2008/09 Policy and Budget Speech delivered by Mmathulare Coleman, Mpumalanga MEC for Education

6 June 2008

Theme: All hands on deck, pioneering quality education and training for all.

Honourable Premier, Mr TSP Makwetla
Honourable Members of the Executive Council
Honourable members of the Legislature
Educators, learners and officials
Esteemed guests
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen

"We cannot build or heal our nation if, in both the private and public sectors, in the schools and universities, in the hospitals and on the land, in dealing with crime and social dislocation if we continue with business as usual, wallowing in notions of the past. Everywhere and in everything we do, what is now required is boldness in thinking, firmness in resolve and consistency in action." (The former state President; Mr Nelson Mandela said in his 1996 State of the Nation Address).

Introduction

Madam Speaker, the former State President, in his 1996 State of the Nation Address made this bold injunction, challenging all of us to think and act differently in the way we do business in public institutions. The 52nd Conference of the African National Congress held in December 2007, Polokwane, and the State President, His Excellency, Mr Thabo Mbeki, equally implores all of us to declare "Business Unusual" in the way we deal with service delivery to our communities.

With 49% of public expenditure in education, I am therefore taking an early opportunity to declare 2008 "Business Unusual", just in case the phrase becomes a meaningless cliché. Implications for the Department are however huge, with little space for fossilised mediocrity and bureaucratic oligarchy. This is the time to make a meaningful change.

In the same context, Madam Speaker, I am happy to introduce in our midst a few exceptional individuals, whose excellent work ethic and achievements has come to epitomise the new aspirant culture in the Department.

From Gert Sibande Further Education and Training (FET) College, is Mr Philemon Mbethe who did his College proud as top candidate in Mpumalanga and fourth candidate in South Africa, out of 26 000 learners who wrote Vocational Studies Level 2 national certificate.

He obtained a remarkable average of 81%, with:

* 78% in English
* 89% in Life Orientation
* 70% in Mathematics
* 81% in Drawings, Setting out Quantities and Costing
* 80% in Construction Plant Equipment
* 89% in Construction Material
* 79% in Construction Plumbing.

From the matric class of 2007, I am happy to introduce Mr George Mlangeni, who is amongst us today; he was in the top ten achievers of the province. I also wish to recognise in absentia the following top achievers who unfortunately could not be with us due to their study commitments, viz:

* S Warrington, top candidate in Physical Science
* HE Martins, top candidate in Mathematics
* AZ Ndakane, top candidate for Accountancy

National Honours

2007 was also a year of national honours for the province as various constituent members of the Department brought home a number of prestigious national honours:

In the National Science Expo, three learners from Mpumalanga presented and won prestigious awards in two categories as follows:

* Albertas Taute and Mathews Rossouw from Rob Ferreira Hoërskool obtained a gold medal for designing a method of producing fuel from Algae
* Thato Rameko from Lowveld High obtained a silver medal for designing a magnetic high-speed train that runs in a vacuum. He was attempting to design the fastest train in the world.

In the South African Youth and Water Competition, Sbusiso Khoza from Sitintile High School placed second and won a silver medal. The competition was a about water conservation and purification. Learners were asked to put forward good water preservation alternatives.

Again from Sitintile High, Sibusiso Khoza won the prestigious Sowetan Young Communicators Award. The competition is aimed at enhancing good English communication skills for second language speakers. It is run by the Sowetan in partnership with Anglo-America as part of Aggrey Klaaste Nation Building Initiatives. He is currently studying at the University of Witwatersrand (Wits).

In the national essay writing based on the sinking of Mendi, two learners, Thapelo Maseko and Nombuso Ndlovu, from Khaliphani High in Mgwenya Circuit, won the gold medal and represented South Africa in the Royal Celebrations of Mendi in Great Britain and France. The competition was a 90th commemoration of the sinking of Mendi, a British Naval Vessel carrying 33 black South African during the First World War in 1918.

