Programme director
Superintendent–General, Dr Cassius Lubisi
Officials of the department
Representatives of educator unions
Members of the media
Ladies and gentleman
It is with profound sense of excitement for me to be standing here today in this very significant event of acknowledging and celebrating our educators.
One needs to begin by asserting that for all their positive contribution to the well being and development of the nation; our teachers are not getting recognition that is due to them. This, programme director, is an indictment to all of us, because we are the first to shout from the roof tops and cry foul if we have identified something negative that is done by our educators. If few educators in one school or the other engage in some kind of misdemeanour, we as a society are very quick to paint the entire teaching fraternity with the same brush, hence the significance of this event, where we publicly celebrate and recognise our educators.
Of course programme director, it goes without saying that we do have in our midst, few educators who have caused incalculable and indelible harm to the noble profession of teaching. As a department, we are doing everything to ensure that we do away with this undesirable minority among our dedicated and diligent professionals.
Today’s event though, is dedicated to those educators who despite sometimes very unfavourable conditions serve our learners and the community at large with so much dedication and excellence. Those educators who GO BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY in ensuring that the Republic of South Africa and indeed the province of KwaZulu-Natal continue to thrive in the area of education.
We are aware of the trying conditions that you sometimes have to operate under. We are mindful of your challenges. We know that some of the learners that you educate are not altogether receptive to the kind of value that you intend adding in their lives. We understand the frustration of having to educate a learner whose family has given up on, because of unruly behaviour.
Programme director, it is not pleasant to teach a learner who has a serious problem of drug addiction, yet some our teachers, almost on daily basis, have to be headstrong and invest, even in these problematic ones. Our educators are not particularly trained as social workers, but they find themselves having to play this role.
Some of our schools are not the safest institutions you can wish for, yet with courage, our educators brave the gang infested school surrounding societies and teach our children. They are not particularly trained as law enforcers but sometimes they face situation where they have to be law enforcers themselves.
Our country has a serious challenge of HIV and AIDS. Our educators, on daily basis have to educate distressed learners who have lost parent because of AIDS - where they have to be both parents and teachers to these children. Teaching a 14 year old learner who is the head of a household because of this pandemic is no child’s play programme director. Some of these educators are themselves affected or infected by the pandemic, but they still need to be strong and face the challenges of the classroom.
Despite these and many other challenges, our teachers have remained steadfast and more zealous than ever before. It is this spirit, this steadfastness, this zeal, and this passion, that we are gathered here to recognise and celebrate. We are gathered here to celebrate the tradition that has given birth to your valour – the culture that has given birth to your fortitude and the common history that has given birth to your patriotism.
The Department of Education in the province employs 86 017 educators. This has helped to reduce the learner educator ratio to 30:60 from 34:1 in 2004. However, the generous post provisioning norm, if not arrested and brought in line with national norms, will strangle the Department’s ability to respond to other urgent and pressing quality education needs. We are aware that the above ratio still does not translate to classrooms with 34 learners, and we still have overcrowded classrooms. The issue is not only educator numbers, but infrastructure needs as well as quality of educator qualifications.
The department has in reserve 2420 substitute educator posts and 100 posts for unplanned need that emerge from time to time. Continuous professional development is essential to improving the quality of education and a concerted effort will be made through the Foundation for Learning Programme, to improve the output in the General Education Training band and consequently in the further Education and training band.
In my policy statement when I assumed office in May this year, I mentioned key aspects that are central within education: 1.The classroom, 2. Teaching and learning, 3. Teacher capacity development. This year the department is providing bursaries to 2021 educators who are, either, inappropriately qualified, under qualified or unqualified. 198 principals have been selected to study for an advanced certificate in education management, offered through the department in partnership with the University of KwaZulu-Natal and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. The average cost of this programme is R11 000 per principal per year over a period of two years. We have also employed 600 Teaching Assistants to assist at the foundation phase. These assistant will, in the course of their employment accumulate credits that will enable them to pursue studies in teacher education.
With the appointment of 582 subject advisors, the support for National Curriculum in all phases will be strengthened, so that education outcomes at all levels of the system improves.
Bursaries amounting to R9,3 million have been awarded to 221 educators for study at Higher Education Institutions. Included in this figure are 37 first year out of school youth who are studying in certain scarce skills subjects. R116 292 million has been set aside for learnerships, skills programmes and in-house training and development.
1 372 educators have completed the mathematics Literacy Ace Programme at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and UKZN. 500 additional educators have been enrolled at University of KwaZulu-Natal for the Advanced Certificate in Mathematics Literacy.
The department is also concerned about the safety of learners and educators in schools and to respond to that 2 890 security guards were appointed in 2008 and 90 of those are going to be in schools regarded as hot spots for criminal activities.
It is now common knowledge that education is a major priority of this government. The meeting that the president of the Republic had with schools principals was indicative of our commitment and seriousness in improving the quality of our education. As government we are aware that educators are key if we are serious about meeting our Medium Term Strategy Framework (MTSF). We commit to do everything within our means to ensure that educators do their work in conducive environment – to continuously capacitate our educators and to ensure that we restore the dignity and nobility of the teaching profession.
As we are gathered here, some of our Grade 12 learners are writing their final examination. I wish to take this moment to express our gratitude to those educators who have worked tirelessly in support of these learners for a better performance in these examinations.
We urge all our educators to put the shoulder to the wheel and perform BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Education, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
13 October 2009
Source: Department of Education, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government (http://www.kzneducation.gov.za/)
