Date: 09/05/2003
Source: Deputy Ministry of Education
Title: Mangena: Sekhukhune District schools excellence awards
ADDRESS BY THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF EDUCATION, MR MOSIBUDI MANGENA, TO THE SEKHUKHUNE DISTRICT SCHOOLS EXCELLENCE AWARDS, Jane Furse Comprehensive Primary School, 9 May 2003
Director of Ceremonies, MEC for Education, Mrs Joyce Mashamba, MEC for Agriculture, Dr Aaron Motswaledi, Executive Mayor of Greater Sekhukhune District, Mr Dickson Masemola, Mayor of Makhuduthamaga Municipality, Mr Kgaola Mafiri, Representatives from Old Mutual plc, District Manager, Mr Komane, Principals, Educators, Parents, Learners, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Education is key in creating a society that is dynamic and productive because learning can unlock the treasure that lies within us all. A good education will provide our children access to our country's rich and diverse culture, its history and an understanding of its place in the world. Education offers opportunities to gain insight into the best that has been thought, said and done.
We are informed that generally, past performance of learners and schools in this district has been less than satisfactory. However, through the implementation of various strategies, in 2002 the matric results improved to such an extent that the district was inspired to host this occasion to celebrate real success and improvement in the schools. We would like to salute and congratulate all those teachers, principals, school management teams and learners that worked tirelessly to bring us to where we are today.
We also understand that the local municipality has taken a very keen interest in the development and welfare of deserving learners in this area. By awarding bursaries to needy but deserving learners in this district, not only have you granted them an opportunity to pursue their studies, but you have also made it possible for them to enrol at higher education institutions where it will be possible for them to also access funding from the National Students Financial Aid Scheme. This is a true demonstration of a results-oriented partnership for learning between two spheres of government. We would like to convey our gratitude and congratulations to the Makhuduthamaga Municipality for their foresightedness.
Not less important is the involvement of other provincial government departments in supporting deserving learners in our schools. Dr Motswaledi has just stated his case for the provincial Department of Agriculture. If the Limpopo Province is to develop, it needs to invest more in its most important resource, its people. As a country, we find ourselves in an unenviable position where we are compelled to deal with issues related to our transition from oppression to democracy in tandem with socio-economic matters associated with globalisation. In order to succeed we all need to respond with agility and innovativeness to all the challenges confronting us.
If we are to succeed as a country in a world that is knowledge and technology-driven, we must ensure that all our children receive the best possible quality education. In the past, a wide range of low-skilled jobs was available, but this is no longer the case. Equally, high-skilled work in some areas was obtained through apprenticeships that allowed individuals to mature and develop skills whilst at work; again this has substantially disappeared and has thus cut off a key route to development to those who benefited from that practice. Modern demands are that everyone should, during their secondary education, develop their diverse abilities. This will enable them to proceed with their chosen careers without going through the trial-and-error route that most of our children were forced to go through.
In order to achieve all this what we need are good and committed teachers to take our nation forward. Good teachers, using the most effective methods, are the key to achieving higher standards in education. We value teachers because they are the ones that make our wheels, as the department, turn. Every school develops its reputation, whether good or bad, because of its teachers. Learners are able to achieve their best largely because of the guidance and motivation they receive from their teachers. As a collective, teachers can either make or break their learners, communities and society. Therefore, by hosting this District Excellence Awards that are based on the quality of improvement by schools and individual teachers, this district office is playing a very important role in motivating them to consistently better their performance.
The success of any school rests on its school leadership, particularly the school principal. Principals and their School Management Teams must provide leadership and manage our schools. It is the quality of their leadership and management styles that determine the quality of education delivery, which in turn determines the future direction of our country. Therefore, the success of every school rests upon the principal taking first ownership of the learning and teaching process. Through the example that she/he sets, everyone involved in that school ultimately takes full ownership of every activity. In your every endeavour, remember that future generations will either have to endure the burden you created, or bask in the glory of your individual and collective contributions to our education system. We would like to encourage you in whatever you do to deliver quality education to our children, and pledge the support of the ministry to your noble efforts.