In the United Nations Model Debaters competition, four learners from Lydenburg represented Mpumalanga in Cape Town on the national leg of this competition: They are Lucy Manro, Daniel Becks, Shallen Mabilane and Ashla Mashaba. They are from Lydenburg Hoërskool and Enthios Christian High in Lydenburg respectively.

In the National Teacher Awards, which recognise excellence in teaching and leadership in our schools, Ms Freda Poo of Emfundweni Primary School sco-oped a second place award.

In the Premier Excellent Service Awards, Lekazi and Tenteleni Primaries were recognised for excellence in the province.

Mr Jerry Hlabangane, a History teacher from Thembeka High, represented Mpumalanga in the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Oral History competition in Port Elizabeth.

In the Government Communication Awards, the Department's Communication Directorate sco-oped the Ubuncweti Award for the establishment of a Dial-in-tutoring programme and the Communication Mobile Unit.

Last but not least, Madam Speaker, the Department got a recognition award from the University of Stellenbosch as a leading Department in the training of educators on HIV and AIDS programmes.

The review of 2007

In retrospect, Madam Speaker, I want to boldly assert that 2007 was a bit of an outlier for the Department on two fronts:

Firstly, the consequences of municipal boundaries re-alignment saw the inclusion of Bushbuckridge into Mpumalanga, resulting in an unprecedented increase in the number of our schools, learners and educators.

The biggest impact was on the matric enrolments front, which saw a whopping 38% increase in our matric enrolments, threefold more than the 10% threshold.

Secondly, is the debilitating impact of the public service strike that led to a loss of 16 teaching days. The department was, however, able to put in place a Recovery Plan that cost us R119 million, after recovering R149 million. An exceptional word of gratitude and appreciation goes to all our teacher unions that joined forces with us in this recovery plan.

Notwithstanding the impact of these factors in 2007, the system in the overall has recorded good and impressive improvements.

Matric results

Albeit disappointing average pass percentages in 2007, Mpumalanga recorded one of the five biggest national increases in the number of learners passing matric in 2007 compared to 2006. We recorded 5 681 more learners passing matric in 2007 compared to the previous academic year. In 2006 we registered 25 568 passes, which increased to 31 449 in 2007.

Secondly, Mpumalanga recorded the second biggest increase, after KwaZulu-Natal, in the number of learners passing matric with endorsement. In 2005 we registered 4 918 endorsements, and 5 418 endorsements in 2006. In 2007 we saw an increase of 1 057 endorsements compared to 2006, which gave us 6 561 endorsements.

Key achievements in 2007

Our view in the Department, Madam Speaker, is that the growth and development of successful nations depends on their quality of access to education services, a prerequisite for skills necessary for the economic and social development. We therefore committed resources towards improving the quality of education, and a broad-based access to quality education by the majority of our citizens, especially the poorest of the poor who cannot afford to pay for their own education.

Our targets for 2007 therefore focused on the two areas of access to education and quality improvement in learning. In the overall Madam Speaker, we had put up a good fight and ran a formidable race.

Broadening access to education - No fee schools

In the process of expanding access to education, our government decided to free the poorest quintiles from the burden of fee paying. These schools are identified by the Member of Executive and nationally gazetted as non fee paying schools. The thresholds for funding allocations are recommended annually, based on national targets. This excludes capital and salary expenditure. Per quintile targets for 2008 are as follows:

* Quintile 1 is R775
* Quintile 2 is R711
* Quintile 3 is R581
* Quintile 4 is R388
* Quintile 5 is R129

Based on this sliding scale of targeted funding, the national policy recommends R581 as a threshold for No Fee Schools in 2008. What this means is that no child in South Africa must be funded below R581 per child this financial year. Therefore, all state funded schools at this amount are to be declared No Fee Schools.

In Mpumalanga, the Department scaled the number of No Fee paying schools this year to all Quintiles 1 and 2, representing 49,8% of the total number of public schools in Mpumalanga. This has translated to 952 schools, affecting 408,196 children, or 34,9% of the total number of children in the public schooling system of the province.

