the attention and energy of all our people”.
Kanti lowo futhi owayenguMongameli uThabo Mbeki naye wagcizelela ukuthi imfundo akusiyona nje into yeminyango yezemfundo kodwa into yomphakathi wonke.
Making education a societal issue is at the heart of the Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign.
Mbeki said education is fundamental to the achievements of the society envisaged in a Freedom Charter. Speaking about the importance of teachers he said: “Teachers are critical in our important task to ensuring quality education for all children.”
In his 2009 maiden State of the Nation Address President Jacob Zuma said and I quote: “Our teachers must commit to a set of non-negotiables – to be in school on time, in class on time, teaching for at least seven hours, no abuse of learners and no neglect of duty.”
uMongameli uZuma yena uthi othisha kumele bafike esikoleni ngesikhathi, befundise amahora angu seven, bangazihlukumezi izingane futhi banakelele umsebenzi wabo. Similarly, we commit to restore, uphold and promote the status of teaching by improving the remuneration of our teachers as professionals and improving the conditions in which they work.
To demonstrate the seriousness on the importance of education the President recently announced that he had set up the commission to investigate the best remuneration policy for all our teachers. For this announcement the President deserves a big round of applause. I have sketched this introduction to show what we are about today is not a new concept.
The African National Congress (ANC) has been grappling with the issues of how best to improve our schooling system long before it came to power. It came as no surprise that the ANC in exile participated in the Education for All (EFA) campaign - an international initiative first launched in Jomtien, Thailand, in 1990 to bring the benefits of education to “every citizen in every society.”
It became natural thereto that when this initiative was elevated to the level of UN agencies namely UNESCO, the ANC-led Government was among the first signatories to embrace the Education for All campaign.
The key to the Education for All is to ensure that quality is made accessible to all children. In South African this is already a Constitutional injunction. It fits nudgely with other development targets such as the internationally agreed Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
There are six specific education goals for the Education for All campaign – these are:
- Expand and improve comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.
- Ensure that by 2015 all children, particularly girls, those in difficult circumstances, and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to and complete, free, and compulsory primary education of good quality.
- Ensure that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life-skills programs.
- Achieve a 50% improvement in adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults.
- Eliminate gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and achieve gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls' full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality.
- Improve all aspects of the quality of education and ensure the excellence of all so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills.
National Development Plan
Our new development blueprint, the National Development Plan builds on this foundation, and it says: “Education, training and innovation are central to South Africa’s long-term development. They are core elements in eliminating poverty and reducing inequality, and the foundations of an equal society. Education empowers people to define their identity, take control of their lives, raise healthy families, take part confidently in developing a just society, and play an effective role in the politics and governance of their communities’.
Empeleni nje i National Development Plan igxilisa konke lokhu esizimisele ukukufeza kulesikhathi esizayo. Kwi nkomfa yamashumi amahlanu nantathu ye African National Congress eMangaung kwagqama kakhulu ukuthi imfundo eyisisekelo ingumongo nomgogodla kwi NDP. Nomakunjalo ke kodwa angeke lizwele ifuzela lalombono uma izikhayo zezemfundo zizogoqa izandla zibukele nje izinto zonokala.
Challenges
However despite all milestones achieved towards Education for All, challenges remain. The 2009 Education for All South Africa Country Report expresses a deep concern in the performance of the education and training system.
It contends that despite immense efforts and many tangible achievements the system is not yet serving the needs and expectations of the majority of the poor and vulnerable members of South African society. To mitigate this conclusion a plan – Schooling 2025 – that set measurable indicators and outcomes is now in place. This plan also holds everyone in responsible positions, accountable.
Transforming the schooling system – Vision 2025
The education system envisages that by 2025 the following must have been achieved:
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Learners who attend school every day and are on time because they want to come to school, the school is accessible and because they know that if they miss school when they should not, some action is taken. These learners understand the importance of doing their schoolwork, in school and at home, and they know their school will do everything possible to get them to learn what they should. Much learning happens through the use of computers and from Grade 3 onwards all learners are computer literate.
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Part of the reason why learners want to come to school is that they get to meet friends in an environment where everyone is respected, they will have a good meal, they know they can depend on their teachers for advice and guidance, and they are able to participate in sporting and cultural activities organised at the school after school hours.
