Date: 13/06/2003
Source: Mpumalanga Provincial Government
Title: Mahlangu: Launch of Premier's Mathematics, Science & Technology Trust Fund
KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY PREMIER NJ MAHLANGU, AT THE LAUNCH OF THE PREMIER'S MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TRUST FUND, Middelburg, Friday, 13 June 2003
Master of Ceremonies
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Education MEC Craig Padayachee
Officials from the National and Provincial
Education Departments
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
I should like first of all to thank and congratulate the task team that worked tirelessly over many months to make tonight possible and for translating our dream of a Trust Fund into a reality.
My gratitude and thanks are due particularly to staff from my office, the Provincial Department of Education and the sponsors.
You are great patriots. If your spouses are here today I am sure they do take pride in the wonderful work you did all those nights away from them.
Thank you.
Ladies and gentlemen, when President Thabo Mbeki delivered the State of the Nation's Address in Cape Town in February 2002, he observed that our country had a continuing task of pushing back the frontiers of poverty and expand access to a better life for all.
He appealed to all of us to rollup our sleeves and lend a hand in the national effort to build a better life for all South Africans.
This, the President said, we should do by offering our time and skills to the nation, as LETSEMA volunteers for reconstruction and development.
I am glad that all of us listened and acted when the President urged us to push back the frontiers of poverty. Indeed we put our shoulders to the wheel to accelerate the pace of change. But more needs to be done.
One of the ways in which we can continue to make a dent on grinding poverty and reduce the unemployment levels, is by paying serious attention to the challenge of human resource development.
Like our country Mpumalanga is faced with the challenges of poverty and underdevelopment. Added to that is the challenge of catching up with the developed world, especially on the important issue of modern technology, which is the driving force of today's economies.
In one of its founding documents the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), states:
"Information and communication technologies, driven by the convergence of computers, telecommunications and traditional media, are crucial for the knowledge- based economy of the future"
It goes on to say that the goals of achieving a Common Market and an African Union can benefit immensely from the revolution in information technology.
This is a clear indication that our education system need to produce more people who are geared towards the sciences.
People who are simply standing still will be left further behind as the pace of scientific discovery continues to accelerate.
The critical question we need to ask is whether our education system is geared towards competing on an equal footing with the best on the continent and the global world.
As we battle to undo the damage of years of apartheid education, we need to simultaneously gear our education system towards the future.
In his book titled How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, Walter Rodney points out that:
"Education is crucial in any type of society for the preservation of the lives of its members and the maintenance of the social structure."
The most crucial aspect of pre-colonial African education was its relevance to Africans in sharp contrast with that which was later introduced that is, under colonialism.
"The main purpose of colonial school system was to train Africans to participate in the domination and exploitation of the continent as a whole . . . Colonial education was education for subordination, exploitation, the creation of mental confusion and the development of underdevelopment".
It is little wonder that because of Apartheid most of the scientific research and technological development today is done by ageing white males.
This anomaly clearly sends out a message to us that if we are to respond adequately to the challenges our province and our country faces, we need to replace them with younger and more representative scientists.
Believe me: Our need for a younger and more representative group of When we take into account that Bantu education targeted specifically the underdevelopment of African teachers, who are now responsible for education delivery to the majority of our youth, the task seems even more daunting.
That we need teachers who are technologically advanced and who are continuously engaged in a process of improving their capacity so as to be in a better position to impart the relevant skills to learners cannot be over-emphasised.
But we also need to ensure that our learners perform better in the critical subjects such as mathematics and science.
Someone once said that Mathematics is the essence of human attempts to discover and describe order in the universe and embodies a human need to define relationships between objects and find predictable patterns in nature.
Mathematics is a wondrous area of study and is unique because it is both a discipline by itself and one of a few "gateway" areas of knowledge. A basic understanding of mathematics is required in all other areas of scientific inquiry.
Be it in economics, communication, medicine, agriculture, defence and many others.
In addition, mathematics frequently provides the basis for advances within scientific disciplines.
Ladies and gentlemen, today we know now things that we couldn't have ever known before because of what science is teaching us.
When we talk about creating a better life for all or pushing back the frontiers of poverty, it may sound very abstract to some.
In order to determine how many hospital beds we need or how big a water reservoir we need to build for a new area, we need data.
This data has to be collected and compiled by our scientists so as to enable our technologists and engineers to design and erect a reservoir. Therefore it is no exaggeration that science, technology and engineering play an important part in our everyday lives.
We also need scientists to do research in relevant areas if we are to respond to the energy requirements of our province or become smart buyers and developers of the rapidly developing technology.
Ladies and gentlemen, the need to bridge the technological divide has been emphasised over and over again. But that does not mean that we shouldn't talk about it tonight.
