Speech by Mrs Angie Matsie Motshekga, MP, in support of the 2019 SONA in a joint sitting of the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa, Tuesday, 12 February 2019
Speaker of the National Assembly, and the Chairperson of the NCOP,
His Excellency, the President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa,
Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, and Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Premiers and Speakers of Provincial Legislatures,
Chairperson of SALGA, and all Executive Mayors present
Heads of Chapter 9 Institutions,Chairperson of the National House of Traditional Leaders,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Honourable Members, Invited Guests, and Fellow South Africans,
Let me join all the people who have welcomed the President’s 2019 State of the Nation’s adress. Clearly, this moment in our history, particularly the exciting opportunities –demands rethinking and re-imagining of traditional approaches to our work.
Since the dawn of democracy, as the ruling party, we constantly remind ourselves that the top most priority for the ANC led government was to establish a single, unified, democratic education system based on human rights values, principles and cultures.
In the past 25 years on an ongoing basis we have been putting in place transformative legislation, policies and programs to ensure the realization of transformative reforms envisaged by government. The results of government reforms and developments over these years can be seen in outcomes which have improved on virtually all measures.
Ba na leng mahlo baiponetse, mme ba na leng ditsebe le bona ba ile baikutlwele ka mesebetsi ya mmuso wa ANC
We wish to thank you Mr President, for recognising the performance of the sector as evidenced by steady improvements in the matric results, since this is one of the key barometers we use to evaluate progress in improving access, redress, equity, inclusivity, efficiency and quality.
On the other hand, honourable members, in terms of measuring performance in other grades, we are pleased to inform this house and the nation that the previous instrument used for assessment in lower grades, the Annual National Assessment( ANA) has now been reconceptuslised as the National Assessment Framework (NIAF) comprising three tiers, namely systemic assessment, diagnostic and summative assessments.
The systemic assessment which is sample based assessment administered in grades 3, 6 and 9 once every three years was piloted in 2018. Consultations on the other two instruments are continuing
Two weeks ago, the department convened the annual Basic Education Sector Lekgotla – the fifth, since the inception of our Sector Makgotla, which was officially opened by President Ramaphosa. It was attended by more than 600 domestic and international experts, scholars and leaders.
This lekgotla resolved that we should
(a) continue to strengthen the foundations of learning, particularly in the early grades; and continuously consolidate the positive gains in the Sector’s reading and numeracy strategies;
(b) strengthen systematic rollout inclusive assessment of learners, to ensure that what learners know, is systematically assessed;
(c) intensify the roll-out of ICTs for the development of the knowledge, skills and competencies for a changing world and the 4th Industrial Revolution, especially the introduction of Coding and Robotics in the early years of schooling;
(d) ensure that the Sector’s work to develop teachers’ content mastery, skills and competencies to manage the demands of the competence-based curriculum is strengthened;
(e) strengthen the ongoing implementation of the Three-Stream Curriculum Model, especially the flexibility, articulation and portability of learning programmes, and accelerate the introduction of the General Education Certificate (GEC) after the successful completion of Grade 9; and
(f) ensure that the Sector does not leave out the African narrative in our competence-based curriculum. Therefore the decolonisation of our system, should not be about sloganeering, but must be a catalyst of conscious activism.
As can be noted in the following directives on education from SONA, there is synergy between the resolutions of the education lekgotla, the ANC manifesto and the President’s directives. The President in SONA called us to
(a) buttress of the foundations of learning, especially in the early grades, accompanied by the systemic assessment of what the learners know;
(b) phase in the migration of an intergrated Early Childhood Development
(c) strengthen the knowledge, skills and competencies for a changing world and the 4th Industrial Revolution; and
(d) accelerate the rollout of the Sanitation Appropriate for Education (SAFE) Initiative & appropriate and safe school infrastructure
On the Foundations of learning, especially with regards to the early grades, and assessment, The President made an important observation about the importance of improving reading comprehension in the first years of school.
As a sector, we have repeatedly stated the reality that the internal efficiency of the system and quality basic education outcomes can only be achieved through specific and deliberate interventions in the early grades. We are specifically expending our energies in the foundations of learning, because research shows that amongst the major root causes of failure and drop-out rates towards the end of secondary schooling, are weak learning foundations in the early grades, especially in literacy and numeracy.