In January 2009, we will scale up these figures to 1 440, representing 75% of our public schooling system, a significant performance above the national target of 60%. All new intakes of January 2009 will have their funds transferred to their school accounts by November 2008. Only 416 will remain in the fee paying band, until further policy pronouncements. All these are in Quintiles 4 and 5.

Early Childhood Development (ECD)

Madam Speaker, ECD is a subject that is very close to my heart, and many would agree that the objective of our substantial investment in education and development is to give our children a better start in life.

As studies show, early childhood development is directly responsible for future learning performance and educational attainment levels of children as they progress in their academic life. We therefore cannot fail our children in this regard.

Our programmes and plans must respond to the backlog we have as a province, and I call for every stakeholder in this regard to pull up their sleeves in the battle for early learning attainment. In Mpumalanga, 445 976 children are under the age of six. Of these, 372 000 are under the age of five, and therefore target is to get 73 576 children into a Grade R class by 2010. In 2007, we scaled up the provision of school based ECD centres from 882 to 1 061.

In the 2008/09 financial year, the province will spend R91 million to increase the number of children who access the Grade R programme from 42 729 to 52 000, with a progressive increase to 72 000 children by 2010. Equally significant is the critical role of ECD in poverty alleviation and employment creation opportunities of the Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) component. Practitioners such as child-minders, co-oks and gardeners in pre-primary centres are provided with training and job opportunities to enhance income quality of poor households.

Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET)

Madam Speaker, ABET will always remain a central pillar to facilitation of access to job opportunities. This comes through improved levels of literacy among the population of the province.

Illiteracy creates artificial barriers that prevent many of our citizens from meaningful participation in economic life and development activities. Our Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) programme presents hope to many of our people who were denied the opportunity to receive education. Our ability to eradicate extreme poverty will be determined by our success in eradicating illiteracy, among others.

Census 2001 had put the number of illiterate adults without schooling in Mpumalanga at 456 000. The 2007 Community Survey suggests that a great improvement has been made, as this has declined by 7%. In 2007, ABET has achieved above the set target of 1 650 learners by recruiting 1 752 learners in Literacy Units. A total of 23 337 learners accessed formal ABET programmes in the 332 Public Adult Learning Centres.

In 2008, we will recruit additional 28 000 ABET learners and support them intensively, particularly in areas that are economically active. Through the EPWP programme, adult learners will get opportunities in substantive skills programmes such as basic electricity, carpentry, plumbing, plastering and tiling. The EPWP-linked training will offer a full qualification to 280 learners in the different trades in 2008.

The Kha Ri Gude campaign is also targeting additional 30 000 adult learners for literacy programmes this year, which will bolster our target figures to 60 000 per annum. It will therefore be feasible Madam Speaker to deal with illiteracy effectively over the next five years.

Quality improvement

Introduction of information and communication technology (ICT) to schools

In 2007 a high profile continental pilot called New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) e-schools Project was launched in Mpumalanga. Two of our schools, Maripe and Lomahasha, were chosen to participate in this Nepad e-schools pilot, launched by the State President, Honourable Thabo Mbeki on the 17th of April 2007 at Maripe High School.

The launch was significant for the province on two grounds. Firstly, it allowed Mpumalanga to benchmark in ICT project performance against the best in the continent. Secondly, it provided Mpumalanga with an opportunity to leverage international technical expertise in the design and operationalisation of a working model.

This has allowed the Department to design a sustainable provincial ICT strategy which will be rolled out in 2008/09 financial year.

Quality Improvement and Development (QIDS UP PROJECT)

The quality improvement project saw 300 primary schools participating in this three year QIDS UP. All 300 schools were chosen from the poorest quintiles, with each targeted to receive substantial education related packages.

The Department was able to deliver to the first 300 schools a number of packages including:

* 1 092 educators from Foundation Phase trained in the teaching of numeracy
* 300 educators trained in the teaching of reading
* 584 numeracy kits for all their grades 2 and 3
* 200 literacy kits for their grade R classes
* 700 grade 2 educators trained in baseline assessment of numeracy
* 300 life skills kits for grades R to 2
* two schools in Nkangala were fully furbished
* 10 special schools provided with Braille reading material
* 100 schools targeted to receive 25 computers each.

