Your Excellencies, Honourable Inkosi uMbomvu
Induna uDanisa
Mayor Sikhakhane
MEC for Agriculture and Environmental Affairs Dr Meshack Radebe
Councillor uNdlovu
Community of Msinga
Ladies and
Gentlemen,
I feel honoured and deeply touched to be part of this remarkable event. The opening of this school is a matter that is close to my heart because children and youth education are at the top of the ANC led government's list of priorities.
We can only make a better life for all South Africans if our young people get the skills and the training that we need to make our economy grow and make our democracy work. That is why the ANC initiated Vision 2030 the National Development Plan (NDP) makes basic education for all children an apex priority.
It should be remembered that in 1994, we inherited an education system that discriminated against black people especially in rural areas. We have since replaced the segregated apartheid education system that discriminated people on the basis of their skin colour. Our new system of education inculcates the ethos of non-racialism, non-sexism and inclusiveness. Our end goal is to offer universal free and compulsory primary and secondary education.
We have made progress in this regard – twice as many students today attend university and graduate - three quarters are now African.
We have added a year of schooling to prepare children (Grade R) for grueling formal education. The matric pass rate is up from 57 percent in 1994 to 75 percent in 2012. Seven million children get fed nutritious meals daily at school. In KwaZulu-Natal alone in this financial year (2013/14), there are over two million (2, 235,485) learners in 5275 schools that are benefiting from the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP). Over 60 percent of state schools charge no fees.
In KwaZulu-Natal alone since 2004, we have replaced several mud schools. We have built in excess of 61 new schools. We have built an additional 11 196 standard classrooms, 29 259 toilets, rehabilitated 1667 schools, built 892 multipurpose classrooms, installed 1181 mobile classrooms, built 281 computer rooms, 229 media rooms, 331 laboratories, built 641 administration blocks, and 5630 schools now have access to clean water. We have also built 148 kitchens where there was a great need such services. We have also improved security through fencing some 148 schools. Some 140 boreholes have been provided in areas where water is scarce.
The Department of Education has portfolio of 3410 projects in the current Infrastructure Programme Management Plan. The total commitment of these projects is over R13 billion over the MTEF period.
Let me take this opportunity to report that we have identified 147 projects that were experiencing challenges as a result of contractors defaulting on sites. On the 27th June 2013 meeting with the Finance Portfolio Committee, we indicated that 36 of the 147 projects were outstanding. At present 17 of the 36 projects have been resolved and new contractors were appointed on the 1st November 2013.
I also wish to announce that to accelerate progress in problematic projects we have established a Crack Team this week. The terms of reference were distributed by Provincial Treasury and returned by consultants on 25 October 2013. The Crack Team will ensure that all problematic projects are resolved by the end of this financial year, 31 March 2014.
Today is a special day, as we replace yet another mud school. The uKubuyakwezwe Primary School was built in 2005 as a mud school to accommodate the burgeoning learner numbers in this community.
The new uKubuyakwezwe Primary School that we are unveiling today boasts nine classrooms, a dining hall, administration block, a library, kitchen, 18 toilets, pump water and a vegetable garden. The school will accommodate 321 learners starting with Grade R to Grade seven. The ANC led KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government invested R10 783 000 in this facility alone.
Our immediate plans as the ANC led government is to gradually introduce free education up to undergraduate level. We will continue to test all Grade 3, 6 and 9 learners each year to measure improvement and identify problems. We want to ensure that all teachers are in class on time, teaching at least seven hours a day and that all schools have textbooks.
Although, it is tall order, we plan to eradicate mud schools and improve ablution facilities, provide electricity and water to all schools. According to the National Basic Education Department’s programme an additional 150 new schools will be delivered to communities by 2015.
We are on course in terms of training more teachers through our bursary scheme so that we can get more qualified teachers to rural areas as quickly as the system allows. In this regard, we have developed a national service-linked bursary scheme for teacher education students (Funza Lushaka). For 2013 a staggering amount of some R892 million has been allocated for this scheme.
In terms of post matric, we intend to improve student finance and accommodation to enable poor students to complete at least an undergraduate degree/diploma. In this regard, allocation to universities and further education and training (FET) colleges has increased from R2.4 billion in 2008 to over R7.7 billion in 2012, increasing to R8 billion in 2013.
We intend to double the number of students in technical education especially FET colleges. Currently, bursaries to students in FET colleges increased from R100 million in 2007 to well over R1.9 billion in 2013.
Our Vision 2013, the National Development Plan (NDP) says all children shall have access to decent and formal education. If our education system is to produce the capable, skilled and empowered people who can turn South Africa into the just and prosperous nation of our dreams, we must overcome the years of neglect which left most of our children without proper facilities for their education.
I am therefore proud to officiate at the opening of the uKubuyakwezwe Primary School. It is well-named because uKubuyakwezwe means the return of a country equivalent to the dawn of freedom.
Partnership between Government and communities are critical in the development of our country. No one sector on its own, least of all government can succeed in ensuring that we do improve the quality of life of our people. I therefore urge all members of this community to look after these beautiful facilities. I urge teachers and learners to commit themselves to education and to ensure discipline in this school.
You must make uKubuyakwezwe Primary School work for you. Parents and communities must participate in the education of their children through school governing bodies. Our traditional leaders also have a role to play. Such a partnership will help
eradicate the problem of crime and violence that has recently become prevalent. The proper and fruitful partnership will help turn our children into the engineers, scientists, teachers, lawyers, and business leaders that our country needs.
I also congratulate the school governing body, the principal and the entire school, as well as the uMsinga community on their upgraded school. Please cherish and treasure it, because it belongs to you. Make good use of it. We expect to have leaders of tomorrow out of this school.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I now declare the uKubuyakwezwe Primary School officially open for business.
I thank you.