The department through the ongoing interventions, such as the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA), the Early Grade Reading Study (EGRS), and theRead to Lead Campaign have been working hard to ensure that our learners in the Foundation Phase can be equipped with the foundational skills needed to cope with the curriculum requirements of the higher grades, as well as the requisite knowledge, skills and competencies for a changing world. We welcome governments commitment to resourcing the reading programs further
I’m pleased to announce that this coming Friday, the 15 of February, government in partnership with civil society, coordinated by the National Education Collaboration Trust under the leadership of Mr Sizwe Nxasana and his board members, its business partners, NGO, academics and our reading ambassadors will be launching the National Reading Coalition at the Kopanong Convention Centre.
The main intention of the National Reading Coalition is to reinvigorate a culture of reading and writing among in our country. After all, Fellow South Africans, leading nations are indeed reading nations!! During our sector lekgotla Mr President you did indicate that you will be one of the nations leading ambassador for this campaign. In this campaign Mr President we say reading is not only about children. All countries leading in numeracy, are reading nations so we need to read as a nation to make our children read.
On Early childhood development
The NDP enjoins us to ensure a quality ECD programme as a priority for the country with the intention of improving the quality of education and the long-term prospects of future generations and the society as a whole.
In pursuance of that directive, indeed madame Speaker, we have established a firm foundation for a comprehensive ECD programme as an integral part of the education system”.
We wish to confirm that work has already begun to ensure a seamless and smooth phased migration of ECD and the declaration of a compulsory Grade R programme with effect from the 2019/20 financial year.
Briefly Madame Speaker, there are 8.2 million children aged 0-6 years in South Africa; of whom 2.4 million are currently attending ECD centres, and 700 000 are benefiting from publicly subsidised care. The expansion of ECD provisioning, demands that we reach out to the 5.8 million children who may not be attending any ECD centre;
(c) on the otherhand , There are about 110 000 ECD practitioners, who are in ECD centres. 35 210 of these ECD practitioners have at least attained an NQF level 4 qualification. In partnership with the SETAs, strategic training partners, and higher education institutions, the team will be targeting the 74 790 unqualified or underqualified ECD practitioners and young people, especially those who are part of the NEETS (not in employment nor education and training - but interested in education and love working with children) for training and professional teacher development.
The other exciting development to announce in this area of our work is that DBE, in partnership with UNICEF – South Africa, the LEGO Foundation, and the Association for the Development of Education in Africa, is hosting the inaugural Continental PLAY-Based Learning for the 21st Century Skills Conference to be held at the Maslow Times Square, Menlyn Maine. Pretoria on 25-27 February 2019. A number of Ministers of Education from the African Continent and their delegations, as well as experts, scholars, and our strategic partners from all over the world, will attend the Continental Conference.
The Conference will explore how learning through PLAY can improve the quality of ECD, and become an integral part of the education systems in Africa.
Knowledge, skills and competencies for a changing world
In 2018 the President did make a call to the country to urgently develop its capabilities in the areas of science, technology and innovation and as the department of Basic Education we have begun the journey that supports the Presidents call for “the improvement of the education system and the development of the skills that are needed for the future”.
The past two decades have seen the emergence of a great global movement, ( in which we have been .participating in through different forums) and this movement has been calling and examining new approaches to teaching and learning for the 21st century. The World Economic Forum termed this movement the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Based on a comprehensive review of literature, Governments across the world, have been engaging on processes to rethink and re-imagine the pedagogies required to stimulate the knowledge, competencies and skills needed for learners to function effectively in the 21st century and the 4th Industrial Revolution.
As South Africa we have already developed A Framework for Skills for a Changing World. Different Provincial Education Departments are at different stages of implementation to ensure that teachers and learners are exposed to a range of skills and competencies that equip them for the 21st century. Teachers and learners will be able “to respond to emerging technologies, including the Internet of Things, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence”.
To keep pace with the world and these developments, last year the Council of Education Ministers approved the implementation of Coding and Robotics curriculain the Foundation Phase. Hence, we are currently developing the Coding and Robotics Curricula for the GET Band, from Grade R-9. These curricula will develop learners’ skills and competencies necessary for the changing world; and will ensure that our schooling system produces learners with the foundation for future work that equips learners with the knowledge, skills and competencies for the changing world.
We are grateful to UNISA for agreeing to partner with us, and for having made available their 24 ICT Laboratories throughout the country for the training of 72 000 teachers in Coding. We are also grateful to civil society, the Universities of South Africa and the North West, and the private sector for working with the DBE to develop a Framework for Coding Grade R-9; and for supporting the DBE to develop a Coding Platform that utilises Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to customise teaching and learning. This Platform will be available in all eleven languages – ensuring that all our learners, are introduced to Coding and Robotics in their own mother tongue, in line with this Government’s mission to provide an inclusive education accessible to all.
