Date: 28/07/2003
Source: Ministry of Education
Title: Mangena: Launch of Eskom/FEST schools mathematics, science & technology programme
ADDRESS BY THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF EDUCATION, MR MOSIBUDI MANGENA, AT THE LAUNCH OF THE ESKOM/FEST SCHOOLS MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMME, Kgomotso Comprehensive High School, Shoshanguve, 28 July 2003
Programme Director,
Deputy Minister for Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, Ms Sonjica,
His Worship the Executive Mayor of Tshwane, Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa,
Ms Mpho Letlape, Managing Director: Human Resources at Eskom,
Representatives from Eskom and FEST,
Principal of Kgomotso Comprehensive High School, Mr Modiba,
Educators,
Parents,
Learners,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen
Erik Weihenmayer was born with very poor eyesight. When he turned 13 he went completely blind. But Erik had a vision. He saw himself doing exciting things that the majority of people never even consider trying - running marathons, climbing mountains, jumping out of aeroplanes. And he went ahead and accomplished all these and many more. He crowned his illustrious sporting career by writing a bestseller entitled, Touch the Top of the World, a book that is continuing to inspire millions around the world.
In his hard-hitting article, 'Africa's Claim to the 21st Century', Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda, asserts, "Black Africa is under-performing in all aspects of human endeavour." He also argues that Africa, in particular sub-Saharan Africa, which is the cradle of humanity and human civilisation, capitulated to external hostile forces mainly because of two factors: first, its difficult central plateau terrain with non-navigable rivers rendered communication and the spread of information and ideas difficult, thus essentially precluding political and economic cooperation between different political units. Second, the extremely benevolent climate and abundance of natural resources did not exert enough pressure on Africans, in the same way that the harsh northern hemisphere climate forced European and Asian ancestors to become more innovative by manipulating nature to ensure survival. Therefore, the African dependency on the bounty of nature, coupled with the ruthless plunder and cruel exploitation that Africa suffered in the hands of the colonialists, resulted in the relegation of this continent to the bottom rung of modern civilisation.
Today, Africans are faced with all types of human engineered and natural antagonistic forces that demand innovative and adept responses, if we are to survive and prosper. It is important for all of us to perceive adversity as a blessing disguised as a problem. It is the hard times that shape and sharpen our characters and personalities. It is in times such as these when poverty, unemployment, HIV/AIDS and other serious social problems are taking their toll that everyone should try to internalise one very important lesson: that goals need to be set and accomplished. No one can lead a successful life by merely surviving from day to day, by doing only that which is necessary. Certainly, no nation can run and sustain a successful economy, if its people are not prepared to extend themselves, to reach for the stars.
Eskom has thrown a challenge and a helping hand to the parents, principal, teachers and learners of Kgomotso Comprehensive High School. The additional resources they are providing in order to improve the quality of teaching and mastery of mathematics, science and technology in this school are intended to serve as a launching pad for the learners to ride the high waves of success.
If the 21st century is indeed to become an African century, it will take the sum total of all our individual efforts to turn this dream into reality. In education, our task begins in the classroom, and our priority is to ensure that as many as possible of our learners take and pass mathematics, science and technology, because these are the gateway subjects to the study fields that help us to solve our problems, and to succeed in the modern global economy.
We need to recruit into and change the attitudes of many of our young people about mathematics, science and technology. Failure to attain the requisite levels of literacy in these critical subject areas may prevent many of our youth from assuming full responsibility and participation in the development of our nation's economy.
Recent data on enrolments and performance in Grade 12 in Mathematics and Physical Science reveal that females are not only under-enrolled, but that they also generally perform poorer as compared to their male counterparts. The performance of the 'African' group of learners compared with the 'Non-African' group is tilted five-fold in favour of the later, and the performance of African learners on the Higher Grades has always been very low.
