By Nomonde Mnukwa
Iningi lethu lingaxoxa indaba ngothisha ababe negalelo ekuguquleni izimpilo zethu. Labo thisha abasifundisanga nje kuphela eklasini kodwa basifundisa ukuziphatha okuhle baba abeluleki bethu. Emlandweni wethu, othisha bebelokhu behamba phambili ekugqugquzeleni abafundi ukuthi bephume phambili futhi babe negalelo ekwakheni umphakathi onolwazi.
Umsebenzi onzima nendima ebalulekile edlalwa ngothisha kufanele ibungazwe unyaka wonke hhayi nje kuphela ngenyanga kaMfumfu lapho sisuke sikhumbula iNyanga Yothisha Kuzwelonke. Njengamanje izinkulungwane zabafundi zimatasa zibhala izivivinyo zeSitifiketi Sikamatikuletsheni (i-NSC), ngaphansi kweso lothisha, okuyibona ababasizile ukulungiselela ihlandla lokugcina lokufunda esikoleni, futhi abaqhubekayo nokudlala indima ebalulekile emzamweni kahulumeni wokuqeda nya ngemfundo yobandlululo esasinikwe yona ngowe-1994.
Akuyona imfihlo ukuthi uhulumeni wobandlululo wanqabela othisha kanye nabafundi abamnyama imfundo esezingeni wabe esebanika izinsizakufunda ezinganele. U-Hendrik Verwoerd owayengungqondongqondo wobandlululo wayefuna abantu abamnyama benze "imisebenzi engasile" ngisho ngabe banamakhono namaphupho. Izinqubomgomo zikahulumeni wobandlululo azithintanga abafundi kuphela kodwa kwathinteka ngisho nomgangatho wothisha.
Njengohulumeni, kuyasigqugquzela ukuthi kusukela ngowe-1994 sesenze inqubekelaphambili ekuxazululeni inkinga yokungalingani kwezemfundo esanikwa yona. Sesihlanganise ngempumelelo iminyango yezemfundo ebihlukaniswe ngokwebala saphinde saqinisekisa ukuthi abafundi nothisha bahlinzekwa ngezinsizakufunda ezifanele ukuze bezozilungiselela ikusasa ngokwanele.
Kuyasigqugquzela ukuthi abafundi abangaphezu kwezi-800 000, iningi okungabafundi ababhalise ngokugcwele ngowezi-2023, babhalisele ukubhala izivivinyo ze-NSC. Ukwenyuka kwenani labafundi abazobhala akuvelanga kwazenzakalela kodwa kungumphumela weminyaka yokuhlela nokusebenza kanzima kothisha abazinikele emsebenzini wabo abangafuni lutho ngaphandle kokuhle kodwa kubafundi babo.
Uhulumeni wethulela isigqoko othisha abaqhubeka nokwenza okungaphezulu bafake igalelo ekuthuthukiseni izinga lemfundo kuleli lizwe. Siphinde sifisela okuhle kodwa iKlasi Labafundi lezi-2023 kulama viki ambalwa azayo kanye nasekusaseni labo.
Othisha bayifa lethu elikhulu futhi njengohulumeni sizoqhubeka ngokubabonga ngomsebenzi wabo omuhle kakhulu. Isibonelo, ngoMfumfu kulo nyaka, saba nomcimbi weMiklomelo Yothisha Kuzwelonke eThaba Tshwane, ePitoli lapho othisha baklonyeliswa ngomsebenzi wabo omuhle futhi babemele okwahlukahlukana kwezimo zezikole ezweni jikelele emikhakheni eyahlukahlukene.
Imiklomelo yayibandakanya Ukufundisa iBanga le-R, Ukufundisa Ezikoleni Zamabanga Aphansi, Ukufundisa Ezikoleni Zamabanga Aphezulu, Ubuholi Ezikoleni Zamabanga Aphezulu kanjalo noMklomelo Wokuphumelela Empilweni, kanye neminye.
Ethula inkulumo yakhe emcimbini, iPhini likaMongameli u-Paul Mashatile ugqamise ukubaluleka kwendima edlalwa ngothisha ekuthuthukisweni komphakathi. “Othisha badlala indima ebaluleke kakhulu ekwakheni isisekelo noma ngumuphi umphakathi owakhela phezu kwaso.” Uphinde wengeza ngokuthi: “Umsebenzi kathisha uhlukene kaningi – awutshali nje kuphela ulwazi, kodwa uphinde wakhe ubuntu, ukufundisa ukubaluleka kwempilo, kanye nokubumba abaholi bakusasa bezwe lethu.”