There are plans to to train at least three teachers in each of the 16 000 primary schools to teach Coding. The implementation of Coding in the system will be preceded by a pilot in 50 schools in five provinces. 2019 is used to ready the system, to ensure that the schools are ready for full implementation post-2020.
So far, R50 million has already been raised, and Government is calling upon the private sector to follow this example, and seek ways to support the DBE, to ensure that our country produces learners who possess skills for the changing world; who are ready to be productive from day one of leaving school.
Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs)
We are excited about the Presidential Commission on the 4th Industrial Revolution that the President will establish, as we believe we are on a cusp of a digital revolution. A Comprehensive ICT Plan has already been developed to provide a framework for an affordable and sustainable implementation of ICTs in education which include digital content resource development (digitisation); ICT professional development for management; teaching and learning; as well as ICT infrastructure and schools connectivity.
Indeed already 90% of textbooks with high enrolments subjects across all grades and all workbooks, have been digitised”. We are encouraged by governments commitment to work with the department of Basic Education on these plans. As the President indicated during his SONA, in 2019 we will prepare the system for phasing in the roll out of the program beginning with Quintile 1-3 schools located in rural communities, farms, especially your multigrade and multiphase schools, and special schools will be prioritised for the deployment of ICT infrastructure and resources.
Three-Stream Curriculum Model
The ANC government has always called on government to provide multiple skills opportunities for our children in line with their abilities, interests and the needs of the country.
The Three-Stream Curriculum Model provides for the academic, vocational and occupational pathways. This Model allows for flexibility, articulation and portability of learning programmes towards the achievement of an NQF level 4 qualification – National Senior Certificate, or its equivalent qualification.
It is exciting to note that the 2018 NSC cohort, was the first to sit for the examinations, which included eleven (11) new technical-vocational subjects, comprisingElectrical Technologies, Mechanical Technologies and Civil Technologies (with three specialised subjects each), as well as Technical Mathematics and Technical Science.
In addition, the Council of Education Ministers has approved the introduction of additional technology subjects, such as Maritime Sciences, Aviation Studies, Mining Sciences and Aquaponics.
In 2018, 75 schools of skill, piloted 26 new technical-occupational subjects. During this calendar year (2019), preparations are afoot for the development of materials, and getting workshops and other related facilities ready for implementation in 2020.
The conversion of ordinary public schools into focused technical schools is currently underway; in compliance with the President’s directive that “several ordinary public schools be transformed into technical high schools”.
Deliberations on the introduction of the General Education Certificate (GEC) – an equivalent of NQF level 3 qualification after the completion of the General Education and Training (GET) Band, are in an advanced stage. The Sector Plan for Entrepreneurship in Basic Education in Grade R – 12, which aims at creating an entrepreneurial culture, is being operationalised, and fully implemented from 2019 to 2024.
Honorable Buthelezi, yes, out of the 25 762 Public schools in the country and despite the fact that more than 10000 schools have been provided with appropriate sanitation, the last audit confirmed that 3 898 schools still had inappropriate sanitation facilities at the time, especially pit latrines; and an additional 3 040 schoolswhere pit latrines were not demolished when they were provided with safe, age- and grade-appropriated sanitation facilities.
All these schools have been prioritised for the 2019 MTEF period. Down memory lane, where is the bulk of these schools, it is KZN, Eastern Cape & Limpopo, what is common about where they are located in these provinces, Home land government, remember who was part of those governments, General Holomisa and Nkosi Buthelezi. This government of the people never built mud schools or pit latrines but it is struggling with this stinking legacy of Apartheid and its homeland governments.
We wish to thank the President for leading the crusade of eradicating pit latrines and other unsafe and inappropriate sanitation facilities in our public schools. All available resources are being mobilised, including the participation of the private sector, strategic partners, and the build industry professionals, in our quest to heed the President’s call for the eradication of inappropriate sanitation facilities.
Since the President launched the SAFE Initiative in August 2018, 787 schools have been provided with safe, age- and grade-appropriate sanitation facilities, with the old pit latrines demolished; and safe, age- and grade-appropriate sanitation projects in 1 062 schools are either in the planning, design or construction stages.
We are appreciative for the indicative budget allocation announced in the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement over the 2019 MTEF period, and for the pledges made by the private sector, our strategic partners and generous South Africans, who heeded the President’s call at the launch of the SAFE Initiative.
We have noted with appreciation that during the Presidential Golf Challenge gala dinner, held at the Cape Town ICC on Friday, 08 February 2019, President Ramaphosa generously committed that “70% of all the proceeds raised from the annual Presidential Golf Challenge, will be spent on the national campaign to eradicate pit latrines at our public schools”.
