Eastern Cape on Education Summit

16 March 2009

With the provincial education system having been under scrutiny from the
media and various teacher organisations, along with members of society, the
first day of the education summit had everyone nodding and applauding as the
most challenging factor for the sector was thoroughly explored.

Lack of skilled educators, particularly in foundation phase, was singled out
as the most basic challenge that the department faces.

Dissecting the education system whilst addressing a room full of expectant;
people at the East London Education Leadership Institute, Limpopo education MEC
Aaron Motsoaledi insisted that the provincial education system has a chance to
thrive, provided that proper support and training of individuals pursuing the
teaching profession is prioritised.

Laying in contrast the challenges faced by Limpopo and the Eastern Cape,
Motsoaledi highlighted the similarities in the rural state of the provinces,
the uneducated parents and poor matric results.

To this, he said other factors were at play and that lack of resources was
not the main issue. “Is our problem resources? Is it the main problem? No, the
biggest problem we are faced with is developing of human beings. We lack
skills,” he said.

Motsoaledi held that the simple concept of schooling needed no money and
that facilities should contribute to 30% of the school’s success and “the rest
is teaching and learning.”

With South Africa still being regarded as the most advanced country by other
African counterparts, results of a research study conducted two years ago
reflected the country’s education literacy and maths skill as a serious
concern.

The study revealed the literacy and maths levels of South Africa as the
lowest in the entire world with only a mere 6% to 10% of the country’s students
achieving 75% or more, unlike students from developed countries worldwide and
particularly in other African countries.

“The person you call a maths teacher no longer exists in South Africa today
(as a result) we have to look North for quality teachers,” said Motsoaledi.

Reflecting on the impact that the pre-1994 government has had and continues
to have in the education system, Motsoaledi regarded Bantu education as the
main disease affecting the education system.

“The post apartheid African learner is the most abused person in this
country. If you commit a mistake inside a medical operation somebody will die
immediately. We will grieve and mourn and eventually forget. But if you commit
that mistake in the classroom no one will physically die but there will be
living corpses that will affect our economy after 10 to 15 years,” he said.

According to Motsoaledi the “mistakes committed in 1954, are still being
felt by our society today.” To deal with this concern, he urged the provincial
education sector to shape up. To educators he advocated the importance of a
teacher’s presence in class, on time, teaching and making use of the provided
textbooks.

To the education management, he urged for enhancement in the recruitment of
quality teachers and the strengthening of teacher development by going back to
the foundation phase until all the teachers in the foundation phase have had
degree training.

“The problems that emanate in all other departments are the result of our
poor education department. If you’re in a queue waiting to be attended to by a
doctor at a hospital and hours go by without you getting any of the assistance
you went there for, it’s important to realise that the problem is not with the
doctor let alone the health department, but that the problem lies with the
education sector,” he said.

According to Motsoaledi, the education department still had a lot to
achieve, in particular to the “awakening of the arrested human development.” He
said the department needed to take heed in appointing of individuals to
positions they are unqualified for as this would take it nowhere.

“When it comes to finance, infrastructure and engineering services,
information technology and human resource, it is of utmost importance that the
correct and qualified person be appointed for such positions, anything less
would be cause for disaster,” he said.

With the past summits having yielded less to no results, Eastern Cape
Education MEC Mahlubandile Qwase was confident that 2009 year would yield
different outcomes in all spheres of the education department.

Issued by: Department of Education, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
16 March 2009
Source: Department of Education, Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecdoe.gov.za)