G Fraser-Moleketi: Dalrose Primary School

29 July 2006

Mr Redliffe,
School parents,
Learners,
Past learners and former educators:

I am so very pleased and honoured that I was invited to join you all in
celebrating the 25th anniversary of Dalrose Primary School, a school of which I
am sure you are all very proud. After my very instructive and comprehensive
tour of the premises this afternoon, I am in little doubt that you hold Dalrose
in high esteem. I can say that throughout the tour I saw evidence of care and
nurturing in all corners of the school and I think hearty congratulations are
due for the effort and love that keeps Dalrose the school that it is. What
makes your school so special is that you choose to celebrate its existence.
Your coming together here today will surely bring deeper meaning to all of you
who are connected to the school in whichever way so that together you will
ensure that Dalrose remains the special learning centre that you have turned it
into over the past 25 years.

Mnr Redcliffe, ouers, leerders, oud-leerders en gewese onderwysers. Dit is
my voorreg en eer om uitgenooi te word om deel te hê aan Dalrose Laerskool se
25ste verjaarsdagvieringe. Dit spreek vanself dat elkeen hier baie trots op die
skool is.

Na my omvattende en leersame toer van die skool en terrein vanmiddag is daar
geen twyfel in my gemoed dat elkeen hier net die hoogste agting vir die die
skool het. Oral om my sien ek tekens van omgee en sorg. U kan waarlik trots
wees op dit wat u vermag het om Dalrose die skool te maak wat dit is. Een van
die dinge wat hierdie skool so spesiaal maak is juis dat julle gekies het om
hierdie geleentheid te vier. Ek is seker dat hierdie samekoms dieper betekenis
sal bring vir elkeen, vir elkeen wat gekoppel is aan hierdie skool en wat sal
verseker dat die skool ‘n spesiale leersentrum bly.

I am not here today to speak to you about education policy and give your
statistics and projections. That is the job of your local MEC for Education. I
am here really to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Dalrose with you and to
share some thoughts that I have had on how all of you sitting here today can
contribute to building on Dalrose’s solid foundations so that it will celebrate
the next 25 years as robustly and proudly as I see it being celebrated
today.

Dit is nie my doel om vandag oor onderwysbeleid of oor (vervelige) gegewens
en syfers te praat nie. Dit is die provinsiale LUK vir Onderwys se werk. Ek is
hier om saam in die feesvieringe te deel en sommer ‘n paar gedagtes te deel,
gedagte oor hoe elkeen hier ‘n bydrae kan lewer en verder kan bou op die
stewige fondamente sodat die wat in die 50ste verjaarsdagvieringe sal deel,
dieselfde trots sal weerspieël as wat ons vandag sien.

In her budget vote speech, the Minister of Education Naledi Pandor spoke
about the vital role that school governing bodies have to play in promoting
learning achievement, positive values and principles both in schools and in the
communities. As you well know these bodies are given wide-ranging powers and
these powers are legislated for. It is important therefore that school
governing bodies use these powers to align school practices and outcomes with
the values and principles that we as a country know and understand. If I am
correct you will have recently undergone elections for your school governing
body and I am sure that your key members of the school are sitting here today.
To you all I salute you for the very important task that you have been tasked
to with and I wish you all the very best during your tenure.

As much as Minister Pandor is spot on about the key role that school
governing bodies play in the running of a school, I am sure she will not
disagree with me if I say that equally important in a school’s life are its
parents, its alumni, those that have passed through the school and have gone on
to high school and of course the learners themselves.

Why do I say this?

Very often we feel that if we are not someone special, if we are not a
‘celebrity’ there is nothing that we can do and our services will not be
valued. This is so far from the truth. The truth is that it is not only those
who have become celebrities who ‘give back’ to schools. You all have a role to
play. You can all ‘give back’ in your own way, a service, a learning hour,
mentoring, a school outing, a sponsorship even no matter how small. The
democratic model of school governance that we deliberately set up after the
birth of democracy was tailor made for parental and community involvement in
schools. I think we have to admit that the model has not been used to best
advantage in our poorer schools.

Die Minister van Onderwys Naledi Pandor het in haar begrotingsrede verwys na
die belangrike bydrae wat skoolbeheerrade kan lewer om prestasie, positiewe
waardes en vaste beginsels in beide die skool én samelewing te bevorder. Soos u
sekerlik weet is verreikende magte aan beheerrade gegee, magte wat in ons
wetgewing vervat is. Dit is van uiterste belang dat beheerrade hierdie magte
gebruik om te verseker dat parktyke en leeruitkomste in ooreenstemming is met
die waardes en demokratiese beginsels wat ons as land leer ken het. As ek dit
nie mis het nie, moes u ook onlangs verkiesings gehou het om ‘n nuwe beheerraad
te kies. Ek is seker dat van die nuwe of herkose lede hier teenwoordig is. Ek
wil elkeen van u vandag geluk wens en terselfdertyd sterkte toewens met die
gewigtige taak wat voorlê.