2008 priorities

We therefore enter 2008, Madam Speaker, with a sound portfolio of quality achievements. This budget seeks to build on these achievements but equally bring on board new quality indicators that must take the system to new heights.

Making the national curriculum work for the schooling system

Our main objective in 2008 is to make curriculum work, and therefore a living experience for our schooling system. Our primary focus will be on improving the quality of education outcomes throughout the value chain of teaching and learning.

Improving conditions of service

As we transform the content and substance of our classroom, we came to realise that our success depends on two factors, namely; the conditions of service for our educators and the quality of their professional content. We are taking strides in 2008 to address these challenges.

This will allow us to retain and attract the best educators for our province, taking into account unfavourable rates of attrition in all corners of the country.

Our starting point is to build on a good and sound portfolio of incentives for the profession. In 2008 we are declaring 4 023 posts as incentive posts that will receive additional salary incentives for scarce subjects and posts located in difficult or hard to teach conditions.

The incentive is calculated using a Ministerial Determination gazetted on the 18 January. It is calculated at 10% entry notch of salary level 7. Calculated on an allocation of R43,06 million this year, the Department will be able to fund these 4 023 posts.

The criteria for qualification will be based on the geo-social factors, as well as trajectories of demand and supply of scarce subjects such as Maths and Science. The idea is to incentivise posts, not the incumbent in order to attract best teachers to the most rural and hard to teach corners of our province.

Our second line of re-dress on conditions of service is the implementation of Occupation Specific Dispensation (OSD) provisions agreed upon at Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC).

The package is vast and includes:

* recognition of professional qualification
* creation of teaching assistant posts
* improvement of salary packages for principals
* salary improvements for both school based and office based educators
* creation of learning specialists posts
* revised norms for circuit managers.

However, for 2008, the ELRC has agreed on a minimum of 4% to be paid to all educators with effect from 1 January 2008. We have therefore allocated an amount of R164 million for the implementation of the first phase of OSD. This was already paid by the 29th of May 2008.

Our third line of march will be the upgrading of principal posts and support staff posts in public schools. We allocated an amount of R46 million for this purpose. We are awaiting the signing of the Agreement in the Education Labour Relations Council.

Lastly, we are targeting to lower workloads in the teaching of mathematics and science in our focus schools. In 2008, we will start with all Dinaledi schools, by employing additional 88 mathematics and science educators to support effective teaching of these subjects.

Ligbron Wireless Interactive Smart Board teaching methodologies

Conditions of service alone, Madam Speaker will not make a huge difference without huge investments in modernising our pedagogy infrastructure. In 2008, we are launching a massive wireless interactive smart board teaching methodology, conceived within the realm of provincial information and communication technology (ICT) strategy.

Through a partnership with ABSA and the Premier Science Education Award, the Department will be officially launching this high-tech wireless ICT facility at Ligbron Academy of Technology, Umzimvelo and Camden Combined Schools in the Ermelo area of Gert Sibande region, on 19 June 2008.

The intention is to support ICT based interactive learning opportunities for educators and learners through:

* live transmissions of mathematics, science, ICT and technology lessons to a group of schools in a 40 km radius
* classroom embedded peer teaching and peer mentoring and support mechanism
* ICT based distance support opportunities for educators and learners in rural schools to improve the quality of classroom lesson lessons.

Each of these schools has met the following requirements:

* a local area network (LAN) connectivity
* internet access
* hardware and software
* a LAN connected cameras
* a LAN connected speakers
* interactive smart boards
* reliable electricity supply

Columbus Technologies has been appointed as central server provider, with a responsibility for general software update.

Outcomes for education are huge and enormous, including:

* knowledge management and sharing experiences within and between institutions
* bridging the urban-rural digital divide
* teacher development and professional capacitation
* quality teaching and learning

You are all invited to the launch in Gert Sibande.