In raw figures, the 1999 statistics reveal that out of a total of 20 000 learners who passed Mathematics in Grade 12, only 3 700 were coloured and African while 13 600 were white. Similarly, out of the total number of 24 000 who passed Grade 12 Physical Science, 7 000 were coloured and African while 14 200 were white. That is, only 11,7% and 14,1% African and coloured students passed Mathematics and Physical Science on the Higher Grade, respectively.
This is a matter of great concern because it is the school-going children of today that is destined to provide future leadership in all areas of our lives. Families, schools and communities are duty bound to inculcate in our youth the desire for personal success and to become builders and citizens of a proud and successful nation.
It is against this background that in 2001, the Department launched the National Strategy for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, now popularly known as the Dinaledi Project, in order to sharpen the department's focus on this area of need and to strengthen similar initiatives already being undertaken by individuals and organisations.
This strategy contains three thrusts. In the short-term, we would like to improve the participation and performance, in mathematics and science, of the Black learners in Grades 10 to 12. In the medium to long-term, we intend to raise the quality of attainment of all learners in these subjects at all levels of the school system. And the overarching goal is to promote the development of subject and professional skills of all the teachers in these subjects.
I am delighted to announce that Eskom is one of our partners in this initiative that is not only making a huge contribution to support the Dinaledi Project, but has also been running its own similar projects over many years. At the moment, Eskom is making a massive investment of R15 million per year in 18 secondary schools nationally that includes some of our Dinaledi schools. But this programme has gone farther by also providing teachers, classrooms and furniture, in addition to capital equipment and learner support materials. And for those children who are prepared to work hard and to achieve good results in matric, there are very generous bursaries that will assist you to gain qualifications in different scientific fields of study. I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate our gratitude and appreciation for the donation of mathematics and science books that Eskom, in partnership with FEST, donated to all the learners in all our Dinaledi schools.
In our quest to realise our vision of a scientifically literate, technologically fluent and mathematically literate society that empowers individuals to participate in the emerging knowledge-based economy and support sustainable development, we need individuals and organisations to play an active role. This is the only way in which our principals and educators could be able to deepen their subject knowledge and sharpen their administrative and management skills in the shortest possible time. The acquisition of such skills will go a long way towards making our principals and educators knowledge producers who have the capacity to give our children a competitive edge over their peers elsewhere.
We are truly encouraged by the effort that Eskom and FEST are putting into the upgrading of the standard of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in the schools in their programme. It is clear that both these organisations attach great value to the education of our youth. Kgomotso Comprehensive High School is a much better learning institution today because of your generous intervention. The true value of this investment lies not in what the school is being given, but in how this gift will help the learners become in the future.
The challenge that you, the pupils, staff and parents of Kgomotso Comprehensive High School, face is to set for yourselves very ambitious goals, and then to throw yourselves into the processes of achieving those goals. Today, you have the tools and resources you never had before, which will allow you to present and test relevant, interesting and thought provoking applications of science and mathematics. Yours is to find ways of maximising the uses of the equipment provided to expand the visions of your learners and extend your services beyond the confines of this school. We hope the community of Soshanguve will demonstrate their appreciation of this investment by ensuring the safety of the equipment, and by utilising the resources and services offered by the school to improve their lives and help to fight poverty and its dire consequences.
We need to create a positive future for Africa and ourselves. Africans of antiquity could not adequately defend themselves and their land from foreign invaders, because their isolation deprived them the opportunity to gather the necessary intelligence about military and other developments elsewhere. By the fifteenth century, when Africa first came into contact with Europe, like Europe, Africa had a three-class society: feudalists, artisans and peasants. The feudal class was wiped out because it was in competition with the colonialists for power. The artisan class was also almost eliminated because the items they were making for use in households, as weapons or capital items, had to be replaced by European manufactured goods.
Our position today is different and a lot better than it was six centuries ago. We can and must re-invent our future; and that time is now, before the future arrives. You have the brains, you have the resources, and all the support that you need. Mine is only to urge you to strive to touch the top of your own worlds.
I thank you.