Hoewel Minister Pandor in die kol is met die sleutelrol wat beheerrade
speel, is ek seker dat sy saam sal stem dat ouers, alumni (dis nou
oud-leerders) en natuurlik die leerders self net so belangrik, indien nie
belangriker is nie. Waarom sê ek so? Wel dikwels voel ons dat ons eintlik nie
so spesiaal is nie. Baie dink dat as jy nie ‘n Minister of ‘celebrity’ of
musiekster is nie, is jou bydrae nie belangrik nie. (As jy nie voor op die
verhoog staan nie, is jy nie belangrik nie.) Dit is natuurlik ver van die
waarheid af. Elkeen van ons het ‘n unieke bydrae te lewer en dikwels is daardie
bydrae veel belangriker as die bydrae van diegene wat gereeld in die kollig is.
Elkeen kán op ‘n unieke manier ‘n diens aan hierdie skool lewer en iets
teruggee, ‘n uur afstaan, help met ‘n uitstappie, ‘n mentor wees of selfs ‘n
klein (of groot) bydrae maak.

Toe ons met die geboorte van ons demokrasie ‘n model vir skoolbeheerrade in
plek gesit het, het ons doelbewus gekies vir ‘n model wat die geleentheid skep
vir ouers en gemeenskap om betrokke te wees by die opvoeding van ons kinders.
Ongelukkig is nie al hierdie geleenthede ten volle ongin in ons armer skole nie
en is die vlak van ouerbetrokkenheid nog glad nie na wense nie.

The democratic model that I have mentioned when all is said and done is
about building pride in our schools. It is about saying look, see where we have
come from, how we struggled against oppression and how we have succeeded. That
is something to be proud of. We need to build pride in that achievement. I
think therefore you will agree with me if I say that what we are talking about
here is not ‘giving back’ but ‘taking back’.

Die demokratiese model waarna ek verwys gaan in wese oor die bou van trots
in ons skole. Dit is asof ons vir mekaar sê; Kyk hoe ver het ons gekom, kyk hoe
het ons saam gestry teen onderdrukking, en kyk hoe het ons oorwin. Dit is iets
om op trots te wees. (En al het van ons jonger leerders nie direk daaraan deel
gehad nie, kan ons op ons ouers trots wees, want hulle het hulle eie lewe vir
julle vryheid op die spel geplaas.) Dit is ‘n trots waarop elkeen van ons kan
bou. U sal saamstem dat dit hier nie ‘n geval was van “teruggee” nie maar van
“terugneem”.

I would imagine that there are many here amongst you who were children in
the 1974-78 era. And as such I think that you know what I mean by ‘taking back’
because you are the generation who taught us all the meaning of taking pride in
who you are and who you could become. And because of your generation our
schools have become places where our children learn about democratic values and
learn about the principles of dignity, social justice and gender equality. But
to embed these values and principles and to develop a culture of support and
caring, your school needs you all to roll your sleeves up and contribute
whatever you can in whatever way you can. By doing this, you are turning your
school into a laboratory of citizenship where these values and principles are
inculcated into our junior learners so that they too one day will do the same
in their turn.

Ek veronderstel dat (as ek so rondom my kyk) hier heelwat mense is wat
kinders was in die 1974-78 tydvak. Julle sal weet wat ek bedoel met
“terugneem”. (Is dit nie ietwat ironies dat ek hier voor u staan en in
Afrikaans praat terwyl die Soweto-opstand juis ook ‘n opstand oor Afrikaans in
skole was nie? Dit lyk my ons het ook ons taal “teruggeneem” om nie meer as ‘n
instrument van verdrukking misbruik te word nie.) Dit was die generasie wat ons
almal geleer het wat dit beteken om trots te wees op wie jy is en wat jy kan
word en wat jy kan bereik. Dit is te danke aan hierdie geslag dat ons skole
plekke geword het waar leerders kan leer oor demokratiese waardes, die
beginsels van waardigheid, sosiale geregtigheid en natuurlik geslagsgelykheid.
(Vir diegene wat nie weet wat sosiale geregtigheid beteken nie is dit dalk ‘n
goeie idee om ‘n skooltaak daaroor te maak.)

Hierdie waardes en beginsels word ongelukkig nie vanself deel van ons
samelewing nie, daarvoor moet ons ons moue oprol en ‘n kultuur van
ondersteuning en omgee met harde werk opbou. (As jong leerders van vandag dink
dat die jeug van 30 jaar gelede al die werk afgehandel het, maak julle ‘n groot
fout. Julle het die voorreg om dit waarvoor gestry is ‘n werklikheid te maak.)
Deur saam te werk kan hierdie skool in ‘n “burgerskaplaboratorium” omskep word
waar waardes en beginsels van kleins af ingeprent word. Dit kan weer aan die
volgende geslag oorgedra word.