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Teachers, who have received the training they require, are continuously improving their capabilities and are confident in their profession. These teachers understand the importance of their profession for the development of the nation and do their utmost to give their learners a good educational start in life. They are on the whole satisfied with their jobs because their pay and conditions of service in general are decent and similar to what one would find in other professions.
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A school principal who ensures that teaching in the school takes place as it should, according to the national curriculum, but who also understands his or her role as a leader whose responsibility is to promote harmony, creativity and a sound work ethic within the school community and beyond.
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Parents who are well informed about what happens in the school, and receive regular reports about how well their children perform against clear standards that are shared by all schools. These parents know that if something is not happening as it should in the school, the principal or someone in the department will listen to them and take steps to deal with any problems.
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Learning and teaching materials in abundance and of a high quality. The national Minimum Schoolbag policy, which is widely understood, describes the minimum quantity and quality of materials that every learners must have access to. Computers in the school are an important medium through which learners and teachers access information.
- School facilities that are modern, functional, safe and well maintained. Learners and teachers look after their buildings and facilities because they take pride in their school.
Triple ‘T’ of the Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign (QLTC)
To achieve the expectations by 2025, learning and teaching must change. The Ten Point Plan includes the point that Teachers are to be in class, on time, teaching and making use of textbooks’. This echoes the ‘triple T’ of the Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign (QLTC), a multi-stakeholder campaign, which underlines the importance of ‘teachers, textbooks and time’ in improving education.
Empeleni nje I QLTC ibalula izinto ezintathu – oThisha, izincwandi kanye nokufika ngesikhathi ezikoleni.
The Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign (QLTC) strives to bring into reality the delivery of quality learning and teaching through a collaborative effort between the political parties, Department of Education, Teacher Unions, Association of School Governing Bodies and school governing bodies, Parents, student organisations and learners, traditional leaders, business, communities groups, ELRC, professional bodies including SACE, subject-specific associations and other interested parties inside and outside the education domain.
Ukufa nokuphila kwemfundo yabantwana bethu kulele ezandleni zethu sonke njengoba sihlangene lapha nje. Akumangazi ukubona zonke izakhiwo zilapha kuhlanganisa izinyunyana ezahlune, izinhlangano zama SGB’s, abama bhizinisi izinyunyna zoThisha, izinhlangano zemiphakathi njalo njalo. Lapha sizokhombisa ubunye, sizohlahla indlela ezohanjwa kusukela namuhla kuyaphambili. NjengoMnyango kusinika ithemba lokuthi angeke nangengozi ishabalale imfundo yezingane zethu kulesi sifundazwe sikhona sibhekile.
QLTC envisage a situation where all inclusive QLTC structures will be established to monitor amongst other issues the enforcement of non-negotiable, pledges and other Departmental programmes being implemented.
There should be a provincial education pact, ideally mobilized by the Premier. The pact needs to be built on the idea that all parties stand to gain, but only if all parties are willing to make concessions, all parties need to mobilize those they represent behind the principle.
Parties to the pact should commit themselves to work together to advance the goals of improving the quality of education in South Africa. QLTC is striving to turn all our schools into centers of excellence. QLTC will over and above also monitor the basic functionality of schools anchored on the following pillars:
- Code of conduct for teachers, learners and support staff
- Procedures and mechanism of attending to absenteeism of learners, teachers and support staff
- Sound leadership and management, governance and relationships
- Curriculum roll out plan
- Provisioning and resources ,learner achievement ,
- Policies on school safety & security, Disciplinary procedures
- Communication strategy with Parents and Communities
- Teacher Development roll out plan
In conclusion let us unite as we do right now, there is no other way of celebrating the life of our international icon and struggle stalwart uTata Nelson Mandela other than unity of purpose to achieve a better life for our children. We dare not fail.
Sengiphetha, ngicela abaholi balomkhankaso bame isibindi baqine ukhakhayi, konke kuzokwenzeka. Asibambane ngezandla ukudiliza yonke imithangala edodobalisa ukufunda nokufundisa.
Have a Peaceful, Happy and Safe Festive Season!! I thank you!
Ngiyabonga!