Issued by Ministry of Education
28 July 2003
Source: Ministry of Education
Title: Mangena: Launch of Eskom/FEST schools mathematics, science & technology programme
ADDRESS BY THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF EDUCATION, MR MOSIBUDI MANGENA, AT THE LAUNCH OF THE ESKOM/FEST SCHOOLS MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMME, Kgomotso Comprehensive High School, Shoshanguve, 28 July 2003
Programme Director,
Deputy Minister for Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, Ms Sonjica,
His Worship the Executive Mayor of Tshwane, Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa,
Ms Mpho Letlape, Managing Director: Human Resources at Eskom,
Representatives from Eskom and FEST,
Principal of Kgomotso Comprehensive High School, Mr Modiba,
Educators,
Parents,
Learners,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen
Erik Weihenmayer was born with very poor eyesight. When he turned 13 he went completely blind. But Erik had a vision. He saw himself doing exciting things that the majority of people never even consider trying - running marathons, climbing mountains, jumping out of aeroplanes. And he went ahead and accomplished all these and many more. He crowned his illustrious sporting career by writing a bestseller entitled, Touch the Top of the World, a book that is continuing to inspire millions around the world.
In his hard-hitting article, 'Africa's Claim to the 21st Century', Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda, asserts, "Black Africa is under-performing in all aspects of human endeavour." He also argues that Africa, in particular sub-Saharan Africa, which is the cradle of humanity and human civilisation, capitulated to external hostile forces mainly because of two factors: first, its difficult central plateau terrain with non-navigable rivers rendered communication and the spread of information and ideas difficult, thus essentially precluding political and economic cooperation between different political units. Second, the extremely benevolent climate and abundance of natural resources did not exert enough pressure on Africans, in the same way that the harsh northern hemisphere climate forced European and Asian ancestors to become more innovative by manipulating nature to ensure survival. Therefore, the African dependency on the bounty of nature, coupled with the ruthless plunder and cruel exploitation that Africa suffered in the hands of the colonialists, resulted in the relegation of this continent to the bottom rung of modern civilisation.
Today, Africans are faced with all types of human engineered and natural antagonistic forces that demand innovative and adept responses, if we are to survive and prosper. It is important for all of us to perceive adversity as a blessing disguised as a problem. It is the hard times that shape and sharpen our characters and personalities. It is in times such as these when poverty, unemployment, HIV/AIDS and other serious social problems are taking their toll that everyone should try to internalise one very important lesson: that goals need to be set and accomplished. No one can lead a successful life by merely surviving from day to day, by doing only that which is necessary. Certainly, no nation can run and sustain a successful economy, if its people are not prepared to extend themselves, to reach for the stars.
Eskom has thrown a challenge and a helping hand to the parents, principal, teachers and learners of Kgomotso Comprehensive High School. The additional resources they are providing in order to improve the quality of teaching and mastery of mathematics, science and technology in this school are intended to serve as a launching pad for the learners to ride the high waves of success.
If the 21st century is indeed to become an African century, it will take the sum total of all our individual efforts to turn this dream into reality. In education, our task begins in the classroom, and our priority is to ensure that as many as possible of our learners take and pass mathematics, science and technology, because these are the gateway subjects to the study fields that help us to solve our problems, and to succeed in the modern global economy.
We need to recruit into and change the attitudes of many of our young people about mathematics, science and technology. Failure to attain the requisite levels of literacy in these critical subject areas may prevent many of our youth from assuming full responsibility and participation in the development of our nation's economy.
Recent data on enrolments and performance in Grade 12 in Mathematics and Physical Science reveal that females are not only under-enrolled, but that they also generally perform poorer as compared to their male counterparts. The performance of the 'African' group of learners compared with the 'Non-African' group is tilted five-fold in favour of the later, and the performance of African learners on the Higher Grades has always been very low.
