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Keynote Address at KZN Education Stakeholders Forum

ADDRESS BY MR NAREND SINGH, KWAZULU-NATAL MINISTER OF EDUCATION AND CULTURE, AT THE OPENING OF THE KWAZULU-NATAL EDUCATION STAKEHOLDERS FORUM IN THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE, DURBAN, ON THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2003

The Programme Director, Mrs. ES Nzimande; the Hon. Premier of the Province of KwaZulu-Natal, Dr LPHM Mtshali; Hon. Members of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature; members of the Consular Corps present; captains of commerce and industry present; the Chief Executive Officer of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education, Prof. CRM Dlamini; distinguished delegates; senior managers and managers of the Department; other distinguished guests; ladies and Gentlemen. 

I BID you all welcome and I thank you for making available your time to participate in this Forum which, I believe, is poised to make a great contribution to education in the province and, by extension, to the future progress and well-being of all of us in KwaZulu-Natal. I think this is the first time ever in South Africa that so many stakeholders in education have been brought together for their input to future strategy, and I am confident that you will, every one of you, leave here knowing your time was well spent. I thank the Hon Premier also for his uplifting keynote address. I believe we are indeed fortunate to have in this province a Premier who not only energetically supports the advance of education, but intimately understands it as well.

Ladies and gentlemen, in a sense I am the new kid on the block. My first public duty after taking responsibility for the Portfolio of Education and Culture was on April 26 this year when I spoke at a graduation ceremony at the University of Zululand. I took the opportunity then of setting out what I have in mind for education. (Although new on the block I had been keeping an interested eye from the next block). I offered a checklist of areas which I felt needed attention if we were to make headway toward providing quality education for all in this Province. I repeat them now:

• A streamlining of procurement processes and making them more effective.

• A replication of existing pockets of excellence.

• Celebration of the cultural diversity of our province.

• Encouragement of sports and extra-curricula learning activities.

• Development and enhancement of partnership with all stakeholders in education.

• Urgent attention to classroom backlogs.

I also promised at the time to convene a Stakeholders Forum so that all concerned with education could make their input in a practical way.  Today’s gathering is the fulfillment of that promise.

As I say, ladies and gentlemen, at that stage I was the new kid on the block. I am delighted to say that, since I made that speech, I have discovered that all kinds of quiet, unheralded progress already had been made, and for that I pay tribute to my predecessors in political office and to the officials who have carried it through. I would like to briefly enumerate these areas of progress.

As far as streamlining procurement and delivery goes, a system known as RAIN – Resource And Information Network – has been developed for us by the Media in Information Trust, with the financial support of the Royal Netherlands Embassy. RAIN distributes information and resources to all 6 000 schools in the province and, since inception in April last year, has achieved a 98% success rate in deliveries made on time. I think that is a wonderful achievement, given a history of non-delivery of textbooks and stationery in certain areas, and I think all involved deserve our congratulations.

With regard to forming partnerships, the case of RAIN, which I have just mentioned is an excellent example. However, it is not just a once-off thing. In 1998 the Department went into a strategic partnership with leading members of the Corporate Sector to form the KwaZulu-Natal Education Development Trust, which engages with the Private Sector, overseas governments, the international donor agencies and - increasingly, these days – with local government to secure funding for all manner of educational projects, including Education Resource Centres which bring to the deep rural districts facilities such as computers and science laboratories which surrounding disadvantaged schools can share. The Trust has raised about R35 million in the five years of its existence, to fund some 30 projects. It has kept a low profile over the years but I believe that is about to change. At a dinner in Durban recently to celebrate its fifth birthday, some very powerful members of the Corporate Sector expressed strong interest in becoming involved.

And, of course, there is the other partnership – with yourselves, the people from all walks of life who have a stake in education and have come here today to make your input.

I believe we are about to make progress with the encouragement of sports. My Department has been heavily involved in the reorganisation of karate in KwaZulu-Natal and in arrangements for the Karate World Cup which is to be held right here at the ICC in Durban in September. Also, I believe we need to consider the possibility of establishing Sports Academies in this province, on the Australian model. I believe we could start sports academies at schools level, where learners could combine their academic activities with expert coaching and training. They could be selected for such academies on the basis of early talent and placed in them to develop their talent in the company of like-minded individuals, honing their prowess by competition. Such academies should preferably have boarding facilities, and I believe the unutilised Springfield and Esakhawini Teacher Training Colleges would be ideal for conversion into Sports Academies.

I believe this is an idea which needs to be explored, and for that reason I have invited sports organisations to be with us. I hope we have the opportunity over the next two days to give this serious discussion.

I note that the national Minister of Sport has suggested a Sports Academy at national level as well. I am not sure whether he means a post-school Academy, but I imagine he does. To my mind, there should be no clash of interest between Sports Academies at provincial schools level and a national one. They would rather complement one another, I should think.

Then, ladies and gentlemen, I come to the issue I raised at the University of Zululand of classroom building. Here I am glad to be able to report really significant progress.

Firstly, my Department’s budgeted spending on infrastructure – which means schools and extra classrooms - is on an upward trend. This year we have R452 million budgeted for that purpose. In 2004/2005 it will be R577 million in terms of our Medium-Term Expenditure Framework. In 2005/2006 it will be R653 million.