Mathematics and Science infrastructure development

Later in the year, the Department in partnership with Anglo Coal, is further opening a Science, Career Guidance and ICT Centre at Emalahleni Municipality. This Centre will provide a 'one-stop-educational-facility' that would stimulate interest in science and technology and provide information to educators and learners about career guidance, subject choices and job requirements.

The programme intends to provide learning opportunities for educators and learners, as well as support schools to evolve into institutions that serve the learning needs of the many partners in the education system.

Introduction of reading and numeracy strategy

Madam Speaker, information and communication technology (ICT) and science infrastructure alone will not yield the phenomenal results we are yearning for, without improving our learner reading and numeracy proficiency levels.

We are benchmarking against best practices, both nationally and internationally, taking the cue from our performance in the National Systemic Evaluation, the regional Southern African Consortium on Monitoring Education Quality (SACMEQ) studies, as well as the internationally acclaimed Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) studies.

We consequently designed a Provincial Reading Strategy for delivery in 2008. We are targeting 887 schools to receive library reading packs, and the Department has set aside R27 million for this projects.

We are also piggy backing on the resources in the QIDS UP project for bigger impact. Policy is afoot for the introduction of a compulsory Reading Hour in Mpumalanga. It will be called: "Drop all and read".

Reading will be further bolstered this year by the promotion of indigenous languages usage and integration in school curriculum. The Department is establishing an Advisory Council for Promotion of Indigenous Languages in schools to advise the MEC for Education on all issues relating to indigenous languages promotion in public education.

Improving physical infrastructure

All of the above Madam Speaker will require decent learning spaces and suitable classrooms. However, the delivery of physical infrastructure in the province remains one of the sore points in our expenditure.

Our assessment is that the challenge is broader than institutional arrangements between two departments but includes problems in the construction industry itself. This is calling for a strategy review and re-alignment of institutional arrangements.

The Department has taken up a serious discussion with the Department of Public Works on a turnaround strategy and recommendations will be forwarded to the Executive Council in due course.

However, in the 2008/09 financial year, we are allocating an amount of R439,2 million to deal with a number of categories in infrastructure delivery.

In its broadest sense the allocation is designed to start addressing anomalies of apartheid spatial and architectural framework.

Our starting point is the closure of long standing infrastructure projects arising from the 2004 - 2006 financial years. Legislation is very clear on how we should deal with outstanding matters arising from these projects. We have allocated almost R9 million to deal with these closures.

In the overall we are kicking off 2008/09 financial year with implementation our new school models. We are piloting with the two Mettaffin Schools removed for the 2010 stadium and have allocated R48 million for this purpose.

Our primary target this year is to complete the planning and design aspect for 13 new schools based on the new models. R15 million has been allocated for this purpose.

These are inclusive model schools with all facilities in one, i.e. classrooms, laboratories, computer centres, sporting fields, as well as extra mural facilities.

All storm-damaged schools will receive our urgent attention, and an amount of R120 million has been allocated for this category. The Department equally recognises and takes into account cost implications of modernising while repairing storm damages. Our assessment is that some of these storm-damaged schools will need a complete rebuilding.

In partnership with the Department of Public Works, we are also focussing on removing unsafe and inappropriate structures in education over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). Over the MTEF, Treasury is availing R2,7 billion nationally to eradicate unsafe structures. In the 2008/09 financial year, Mpumalanga will receive an amount of R31 million to replace unsafe structures, with twofold increases in the outer two years respectively.

In the interest of building local capacity, the Department has earmarked R14,8 million for the Sakhabaki projects, which is a special allocation for projects undertaken by small contractors.

Our 18 special schools have been inherently neglected to date. I am pleased to announce that an amount of R33 million has been dedicated to resolve these backlogs. In addition, the QIDS UP programme has been allocated over R17 million to address their infrastructure challenges.

Renovations and maintenance projects, which have been ignored for years, will receive a R45 million injection to support maintenance. The traditional alterations and additions will be limited to R111 million this financial year.