Achieving excellence in impoverished rural schools is a particularly daunting challenge. Apart from the lack of basic infrastructure such as water, electricity and telephony in some schools, where these are available schools are often unable to afford learning tools such as science equipment, computers and library books. That is why the department is committed to progressively provide all the resources that would assist teachers to deliver quality teaching in our schools.
In our rural areas there is also a dearth of reading materials and socio-economic activities that are able to challenge the minds and aspirations of our youth. These problems are further exacerbated by dominant perceptions about the social roles of girls and women as opposed to those of boys and men.
In the poor rural areas economic pressures have forced some parents to abandon their children to the care of their grand parents or older siblings in search of better paying jobs elsewhere. Consequently, the burden of running households often fall on girl learners who are forced to prioritise domestic chores which may include drawing water and fetching wood for their families. Their studies suffer as a result. When they reach high school they are often forced to choose softer study options entailing subjects in the humanities. Girls under-achieve not because of biological differences between them and boys, but largely because of a set of social processes that have resulted in the social construction of difference between males and females.
We must understand that females constitute more than 50% of our population. Even more importantly, they are a more dependable social group as they tend to become more committed to their families and children while a number, albeit small, of able-bodied males are languishing in jail or are unprepared to sacrifice their pleasures for their dependents. If we are to harness the collective genius of all our people we need to pay as much attention to the development of girl learners as we do on boys.
The question of girl learners becomes more pertinent to learner attainment and performance in mathematics and science. As parents, teachers and community members we need to do more to ensure that girl learners achieve as well as their male peers in these gateway subjects, because these subjects are the launching pad into the requisite study fields and success in the modern world economy.
It is the responsibility of schools, parents and communities to take care of, protect and avoid the wastage of the resources allocated to the schools. The department can only afford to allocate certain resources once, it then becomes the responsibility of the schools to replace what is lost or damaged. We urge parents to get directly involved in the affairs of their schools, to support what is good and proper, and to challenge what is wrong and morally unacceptable. Quality education is possible where there is order, discipline and respect for the values and morals of our society. It is incumbent upon all of us to ensure that parents, communities and schools understand this message.
In closing, allow me to congratulate and commend all the schools, educators and learner that will be receiving the awards today. Achieving success and maintaining high standards do no come easily. They are the outcome of consistent hard work and dedication by all concerned. To the top ten schools in matric results during 2002, we encourage you to work harder and smarter this year because you are now backed by the experience of the past year. To the teachers who have achieved the best results in the respective subjects they were teaching, we want you to better your performance this year. To the most-improved schools, we encourage you to continuously set higher achievement targets because the goal is a 100% pass rate. No learner deserves to fail, especially after spending twelve years or more in school. To those schools that have consistently performed well, we warn you not to rest on your laurels because there are as many competitors for your coveted top positions as there are schools in this district. We salute you all and encourage you to do better this year. Finally, we congratulate the top learner in this region. Keep up the good work and work even harder. More is expected out of you.
This ceremony would not have been the same without the generous sponsorship from Old Mutual. We are always encouraged by the participation of the private sector in the development initiatives in our education system. As an old and established public company, you are in a better position to appreciate the importance of sound and solid education as an investment for the future. The youth of today are your future partners, investors, employees and clients.
I thank you.
Issued by the Deputy Ministry of Education
Source: Deputy Ministry of Education
Title: Mangena: Sekhukhune District schools excellence awards
ADDRESS BY THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF EDUCATION, MR MOSIBUDI MANGENA, TO THE SEKHUKHUNE DISTRICT SCHOOLS EXCELLENCE AWARDS, Jane Furse Comprehensive Primary School, 9 May 2003
Director of Ceremonies, MEC for Education, Mrs Joyce Mashamba, MEC for Agriculture, Dr Aaron Motswaledi, Executive Mayor of Greater Sekhukhune District, Mr Dickson Masemola, Mayor of Makhuduthamaga Municipality, Mr Kgaola Mafiri, Representatives from Old Mutual plc, District Manager, Mr Komane, Principals, Educators, Parents, Learners, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Education is key in creating a society that is dynamic and productive because learning can unlock the treasure that lies within us all. A good education will provide our children access to our country's rich and diverse culture, its history and an understanding of its place in the world. Education offers opportunities to gain insight into the best that has been thought, said and done.