If we ever hope to compete as equals in the global world, then we need to pay greater attention to the issues of developing our technological skills.
As I said, we need these skills in order to adequately respond to the challenges facing us in all spheres of our existence, be it in economics, communication, medicine, agriculture, defence and many others.
So I think that it is almost impossible to exaggerate the responsibility and the opportunity of our scientists to do what has to be done to continue to grow our economy at a brisk rate.
But at all times doing it in such a way as to reduce the negative impact on the environment.
To the young people here tonight, and to their peers in high schools, colleges, technikons and at university, seize this moment to strengthen our province for the African Century by expanding our commitment to discovery.
We need to ensure that sooner, rather than later, we have a cure for diseases such as cancer and HIV/AIDS.
You need to ensure that our children and you are permanently protected from the ravages of TB, Kwashiokor, Diarohhea, Polio, Malaria and SARS.
But always remember that the extraordinary promise of science and technology carries with it extraordinary responsibilities for those who seek to advance the promise.
I sincerely believe that for our province to make the necessary and meaningful progress with regard to the many socio-economic challenges that we face, we need skilled and appropriately trained people.
Obviously, the foundation for an ideal society with adequately skilled men and women, capable of bringing about all-round development, is rooted in the sound education and training system.
As I said earlier, teachers are central to our common efforts to address the imbalances and deficiencies occasioned by the legacy of our unfortunate past.
As a province we are in dire need of mathematics and science teachers who are able to go beyond the classroom lessons to help the learners discover the applications of science and mathematics that will open new avenues of research and inquiry into science and technology.
At the same time, we need to enlist the assistance of many people in our communities who are capable of helping learners to master these critical subjects.
An important part of this critical force in our communities is the many retired teachers.
We also need to organise the many skilled people in our communities to volunteer their time and work with teachers and parents to improve the education of our people.
Vukuzenzele. Let many of us become cadres for development.
Teachers and parents should be at the forefront of this important process that will surely be to the benefit of our society.
Education is central to this important matter. Again, we can only succeed if we involve the parents and communities from which our learners come from.
Ladies and gentlemen, this initiative will go a long way in addressing the human resource development needs of the province.
We have taken the first step in making Mpumalanga and South Africa globally competitive.
The Trust Fund we are launching today is intended to fund the implementation of a comprehensive strategy to improve the quality of Mathematics, Science and Technology (MST) education in the province.
We believe that this Fund will go a long way in ensuring that we have a society that is numerate, mathematically and scientifically literate and technologically fluent.
Such a society will encourage and empower its individuals to participate in the emerging knowledge-based economy and support sustainable development.
In order to do that we need to improve substantially the teaching and learning of Mathematics, Science and Technology in the General Education and Training (GET) and Further Education and Training (FET) Bands using appropriate curricula, teaching methodologies and approaches, and learner support materials.
But how do we do that?
By increasing and enhancing the human resource capacity to deliver quality mathematics, science and technology education for all learners in the GET and FET Bands.
And also by increasing the participation and performance of learners in mathematics, science and technology in the GET and FET Bands, giving special attention to black learners, female learners, and learners with special educational needs.
We are indeed very grateful and encouraged by the involvement of the private sector in addressing this monumental task.
By funding this venture, ABSA is not only ensuring that in years to come we have more science and technology graduates, but it also contributes significantly to ensuring that the recipients of the bursaries have better opportunities of success in their higher education studies.
But I would like to see more members of the business community take an active part in improving the future and standard of mathematics and science education in Mpumalanga.
Ladies and gentlemen, tonight is also a celebration. We are celebrating the first three recipients of these awards.
They are worthy of these awards because of their outstanding matric results and their field of study.
I also hope that you, the recipients of these awards, will, through your work, motivate and encourage many young men and women to work even harder so as to improve on achievements in the overall matric results as well in the filed of science and technology.
The message that these awards are sending to the rest of the student population in the province is that hard work is rewarded.
The tide has turned. The people's contract for a better tomorrow is taking shape. I trust that all learners will strive towards reaching great heights.
I thank you.
Master of ceremonies
I said we are here to celebrate.
It is therefore an honour and privilege for me to award the first three awards to Ms Polite Matjila from the Nkangala region, Ms Thandi Mlipha from the Gert Sibande region and Mr Confidence Nkosi from Ehlanzeni.
Ms Polite Matjila is currently studying for a BSc degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Pretoria.
Ms Thandi Mlipha is studying towards a BSc degree in Applied Sciences at the University of Durban Westwille.
Mr Confidence Maseko is studying towards a Chemical Engineering degree at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Thank you.