There is an initiative that I would like to share with you that I think is
well worth knowing about. It is an initiative started by Welcome Msomi, some of
you might know of Welcome, he wrote and produced Mmabatha, the isiZulu version
of Macbeth. Welcome has launched a programme that he has called Ziphathe which
loosely means “grab it”. Ziphathe’s vision is to create a community which is
informed, self-reliant and empowered to drive the development of all who form
part of it the young and old.

Ek wil u graag vertel van ‘n belangrike inisiatief; Dit is ‘n inisiatief wat
begin is deur Welcome Msomi wat Mmabatho, die isiZulu weergawe van Shakespeare
se Macbeth geskryf het. Welcome het ‘n program geloods wat hy Ziphathe (“gryp
dit”) noem. Ziphathe se visie in om ‘n gemeenskap te skep wat ingelig,
selfversorgend en bemagtig is om ontwikkeling te dryf vir almal wat daaraan wil
deelneem, jonk en oud.

So what has that got to do with your school, you might ask.

Welcome has come up with some innovative ideas with which to carry out his
vision. Today I will share a two of his ideas that I think have immediate
relevance to you and that I think could provide a possible way forward for you
as a school to build a dynamic and sustainable group of supporters into the
future.

So wat op aarde het dit met hierdie skool te doen? sal u sekerlik vra. Wel
Welcome het met ‘n paar innoverende idees voorendag gekom, waarvan ek enkeles
met u sal deel, idees wat toepaslik is vir hierdie skool en ‘n bydrae kan lewer
tot die toekomstige opbou van die skool en die skep van ‘n volhoubare
ondersteuningsgroep vir die skool.

One of Welcome’s ideas to build interest in the community for the school is
to focus on the power of role models and to bring them closer to the children.
To do this he is working with schools where he helps them set up ‘classroom
galleries,’ pictures of past learners who have sat in the very classroom that
the learners are sitting in and who have in some way made a success of their
lives. In order for this to happen, learners and parents would need to carry
out research into the history of Dalrose and identify former learners, alumni,
who are making their contribution to the development of our new democracy in
any kind of way. Knowing that Uitenhage has a large motor industry, I would
imagine that there may be employees in this sector who began their education in
Dalrose and who has gone on to be successful contributors to the industry.
Likewise, there might be a member of the retail sector in Uitenhage or a member
of a bank who also began their education in Dalrose and because of the solid
foundation that was provided, have been able to build a successful business or
become a successful financial practitioner. What about former and existing
teachers who might have been Dalrose pupils? The list goes on and on.

Een van Welcome se idees gaan oor die bou van belangstelling in die skool
deur te fokus op die mag van rolmodelle en en om rolmodelle nader aan die
leerders te bring. Hy doen dit deur skole te help om “klaskamergallerye” te
maak bestaande uit foto’s van vorige leerders wat in dieselfde klas gesit het
en op een of ander manier sukses behaal het. Om dit te vermag moet leerders en
ouers ‘n bietjie “navorsing” doen oor die geskiedenis van die skool en vorige
leeders en onderwysers identifiseer wat belangrike bydraes gelewer het. Gegewe
dat Uitenhage so ‘n groot motorvervaardigingsindustrie het, is ek seker dat
talle van die werkernemers hulle opvoeding hier begin het. Of miskien is daar
‘n prominente lid in die kleinhandel of finansiële wêreld wat kon voortbou op
die stewige fundament wat Dalrose help bou het. Hoeveel leerders het
onderwysers geword? Die lys is nimmereindigend.

All these people have the potential to become role models for the learners.
The idea that Welcome has is that through the Ziphathe network, funds are
raised, photographs are taken and pictures are hung in classrooms on a wall of
fame for all to see. These role models become heroes and heroines for the
children proof that hard work will bring success in whatever form. In return
these heroes and heroines are brought back into the school network and as role
models actively support school activities.

Al hierdie mense het die potensiaal om rolmodelle vir huidige leerders te
word. Welcome se idee is dat deur die Ziphathe-netwerk fondse vir die skool
ingesamel kan word. Foto’s van rolmodelle word geneem en opgehang teen ‘n “wall
of Fame”, vir almal om te sien. Hulle dra dan daagliks die boodskap oor dat
harde werk sukses bring. Op hulle beurt kan hierdie helde / rolmodelle aktief
by die skool betrek word.