In addition, we must acknowledge with appreciation the generous commitments made at the Global Citizen concert held at the FNB Stadium on 02 December 2018. I will be meeting with the leadership of the Global Citizen movement on mid-February to be apprised about the pledges made, which include pledges for the eradication of pit latrines in our public schools.
Conclusion
In conclusion, as we approach the end of the Fifth Administration of our democratic Government, we will be amongst the first to concede that despite the notable stability and great achievements in our education system, much still needs to be done especially in the areas of efficiency and quality.
We support the President’s call to all South Africans to work with government and continue to move the country forward under the leadership of your tested organization, the ANC.
As we recall with respect and humility the blood of your Neil Aggets, AmodTimol , Griffith Mxenge, Dr Rubbeira & his wife Solomon Mahlangu, Dulcie September and the many heroes of our struggle under the committed and dedicated leadership of the ANC, our struggle should continue to free ourselves from poverty, unemployment, crime, racism, sexism and underdevelopment.
Speaker South Africans, young people who have still not registered should do so go to the polls and vote the ANC into government again.
South Africans should not be misled to listen to all these fly by night. In its manifesto it continues to commit itself into proritising education and skills as you said President in SONA 2018 that we should educate our children to break the cycle of poverty, as Mandela always reminded us that it is indeed the equalizer,
The ANC has to continues with what they have started, serving this country and its people
It will be consolidating work towards universal access to education from early childhood and improve the quality of primary education whilst strengthening the higher phases and all the other work underway.
- ramping up even stronger the provision of the needed infrastructure so that whilst continuing with the program to replace the most abhorrent inappropriate and unsafe structure inherited from Apartheid and its homeland governments, we should continue with the program to provide appropriate education infrastructure
Thumani I ANC nihlukane nonomgogwana abagcwele indawo, abade emlonyeni kodwa ungazi ukuthi badume ngani.
Itshwarelleng ho seo le se tsebang le mosebetsi wa sona, mokgatlo wa Modimo, Badimo le Setjaba ka kakaresto
We are not going to even be distracted by loud fashion modellors now turned loud and noisy fake leaders who are just nothing but the puppet masters of their places of employment. Mr finda finda, find a mistake. Ukudlalwa la, sizothuthukisa icountry nabantu bayo wena uzohlalela ukurasa nokophapha
Chair I will be failing if I don’t make this call to urge communities to desist from using their own children as shields, especially when communities engage in service delivery protests, as was the case in 2018 in the North West and Northern Cape. It was shameful that, in some communities, children were forced out of school for periods up to six months. We must always remember that education is a very important tool for personal and national development and should be treated with utmost respect and responsibility.
President we do believe that education societal and national good, as South Africans, working together, we should ensure that our schools are safe havens for quality learning and teaching and do what it takes to promote quality education in all our institutions
Ningalinge nimamele lamaxoki DA ethi apho babusa khona into zihamba kakuhle. Baxakene nento apha ePretoria athi uSolly uyocampaigner beyazi kakuhle ukuthu angeke bayifumane iGauta. Johannesburg enkga phu, habathothe matlakala balwana kapurse le hore hothotha mang matlakala. Baipatlela basebetsi ba tla baphela dikontraka jwaloka Tshwane. Ke eng ba sa tsamaye bay o nka maele Ekurhuleni moo ho sa reng rona hore tsamaiso ya mmuso teng ke ya maleba
Batla moo bat lo etsa lerata mme batlo tlaila.
Le morutinyana wa teng wa masawane ya etelang pele mokgatlo wa hae o sebedisang batho ba batsho feela ha ho gwanta bona batlo tlala moo kamora moo. Ke batla ho bona hore barumuwa ba bona batlo tlang moo ke bo mang, nka se makale ha bakgutla ba ntse ba le tjena, hoitswe setlare sa Mosotho ke lekgowa. Ke ka hoo moruti a sa tshabe le ho ntshetsa bafu ba batho metsi, abakgwele ka mathe a ntse a tseba hore mofu o a hlomphuwa. Ha o eme hodima mabitla a bona ho bakisa sera.
Hambani niyolungisa lemess eniyenze e Tshwane na se Joburg. We are not going to even be distracted by loud fashion modellors now turned loud and noisy fake leaders who are just nothing but the puppet masters of their places of employment. Mr finda finda, find a mistake. Akudlalwa la, sizothuthukisa i-country nabantu bayo wena uzohlalela ukurasa nokuphapha.
Hi khensile, Ke ya leboha.