Issued by Mpumalanga Provincial Government
13 June 30003
Source: Mpumalanga Provincial Government
Title: Mahlangu: Launch of Premier's Mathematics, Science & Technology Trust Fund
KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY PREMIER NJ MAHLANGU, AT THE LAUNCH OF THE PREMIER'S MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TRUST FUND, Middelburg, Friday, 13 June 2003
Master of Ceremonies
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Education MEC Craig Padayachee
Officials from the National and Provincial
Education Departments
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
I should like first of all to thank and congratulate the task team that worked tirelessly over many months to make tonight possible and for translating our dream of a Trust Fund into a reality.
My gratitude and thanks are due particularly to staff from my office, the Provincial Department of Education and the sponsors.
You are great patriots. If your spouses are here today I am sure they do take pride in the wonderful work you did all those nights away from them.
Thank you.
Ladies and gentlemen, when President Thabo Mbeki delivered the State of the Nation's Address in Cape Town in February 2002, he observed that our country had a continuing task of pushing back the frontiers of poverty and expand access to a better life for all.
He appealed to all of us to rollup our sleeves and lend a hand in the national effort to build a better life for all South Africans.
This, the President said, we should do by offering our time and skills to the nation, as LETSEMA volunteers for reconstruction and development.
I am glad that all of us listened and acted when the President urged us to push back the frontiers of poverty. Indeed we put our shoulders to the wheel to accelerate the pace of change. But more needs to be done.
One of the ways in which we can continue to make a dent on grinding poverty and reduce the unemployment levels, is by paying serious attention to the challenge of human resource development.
Like our country Mpumalanga is faced with the challenges of poverty and underdevelopment. Added to that is the challenge of catching up with the developed world, especially on the important issue of modern technology, which is the driving force of today's economies.
In one of its founding documents the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), states:
"Information and communication technologies, driven by the convergence of computers, telecommunications and traditional media, are crucial for the knowledge- based economy of the future"
It goes on to say that the goals of achieving a Common Market and an African Union can benefit immensely from the revolution in information technology.
This is a clear indication that our education system need to produce more people who are geared towards the sciences.
People who are simply standing still will be left further behind as the pace of scientific discovery continues to accelerate.
The critical question we need to ask is whether our education system is geared towards competing on an equal footing with the best on the continent and the global world.
As we battle to undo the damage of years of apartheid education, we need to simultaneously gear our education system towards the future.
In his book titled How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, Walter Rodney points out that:
"Education is crucial in any type of society for the preservation of the lives of its members and the maintenance of the social structure."
The most crucial aspect of pre-colonial African education was its relevance to Africans in sharp contrast with that which was later introduced that is, under colonialism.
"The main purpose of colonial school system was to train Africans to participate in the domination and exploitation of the continent as a whole . . . Colonial education was education for subordination, exploitation, the creation of mental confusion and the development of underdevelopment".
It is little wonder that because of Apartheid most of the scientific research and technological development today is done by ageing white males.
This anomaly clearly sends out a message to us that if we are to respond adequately to the challenges our province and our country faces, we need to replace them with younger and more representative scientists.
Believe me: Our need for a younger and more representative group of When we take into account that Bantu education targeted specifically the underdevelopment of African teachers, who are now responsible for education delivery to the majority of our youth, the task seems even more daunting.
That we need teachers who are technologically advanced and who are continuously engaged in a process of improving their capacity so as to be in a better position to impart the relevant skills to learners cannot be over-emphasised.
But we also need to ensure that our learners perform better in the critical subjects such as mathematics and science.
Someone once said that Mathematics is the essence of human attempts to discover and describe order in the universe and embodies a human need to define relationships between objects and find predictable patterns in nature.
Mathematics is a wondrous area of study and is unique because it is both a discipline by itself and one of a few "gateway" areas of knowledge. A basic understanding of mathematics is required in all other areas of scientific inquiry.
Be it in economics, communication, medicine, agriculture, defence and many others.
In addition, mathematics frequently provides the basis for advances within scientific disciplines.
Ladies and gentlemen, today we know now things that we couldn't have ever known before because of what science is teaching us.
When we talk about creating a better life for all or pushing back the frontiers of poverty, it may sound very abstract to some.
In order to determine how many hospital beds we need or how big a water reservoir we need to build for a new area, we need data.
This data has to be collected and compiled by our scientists so as to enable our technologists and engineers to design and erect a reservoir. Therefore it is no exaggeration that science, technology and engineering play an important part in our everyday lives.
We also need scientists to do research in relevant areas if we are to respond to the energy requirements of our province or become smart buyers and developers of the rapidly developing technology.
Ladies and gentlemen, the need to bridge the technological divide has been emphasised over and over again. But that does not mean that we shouldn't talk about it tonight.
