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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:
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A streamlining of procurement processes and making them
more effective.
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A replication of existing pockets of excellence.
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Celebration of the cultural diversity of our province.
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Encouragement of sports and extra-curricula learning
activities.
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Development and enhancement of partnership with all
stakeholders in education.
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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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