Umcimbi wenzeke emva kokukhishwa kwesibuyekezo seminyaka elishumi esimayelana nokuqaliswa koHlelo Lwentuthuko Lukazwelonke (i-NDP). I-NDP inguhlelo lwethu oluhlanganisile lokwakha iNingizimu Afrika ngokombono okuMthethosisekelo.
Lesi sibuyekezo sibonisa ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika seyenze inqubekelaphambili ebonakalayo ekwenzeni ngcono ukufinyelela kwezemfundo kanye nokuxazulula ukungabikho kobulunguliswa okwakukhona ngezikhathi zobandlululo. Sisabalalise ukwesekwa kweZikhungo Zokuthuthukiswa Kwabantwana, sabahlinzeka ngemishini yamakhompyutha kanye nokuxhunywa kwi-inthanethi okuzosiza ukulungiselela abafundi iHlandla Lesine Lokuguquka Kwezimboni kanye nokudla kwansuku zonke kubafundi abangaphezu kwezigidi eziyisishiyagalolunye ngoHlelo Lukazwelonke Lokuphakelwa Kwabantwana Ezikoleni. Lokhu kuholele kubafundi abacishe bafinyelele kumaphesenti ayi-100 abangasaphuthi esikoleni abaneminyaka yobudala efika kwi-15.
Siphinde sedlula inani elalibekelwe unyaka wezi-2024 le-NDP eliyizi-190 000 labafundi abaphumelele ngezinga le-Bachelor. Ngonyaka wezi-2021, abafundi abayizi-256 031 (amaphesenti angama-36.4) baphumelela ngezinga le-Bachelor. Le mpumelelo yenzeka ngenxa yomsebenzi wothisha abenze okungaphezulu emsebenzini wabo futhi banikela ngesikhathi sabo ngaphandle kokuthandabuza.
Yize umgangatho wemfundo ube ngcono uma uqhathaniswa namanye amazwe anemali-ngena emaphakathi, lokhu kubuyekezwa kubonise ukuthi sidinga ukufaka amandla emizamweni yethu ukuze sizokwazi ukuncintisana namazwe ahamba phambili emhlabeni.
Njengohulumeni, sibeke eqhulwini kulokhu kubuyekezwa ezinye izinto okugqame ukuthi asenzanga kahle kuzona ukuze sizoqinisekisa ukuthi siyama ekuzinikeleni kwethu ekusebenziseni imfundo ukuthi senze ngcono izimpilo zabantu. Sisebenza ngesivinini ukuhlinzeka ingqalasizinda yezikole kanye nokuqinisekisa ukuthi izikole kulolonke ilizwe zinezindlu zangasese ezifanele.
Kusukela ngowezi-2018, izikole eziyizi-2 871 zihlinzekwe ngezindlu zangasese ngohlelo Lokwakhiwa Kwezindlu Zangasese Ezikoleni, olwaziwa ngokuthi uhlelo lwe-SAFE kwaphinde kwakhiwa izindlu zangasese ezifanele ezikoleni eziyi-1 047 ngoHlelo Olusheshayo Lokulethwa Kwengqalasizinda Ezikoleni – i-ASIDI. Izikole ezibalelwa kuma-511 zisezigabeni ezehlukene zokuqalisa ngalokhu kanti i-DBE ihlele ukuhlinzeka ngale zindlu zangasese uma kuphela unyakamali wezi-2023/24.
Sinxusa abafundi ukuba banakekele ingqalasizinda ezikoleni zabo nokuthi bayeke ukulimaza, ukucekela phansi noma ukushisa izikole. Ukucekelwa phansi kwengqalasizinda ezikoleni kulimaza abantwana bethu futhi kungukudicilela phansi imizamo kahulumeni yokuhlinzeka ngemfundo esemgangathweni.
Kungumsebenzi wethu sisonke ukuhlonipha ifa lothisha abaqinisekisa ukuthi wonke umntwana ufundile kungakhathalekile ngemuva noma izimo aphuma kuzona.
Nomonde Mnukwa is Acting Director General of GCIS