Another innovative idea that Ziphathe is initiating is developing a
community research project proceeds of which will be channeled back into
schools. The community research according to Welcome is going to focus on
gathering and packaging market intelligence from township consumers.
Researchers will be learners, unemployed graduates and members of local
churches. Information on products and services that are used in the community’s
homes will be passed on to the graduates who will collate it and write up
reports. What Ziphathe is intending here is to involve members of the community
in an opportunity to participate in a meaningful economic activity that will
see its benefits coming back to the schools in the areas where the initiative
is taken up.

Welcome het nog ‘n idee: ‘n gemeenskapsnavorsingsprojek waarvan die inkomste
terugvloei na die skool. Die projek versamel en verpak marknavorsingsinligting
van woonbuurt (township) verbruikers. Die navorsers is leerders, werklose mense
en lede van plaaslike kerke en ander organisasies. Die inligting word
aangestuur na gegradueerdes wat op hulle beurt die inligting verwerk en verslae
saamstel. Dit skep die geleentheid om deel te hê aan betekenisvolle ekonomiese
aktiwiteite en terug te ploeg in die gemeenskap en skool.

Ziphathe has the blessing of the Department of Education and so working
together, Ziphathe and the Department will identify schools to pilot various
initiatives. An important and exciting part of the research initiative is that
the internet will be the primary tool and as such, schools such as yours could
become sites that deliver computer literacy training not only to the learners
but also to members of the community. I can see that you do not have a computer
room this might be an ideal opportunity to start developing one. For this
reason I have contacted the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) and have
requested their assistance. As a result Sita and private sector companies
Pinnacle Micro and Sourcecom Technology Solutions will be providing you with 25
computers in order to get your computer room back on track. Sita has also
agreed to help you maintain the computer room so that it becomes a sustainable
project. We all know how important computer training is and particularly how
important it is to be trained at an early age so that school leavers are not
only computer literate but have computer savvy by the time that they leave
school. It is important therefore that we find a way in which you are provided
with the technical assistance that ensures that your computer room remains
operational. Sita has come to the table in this regard; it will be working with
Dalrose on an ongoing basis to make sure that the computers will be properly
maintained. I thank the agency for its support.

Ziphathe dra die goedkeuring van die Onderwysdepartement en sodoende kan
skole, deur saam te werk, van hierdie inisiatiewe loods. Die Internet is ‘n
belangrike deel van die navorsing wat tot gevolg het dat skole soos julle s’n
rekenaarvaardigheidsopleiding aan die gemeenskap kan bied. Julle het nie ‘n
rekenaarsentrum nie en hierdie kan ‘n goeie geleentheid wees om een te begin.
Juis daarom het ek SITA, die staatsinligtingstegnologieagentskap versoek om
hulp. SITA tesame met twee privaat maatskappye, Pinnacle Micro en Sourcecom
Technology Solutions, sal 25 rekenaars aan Dalrose verskaf. Dit behoort die
rekenaarsentrum weer op die been te bring. SITA het ook ingestem om julle te
help om die rekenaarsentrum in stand te hou, om sodoende te verseker dat dit ’n
volhoubare inisiatief bly. Ons weet almal hoe belangrik rekenaaropleiding is en
veral hoe belangrik dit is om op ’n jong ouderdom reeds te begin sodat
skoolverlaters rekenaargeletterd is teen die tyd wanneer hulle die skool
verlaat. Dit is dus belangrik dat ons ’n manier vind waardeur julle met
tegniese ondersteuning voorsien kan word en die sentrum operasioneel bly. SITA
sal saam met die skool werk om te verseker dat dit gebeur. Baie dankie
SITA.

In conclusion, I want to thank you all here today for a most heart warming
and educative time that I have spent with you. You have opened your hearts to
me and I am deeply appreciative. I know that you have what it takes to make
Dalrose a vibrant and important part of the community fabric and I hope that I
have given you some ideas to get you on your way. I have given Mr Redcliffe the
information about Welcome Msomi’s initiative and my hope is that it will
inspire you to realise that what is needed to make things happen lies within
us, each and every one of us. And when we pull together and work as a team, as
a community, there will be nothing stopping us.

Ter afsluiting; ek wil elkeen hier graag bedank vir die hartlike en
opvoedkundige tyd wat ons saam kon spandeer. Julle het julle harte oopgemaak
vir my en ek kan nie genoeg dankie sê nie. Ek weet dat julle als het wat nodig
is om Dalrose ‘n energieke en belangrike deel van die gemeenskap te maak. Ek
het inligting oor Welcome Msomi se initiatief aan mnr. Redcliff gegee en ek
hoop dat dit elkeen sal inspireer, inspireer met die besef dat wat nodig is om
dinge te laat gebeur binne elkeen van ons is. Meer nog, wanneer ons saamstaan,
saamwerk as ‘n span, as ‘n gemeenskap kan niks of niemand ons keer nie.

I thank you, baie dankie!

Issued by: Department of Public Service and Administration
29 July 2006