In raw figures, the 1999 statistics reveal that out of a total of 20 000 learners who passed Mathematics in Grade 12, only 3 700 were coloured and African while 13 600 were white. Similarly, out of the total number of 24 000 who passed Grade 12 Physical Science, 7 000 were coloured and African while 14 200 were white. That is, only 11,7% and 14,1% African and coloured students passed Mathematics and Physical Science on the Higher Grade, respectively.
This is a matter of great concern because it is the school-going children of today that is destined to provide future leadership in all areas of our lives. Families, schools and communities are duty bound to inculcate in our youth the desire for personal success and to become builders and citizens of a proud and successful nation.
It is against this background that in 2001, the Department launched the National Strategy for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, now popularly known as the Dinaledi Project, in order to sharpen the department's focus on this area of need and to strengthen similar initiatives already being undertaken by individuals and organisations.
This strategy contains three thrusts. In the short-term, we would like to improve the participation and performance, in mathematics and science, of the Black learners in Grades 10 to 12. In the medium to long-term, we intend to raise the quality of attainment of all learners in these subjects at all levels of the school system. And the overarching goal is to promote the development of subject and professional skills of all the teachers in these subjects.
I am delighted to announce that Eskom is one of our partners in this initiative that is not only making a huge contribution to support the Dinaledi Project, but has also been running its own similar projects over many years. At the moment, Eskom is making a massive investment of R15 million per year in 18 secondary schools nationally that includes some of our Dinaledi schools. But this programme has gone farther by also providing teachers, classrooms and furniture, in addition to capital equipment and learner support materials. And for those children who are prepared to work hard and to achieve good results in matric, there are very generous bursaries that will assist you to gain qualifications in different scientific fields of study. I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate our gratitude and appreciation for the donation of mathematics and science books that Eskom, in partnership with FEST, donated to all the learners in all our Dinaledi schools.
In our quest to realise our vision of a scientifically literate, technologically fluent and mathematically literate society that empowers individuals to participate in the emerging knowledge-based economy and support sustainable development, we need individuals and organisations to play an active role. This is the only way in which our principals and educators could be able to deepen their subject knowledge and sharpen their administrative and management skills in the shortest possible time. The acquisition of such skills will go a long way towards making our principals and educators knowledge producers who have the capacity to give our children a competitive edge over their peers elsewhere.
We are truly encouraged by the effort that Eskom and FEST are putting into the upgrading of the standard of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in the schools in their programme. It is clear that both these organisations attach great value to the education of our youth. Kgomotso Comprehensive High School is a much better learning institution today because of your generous intervention. The true value of this investment lies not in what the school is being given, but in how this gift will help the learners become in the future.
The challenge that you, the pupils, staff and parents of Kgomotso Comprehensive High School, face is to set for yourselves very ambitious goals, and then to throw yourselves into the processes of achieving those goals. Today, you have the tools and resources you never had before, which will allow you to present and test relevant, interesting and thought provoking applications of science and mathematics. Yours is to find ways of maximising the uses of the equipment provided to expand the visions of your learners and extend your services beyond the confines of this school. We hope the community of Soshanguve will demonstrate their appreciation of this investment by ensuring the safety of the equipment, and by utilising the resources and services offered by the school to improve their lives and help to fight poverty and its dire consequences.
We need to create a positive future for Africa and ourselves. Africans of antiquity could not adequately defend themselves and their land from foreign invaders, because their isolation deprived them the opportunity to gather the necessary intelligence about military and other developments elsewhere. By the fifteenth century, when Africa first came into contact with Europe, like Europe, Africa had a three-class society: feudalists, artisans and peasants. The feudal class was wiped out because it was in competition with the colonialists for power. The artisan class was also almost eliminated because the items they were making for use in households, as weapons or capital items, had to be replaced by European manufactured goods.
Our position today is different and a lot better than it was six centuries ago. We can and must re-invent our future; and that time is now, before the future arrives. You have the brains, you have the resources, and all the support that you need. Mine is only to urge you to strive to touch the top of your own worlds.
I thank you.
Issued by Ministry of Education
28 July 2003
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