However, those increases alone will not wipe out the backlog we have in KwaZulu-Natal of some 14 000 classrooms – not quickly enough anyway. It would take about 10 years. We need to move faster because while teachers are holding classes under trees and when classrooms leak and have no windows, quality education for all is a pipedream.

But we might have found the answer. Only this week, ladies and gentlemen, the Department, with the blessing of three other provincial departments – Finance, Economic Development and Tourism and Public Works – entered an agreement which promises to significantly fast-track the school-building programme.

A service agreement has been entered into with the Ithala Development Finance Corporation, in terms of which it will build 18 new schools for the Department by March next year. I emphasise, that is a firm commitment. Ithala has a track record in building factories, shopping centres and other commercial premises and it has to deliver on time. That is 18 entirely new schools we would otherwise not have had, ladies and gentlemen. The contract will be funded by R100 million taken from this year’s budgeted figure of R452 million. And I must emphasise also that the Department of Public Works – which remains our main agent of implementation – will continue with its own programme of building and maintaining schools on our behalf.

The same day this agreement was entered into this week, we were able to announce funding of R40 million (which is also from our budgeted R452 million for infrastructure) for the Independent Development Trust, which is to embark on a classroom-building programme on our behalf.

This means a freeing up of R140 million for immediate building projects, ladies and gebntlemen. It means three service providers working on removing the backlog instead of only one. Surely this is the way to go. If these agreements succeed – as I am sure they will – we will be in a very much stronger position to argue for increased budgets for school and classroom building, and the day we wipe out the deficit could be closer than we imagined. And remember, ladies and gentlemen: a backlog is a thing that, once you wipe it out, is gone for good!

I am glad to be able to give you information, as we go into our two-day Forum, which is positive. I hope it encourages all of you to be correspondingly positive in your discussions. However, I would like to give you just one more item of good news.

In this year’s Budget we have managed to reduce the proportion spent on personnel by some 5%. This reduction is crucial because it frees up massive funding for improvement in all kinds of ways of the quality of education we are able to offer. Given that the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education is second only to the national Department of Defence in the size of its budget (and perhaps we are only second because we don’t buy submarines), 5% is highly significant.

Ladies and gentlemen, nobody should underestimate the challenges which bear down on us. But I really do believe we are getting over the hump. We have recovered from the near-chaotic and badly under-funded days immediately after 1994. I believe we have steadied the ship. Now it is for all of us here today to complete that steadying process and set the course.

Today we set the scene. We will listen to presentations on 12 key functions of the Department. Management want to take you, the Stakeholders, into their confidence. They will tell you what the issues are, as they see it, their functions, priorities and the principles that drive their thinking. You will be free to put questions of clarification

Tomorrow the process opens up. We will deliberate in breakaway groups on themes of particular interest. The Forum Committee has consulted widely and selected a number of themes so that the process has structure. The themes are listed in the documents before you and on the walls about you. But you are not limited to these themes.  If something else is on your mind, please speak up because we want to hear from you.

There are still two spaces free, in terms of discussion themes, for people to make a choice. My suggestion is that a group should choose Sports as one theme and another group Arts, Culture and Museums, so that these very important areas get full discssion as well.

We also have a Graffiti Wall where you are invited to put any comments you might wish on any issue of education, or indeed about this Forum process. You may do so anonymously or you may put your name.  I encourage you to make use of the Graffiti Wall. We want to record your comments and make sense of them. 

I would now like to take the opportunity to address myself in particular to the learners here today. Do not be overawed by all the adults. This is your Forum. Speak up and say what needs to be said. Remember, you represent some 2.7 million of your fellow learners. This is a huge responsibility - use it wisely. Don’t let them down. You are our future as a society and we will listen to you. 

My appeal is that we go into this discussion with open minds and in a constructive spirit. Let us avoid animosities and bickerings rooted in the past. Above all, let us avoid allowing education to be made some kind of political football. This gathering is a first in South Africa. Let us make sure it succeeds. What we achieve here over the next two days is certain to play into the years ahead. Let us not be judged harshly by future generations.

Finally, I express gratitude to the several sponsors from the private sector who have made it possible for us to meet in this world class Convention Centre. Without their financial support it would have been impossible. I would also like to thank those members of the private sector – the universities included – who have agreed to facilitate the group discussions at no cost whatever to the Department. This confirms to me that people outside the Department are also committed to making education a success in our province. I would also like to thank the Forum Organising Committee for their many hours of dedication and hard work which are at last coming to fruition.

I would also like to thank the Premier, the Cabinet and the Portfolio Committee for the steadfast support they are giving me and my Department as we tackle the issues of education.

I conclusion, I look forward to the recommendations that will come from the Forum. I emphasise that this should not be construed as any intention on my part - as political head of the Department - or of the Department itself to abdicate from our responsibilities in education. The Department always will be the key provider. However, there is also a great wisdom in listening and drawing on the insights of others. We in the Department of Education have no monopoly on resources or wisdom, and for that reason the contribution you as delegates are going to make over the next two days is considered to be of vital importance.

Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you again for your presence here and I thank you for your attention.

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