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Keynote Address at KZN Education Stakeholders Forum

KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY DR LPHM MTSHALI, PREMIER OF KWAZULU-NATAL, AT THE OPENING OF THE KWAZULU-NATAL EDUCATION STAKEHOLDERS FORUM AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE, DURBAN, ON THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2003.

My Cabinet colleague Mr Narend Singh, Minister of Education and Culture; Members of the Consular Corps present; leaders of the Private Sector present; Professor Charles Dlamini, Chief Executive Officer of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education; distinguished Delegates, representing as you do the widest cross-section of Stakeholders in Education; other senior officials of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education; other distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen,

THANK you for being here, all of you. I believe this is the first time ever in South Africa that such a cross-section has been brought together of those who have an interest in furthering education. That alone makes today a momentous occasion, and I believe you have the opportunity over the next two days to fashion an approach to education that will set this province well on its way to providing equal opportunities for all and uplifting those who have been disadvantaged by history. At the outset I would like to take this opportunity of congratulating the Minister of Education and Culture, Mr Narend Singh, on having the vision to convene such a gathering and I have no doubt that, once this Forum’s deliberations are over, he and his team of officials will waste no time in following through.

Ladies and gentlemen, some of you will know that my professional background is in education. For that reason alone I have been following with close interest developments in and around education in KwaZulu-Natal over recent weeks. These include the going public with its achievements for the first time of the KwaZulu-Natal Education Development Trust, which has forged a very worthwhile partnership with the private sector, overseas governments and international donor agencies; plus the announcement only days ago of significant measures to speed up the delivery of new schools and extra classrooms. As an educationist I find these developments most interesting and encouraging.

However, I speak to you today as Premier of the province of KwaZulu-Natal, where I have a wider responsibility for the upliftment and progress of all its peoples, especially those who have been disadvantaged. In this respect my Government has developed a Provincial Growth and Development Strategy, which has Six Priorities. I list them:

• The eradication of poverty and inequality.
• Managing the impact of HIV/Aids and reducing its spread.
• Re-engineering and enhancing service delivery in government.
• Investing in infrastructure.
• Strengthening of governance; and
• Development of human capability.

Ladies and gentlemen, I see education as absolutely central to those Priorities.

Until we have a skilled and educated workforce who are able to be gainfully employed in the formal economy, we will not eradicate poverty and inequality. That will not be achieved without quality education, targeted on post-school employment. Nor will the disadvantaged be able to progress to managerial and entrepreneurial positions without the benefit of quality education.

I see schools as primary sites for the education of the population in the dangers of HIV/Aids and the counter-measures which need to be taken, including changes in lifestyle. And I also see successful schools as the means of giving young people hope for the future, goals and objectives in life and an alternative to the dissipated lifestyles – caused mainly by frustration and lack of hope – within which HIV/Aids flourishes.

To me the very fact that you are here today to forge a new consensus on the way ahead in education tells me that re-engineering and enhancement of service delivery are well in progress within the Department of Education.

Our school-building programme, in which at least 18 new schools are to be built by next March, is in itself a major investment in infrastructure.

The Department is getting on top of the very difficult challenges inherited in 1994 when it had to knit together six fprevious departments, set standards and provide services, with hopelessly inadequate funding. Governance is clearly being strengthened.

And education by definition addresses the development of human capability. In this respect I know the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education addresses itself not just to children who are learners but to adult education as well. That equips adults to better themselves to earn a better living and generate self-respect, which brings us back to the first Priority of the eradication of poverty and inequality.

Ladies and gentlemen, quality education is quite obviously the key to the success of this province of ours – economically and socially – and I am delighted to be able to observe the vigour with which it is being pursued by the current Minister, Mr Narend Singh and his officials, and the innovative thought which is going into it. Today’s gathering is proof enough of that. And I am delighted to learn also that the private sector has contributed significantly to the hosting of this two-day event. That tells me we are already in a constructive partnership.

I believe education is beginning to turn the corner in KwaZulu-Natal from those rather desperate days soon after 1994 when the challenges seemed to bear down on us like tidal waves, threatening to swamp and sink us. Strategic partnerships have been formed to find new and innovative ways to surmount the problems. I detect a new confidence among senior officials.

And I must say I am most impressed by the open and transparent way in which the affairs of the Department are being conducted. To call together all the Stakeholders – all the role-players – so that all can have an input to determining the future in education is not just a first in South Africa, is not just democratic, it indicates a most open and constructive frame of mind. Also, it makes absolute sense. Every one of you here today in some way has a stake in education and in its success. Every one of you has at least one good idea to share.

This Forum I see as a pooling of the professional skills of our educators and administrators with the wisdom of an entire cross-section of the community. Something worthwhile and effective must surely come out of it. Again I congratulate Minister Singh and his officials on this pioneering venture, and I congratulate all of you on being here. I think you have the opportunity over the next two days to fashion a Strategic Plan for education that will last us well into the future; also to become part of it yourselves and to see that it succeeds.

I wish you well in your deliberations and I thank you for your attention.

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