2008 Policy and Budget Speech
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 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
- H.E. Martins, top candidate in Mathematics
- A.Z. 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
Hoer Skool 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 Witwateraad (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 Debators 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 Lydenburg Hoër skool and Enthios Christian High in
Lydenburg respectively.
In the National Teacher Awards, which recognises
excellence in teaching and leadership in our schools, Ms
Freda Poo of Emfundweni Primary School scooped 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 scooped the Ubuncweti Award
for the establishment of a Dial-in-tutoring program 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.
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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 costed us R119m, after recovering R149million. 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 KZN, 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 focussed 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 R 711
- Quintile 3 is R 581
- Quintile 4 is R 388
- Quintile 5 is R 129
Based on this sliding scale of targeted funding, the
national policy recommends R 581 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 1440,
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
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 programs 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 6. Of
these 372 000 are under the age of 5, 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 1061.
In the 2008/2009 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
EPWP component. Practitioners such as child-minders, cooks
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 1650
learners by recruiting 1752 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 programs 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 ICT TO SCHOOLS
In 2007 a high profile continental pilot called 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 17 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
2008/2009 financial year.
Quality Improvement and Development (QIDS UP PROJECT)
The quality improvement project saw 300 primary schools
participating in this 3 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:
- 1092 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
- 2 schools in Nkangala were fully furbished
- 10 Special Schools provided with Braille reading
material
- 100 schools targeted to receive 25 computers each.
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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 Math 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.
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 01 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 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 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 the 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 40km
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 have met the following requirements
- Local Area Network connectivity
- Internet access
- Hardware and software
- LAN connected cameras
- 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.
MATH AND SCIENCE INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
Later in the year, the Department in partnership with Anglo
Coal is further opening a Science, Career Guidance & 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 program 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, 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 SACMEQ
studies, as well as the internationally acclaimed 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 R 27
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 2008/2009 financial year we are
allocating an amount of R 439, 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 R 9million to deal with these
closures.
In the overall we are kicking off 2008/2009 financial year
with implementation our new school models. We are
piloting with the two Mettaffin Schools removed for the 2010
stadium and have allocated R 48 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 R 120 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 MTEF. Over the MTEF
Treasury is availing R 2, 7 billion nationally to eradicate
unsafe structures. In the 2008/2009 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 R 45 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 cooperation 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 2006/2007 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 presents 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 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 110m
hurdle SA 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 program on HIV/AIDS is largely based on
education and life skills angle. In the 2008/2009 financial
year we are targeting to broaden the scope including:
- Turning 400 Schools into centres of care and support
for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC’s)
- 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 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 Admin
- Tourism
- Hospitality
- Information Technology and
- Primary Agriculture
The target for 2008 is to double the number of learners
to be enrolled from 1901 to 3802. The increase in learner
intake seeks to capture as much matriculants as possible as
the region has no university. 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 a 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 program by program breakdown |
(’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: Auxilliary 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 June 16, 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 32yrs 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!!
MRS EM COLEMAN
MEC FOR EDUCATION
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