Scholar transport

The second biggest challenge in the Department is provisioning of scholar transport. We took strides to deal with normalisation of scholar transport at two levels. The first one is the administration of the scheme in the Department. Our investigation processes have revealed cases of fruitless expenditure and fraudulent activities.

The Department has charged all affected officials for internal disciplinary hearings, and these will be chaired by an external agent. The Commercial Crimes Unit has impounded all crucial documents for protection of evidence. They will bring us on board in terms of progress.

The second area is the re-engineering of the system in line with policy. A great deal of progress has been made in this regard. In partnership with the Department of Roads and Transport we have already:

* drafted a Memorandum of Understanding on the broad framework of co-operation between the two MECs
* drafted a service level agreement between the two Heads of Department for areas of collaboration.

The agreement entails a closely monitored process of procurement monitoring that will see joint co-operation in:

* tender specification
* tender evaluation
* tender adjudication

Madam Speaker, this collaboration between the two departments is long overdue as Roads and Transport is a custodian of public transportation, whether in terms of general public or school children. New contracts will therefore be closely monitored including:

* general adherence to law
* vehicle suitability as prescribed in law
* routing systems and validation of routes
* authenticity of beneficiaries
* learner identification systems
* safety and security matters

The Department of Roads and Transport is working on its capacity requirements for this new obligation.

The Department of Education has finalised drafting the policy framework. Our view, Madam Speaker, is that a long term solution is broader than provisioning of scholar transport, and goes into issues of:

* rationalisation of small schools to mainstream scholar transport demands
* provisioning of bigger boarding schools where economically viable to cater for farm schools
* curriculum extensions where learners are in search for better curriculum offerings.

We are therefore, Madam Speaker, putting a proposal for Executive Council consideration in order to procure new contracts.

National School Nutrition Programme

School nutrition is our third area of mainstreaming this financial year. The main concern is the quality of food our children are getting and levels of accountability in the current system. We will stick to the norms and standards provided for in the policy framework and set up accountability mechanisms. This is a matter picked up the Auditor General in the 2006/07 financial year.

In 2008 the Department will increase the number of feeding days from 159 to 190, reaching 573 000 learners. The honoraria for the unemployed mothers will also increase to R21 per day. In January 2009, the scheme will be extended to the poorest secondary schooling sections.

Sports, arts and culture in schools

Madam speaker, if our learners are to excel at what they do, they need to lead a balanced life. As a Department, it is not only our responsibility to see to their academic needs, but to also see to their social needs, to promote social cohesion.

To this end, we want to congratulate the schools that participated in the recently held Eisteddfod Provincial Choir Competitions, and to further pledge our support to those that will be representing the province in the national finals.

I wish to recognise the presence of the Amadlelo duet choristers and the ensemble, which will be representing the province in the national finals to be held from the 3rd to the 6th of July 2008.

Undoubtedly, Madam Speaker, Mpumalanga as a province has a long way to go towards getting the necessary prestige as far as sports in general is concerned, and school sports in particular.

I think I will be speaking for all of us in saying we pride ourselves as a province with what Mpumalanga Black Aces has achieved this year, with Francois Vermaak, the under 19 110 mitres hurdle South African Champion, Frans Schutte the under 15 discuss SA Champion and we want to see more of such sportsman and women come out of our province.

We thus have a challenge as a Department to nurture young talent from an early age, and our schools should become sports havens.

We challenge sportsman and women from the province, to partner with us as we seek to develop our learners in this domain. We pride ourselves on their achievements in the national and international sporting scene, the likes of Sipho Ngomane, Josiah Thugwane, Surprise Moriri, Phiri Ngomane, We will be engaging further with the Department of Culture, Sports and Recreation to create sustainable programmes hereon.

Life skills: HIV/AIDS education

The current programme on HIV/AIDS is largely based on education and life skills angle. In the 2008/09 financial year, we are targeting to broaden the scope including:

* turning 400 schools into centres of care and support for orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs)
* capacitate 3 400 educators on sexuality education, care and support of vulnerable children
* launch awareness campaigns to address the plight of orphans and vulnerable children.