If we ever hope to compete as equals in the global world, then we need to pay greater attention to the issues of developing our technological skills.
As I said, we need these skills in order to adequately respond to the challenges facing us in all spheres of our existence, be it in economics, communication, medicine, agriculture, defence and many others.
So I think that it is almost impossible to exaggerate the responsibility and the opportunity of our scientists to do what has to be done to continue to grow our economy at a brisk rate.
But at all times doing it in such a way as to reduce the negative impact on the environment.
To the young people here tonight, and to their peers in high schools, colleges, technikons and at university, seize this moment to strengthen our province for the African Century by expanding our commitment to discovery.
We need to ensure that sooner, rather than later, we have a cure for diseases such as cancer and HIV/AIDS.
You need to ensure that our children and you are permanently protected from the ravages of TB, Kwashiokor, Diarohhea, Polio, Malaria and SARS.
But always remember that the extraordinary promise of science and technology carries with it extraordinary responsibilities for those who seek to advance the promise.
I sincerely believe that for our province to make the necessary and meaningful progress with regard to the many socio-economic challenges that we face, we need skilled and appropriately trained people.
Obviously, the foundation for an ideal society with adequately skilled men and women, capable of bringing about all-round development, is rooted in the sound education and training system.
As I said earlier, teachers are central to our common efforts to address the imbalances and deficiencies occasioned by the legacy of our unfortunate past.
As a province we are in dire need of mathematics and science teachers who are able to go beyond the classroom lessons to help the learners discover the applications of science and mathematics that will open new avenues of research and inquiry into science and technology.
At the same time, we need to enlist the assistance of many people in our communities who are capable of helping learners to master these critical subjects.
An important part of this critical force in our communities is the many retired teachers.
We also need to organise the many skilled people in our communities to volunteer their time and work with teachers and parents to improve the education of our people.
Vukuzenzele. Let many of us become cadres for development.
Teachers and parents should be at the forefront of this important process that will surely be to the benefit of our society.
Education is central to this important matter. Again, we can only succeed if we involve the parents and communities from which our learners come from.
Ladies and gentlemen, this initiative will go a long way in addressing the human resource development needs of the province.
We have taken the first step in making Mpumalanga and South Africa globally competitive.
The Trust Fund we are launching today is intended to fund the implementation of a comprehensive strategy to improve the quality of Mathematics, Science and Technology (MST) education in the province.
We believe that this Fund will go a long way in ensuring that we have a society that is numerate, mathematically and scientifically literate and technologically fluent.
Such a society will encourage and empower its individuals to participate in the emerging knowledge-based economy and support sustainable development.
In order to do that we need to improve substantially the teaching and learning of Mathematics, Science and Technology in the General Education and Training (GET) and Further Education and Training (FET) Bands using appropriate curricula, teaching methodologies and approaches, and learner support materials.
But how do we do that?
By increasing and enhancing the human resource capacity to deliver quality mathematics, science and technology education for all learners in the GET and FET Bands.
And also by increasing the participation and performance of learners in mathematics, science and technology in the GET and FET Bands, giving special attention to black learners, female learners, and learners with special educational needs.
We are indeed very grateful and encouraged by the involvement of the private sector in addressing this monumental task.
By funding this venture, ABSA is not only ensuring that in years to come we have more science and technology graduates, but it also contributes significantly to ensuring that the recipients of the bursaries have better opportunities of success in their higher education studies.
But I would like to see more members of the business community take an active part in improving the future and standard of mathematics and science education in Mpumalanga.
Ladies and gentlemen, tonight is also a celebration. We are celebrating the first three recipients of these awards.
They are worthy of these awards because of their outstanding matric results and their field of study.
I also hope that you, the recipients of these awards, will, through your work, motivate and encourage many young men and women to work even harder so as to improve on achievements in the overall matric results as well in the filed of science and technology.
The message that these awards are sending to the rest of the student population in the province is that hard work is rewarded.
The tide has turned. The people's contract for a better tomorrow is taking shape. I trust that all learners will strive towards reaching great heights.
I thank you.
Master of ceremonies
I said we are here to celebrate.
It is therefore an honour and privilege for me to award the first three awards to Ms Polite Matjila from the Nkangala region, Ms Thandi Mlipha from the Gert Sibande region and Mr Confidence Nkosi from Ehlanzeni.
Ms Polite Matjila is currently studying for a BSc degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Pretoria.
Ms Thandi Mlipha is studying towards a BSc degree in Applied Sciences at the University of Durban Westwille.
Mr Confidence Maseko is studying towards a Chemical Engineering degree at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Thank you.
Issued by Mpumalanga Provincial Government
13 June 30003
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