Recapitalisation of Further Education and Training (FET) Colleges

The recapitalisation of FET Colleges is now focussing on the rollout of the New National Vocational Curriculum. It rolls out side by side with recapitalisation of infrastructure and capacitation of lecturers to deliver programmes that are relevant and responsive to labour market needs.

The following programmes will be offered:

* civil engineering
* electrical infrastructure construction
* engineering and related design
* marketing
* finance, economics and accounting
* management
* office administration
* tourism
* hospitality
* information technology; and
* primary agriculture.

The target for 2008 is to double the number of learners to be enrolled from 1 901 to 3 802. The increase in learner intake seeks to capture as much matriculants as possible as the region has no university. Further Education and Training (FET) Colleges are therefore geared to train them, as well as ensure that such training leads to employment or self employment.

Partnerships in education

Honourable members, when the congress of the people in 1955 pronounced through the Freedom Charter that the doors of education and learning shall be open for all, it actually made a call to all of us to make education a jewel of our society. This has actual meaning and relevance to South Africa given where we come from as a nation.

As Mpumalanga Department of Education, we want to call on the private sector and the business community to come forth and partner with us in a pioneering spirit as we discharge our responsibility to deliver quality public education.

By virtue of education being a national subject, even an international asset, the state must mobilise society in general to have a hand and partake in the delivery of quality education.

Budget allocation

Madame Speaker, below is the budget breakdown for 2008/09 and I am therefore requesting this honourable house to support it.

* the total budget is R8 934 billion.
* the personnel: non personnel split is 78:22
* educator: non educator split is 88:12
* conditional grants are R361 226

Below is a programme by program breakdown (R'000)
* Programme 1: Administration: 1 010 604
* Programme 2: Public Ordinary Subsidies: 7 227 282
* Programme 3: Independent Schools: 12 500
* Programme 4: Public Special Schools Education: 158 051
* Programme 5: Further Education and Training: 215 935
* Programme 6: Adult Basic Education: 94 598
* Programme 7: Early Childhood Development: 91 551
* Programme 8: Auxiliary Associated Services: 93 711
* Total: 8 934 232

Word of gratitude

Finally, allow me to extend my greatest gratitude to the Honourable Premier, Mr TSP Makwetla and the colleagues in the Executive Council for continuing to support the work we do and giving guidance at all times. Indeed if we are to succeed, the education enterprise has to be everyone's business.

I wish to thank MEC Masango for having laid the foundation for the provision of quality public education.

Many thanks go to the members of the Portfolio Committee responsible for Education headed by Mr Screamer Sikhosana, the members in the Provincial Legislature, for their oversight role and continued guidance.

To the Head of Department, Ntate Tywakadi and your team, you undoubtedly have the zeal, the passion and the knowledge to take the Education Department to new heights, I urge you to continue doing the good work and to drive the commitment to Business Unusual for the whole Department.

It is our view that quality education begins at home, and to this end I want to thank my family for their continued support.

Similarly, Madam Speaker, I am ever indebted to the corporate business of the province through the Mpumalanga Education Development Trust.

On 16 June 1976, Hector Peterson was the first of hundreds of students killed by police in the Soweto student uprising against Bantu Education and the seemingly invincible apartheid state.

The best form of remembrance that we can give to these heroes and heroines of our struggle as we will be commemorating 32 years of the Soweto uprisings, is to solidify our democratic gains in all forms, to continuously strive for the improvement of the quality of education outcomes throughout the value chain of teaching and learning.

In conclusion, madam speaker, I want us to ponder on the following poem by Maya Angelou entitled: Still I Rise;

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room

Just like moons and like suns
With the certainty of tides
Just like hopes springing high
Still I'll rise

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave
I am the dream and the hope of the slave
I rise
I rise
I rise.

Our unwavering resolve to create a better life for all shall and will always propel us to RISE!!

Kea leboha!!

Issued by: Department of Education, Mpumalanga Provincial Government