We are informed that generally, past performance of learners and schools in this district has been less than satisfactory. However, through the implementation of various strategies, in 2002 the matric results improved to such an extent that the district was inspired to host this occasion to celebrate real success and improvement in the schools. We would like to salute and congratulate all those teachers, principals, school management teams and learners that worked tirelessly to bring us to where we are today.
We also understand that the local municipality has taken a very keen interest in the development and welfare of deserving learners in this area. By awarding bursaries to needy but deserving learners in this district, not only have you granted them an opportunity to pursue their studies, but you have also made it possible for them to enrol at higher education institutions where it will be possible for them to also access funding from the National Students Financial Aid Scheme. This is a true demonstration of a results-oriented partnership for learning between two spheres of government. We would like to convey our gratitude and congratulations to the Makhuduthamaga Municipality for their foresightedness.
Not less important is the involvement of other provincial government departments in supporting deserving learners in our schools. Dr Motswaledi has just stated his case for the provincial Department of Agriculture. If the Limpopo Province is to develop, it needs to invest more in its most important resource, its people. As a country, we find ourselves in an unenviable position where we are compelled to deal with issues related to our transition from oppression to democracy in tandem with socio-economic matters associated with globalisation. In order to succeed we all need to respond with agility and innovativeness to all the challenges confronting us.
If we are to succeed as a country in a world that is knowledge and technology-driven, we must ensure that all our children receive the best possible quality education. In the past, a wide range of low-skilled jobs was available, but this is no longer the case. Equally, high-skilled work in some areas was obtained through apprenticeships that allowed individuals to mature and develop skills whilst at work; again this has substantially disappeared and has thus cut off a key route to development to those who benefited from that practice. Modern demands are that everyone should, during their secondary education, develop their diverse abilities. This will enable them to proceed with their chosen careers without going through the trial-and-error route that most of our children were forced to go through.
In order to achieve all this what we need are good and committed teachers to take our nation forward. Good teachers, using the most effective methods, are the key to achieving higher standards in education. We value teachers because they are the ones that make our wheels, as the department, turn. Every school develops its reputation, whether good or bad, because of its teachers. Learners are able to achieve their best largely because of the guidance and motivation they receive from their teachers. As a collective, teachers can either make or break their learners, communities and society. Therefore, by hosting this District Excellence Awards that are based on the quality of improvement by schools and individual teachers, this district office is playing a very important role in motivating them to consistently better their performance.
The success of any school rests on its school leadership, particularly the school principal. Principals and their School Management Teams must provide leadership and manage our schools. It is the quality of their leadership and management styles that determine the quality of education delivery, which in turn determines the future direction of our country. Therefore, the success of every school rests upon the principal taking first ownership of the learning and teaching process. Through the example that she/he sets, everyone involved in that school ultimately takes full ownership of every activity. In your every endeavour, remember that future generations will either have to endure the burden you created, or bask in the glory of your individual and collective contributions to our education system. We would like to encourage you in whatever you do to deliver quality education to our children, and pledge the support of the ministry to your noble efforts.
Achieving excellence in impoverished rural schools is a particularly daunting challenge. Apart from the lack of basic infrastructure such as water, electricity and telephony in some schools, where these are available schools are often unable to afford learning tools such as science equipment, computers and library books. That is why the department is committed to progressively provide all the resources that would assist teachers to deliver quality teaching in our schools.
In our rural areas there is also a dearth of reading materials and socio-economic activities that are able to challenge the minds and aspirations of our youth. These problems are further exacerbated by dominant perceptions about the social roles of girls and women as opposed to those of boys and men.
In the poor rural areas economic pressures have forced some parents to abandon their children to the care of their grand parents or older siblings in search of better paying jobs elsewhere. Consequently, the burden of running households often fall on girl learners who are forced to prioritise domestic chores which may include drawing water and fetching wood for their families. Their studies suffer as a result. When they reach high school they are often forced to choose softer study options entailing subjects in the humanities. Girls under-achieve not because of biological differences between them and boys, but largely because of a set of social processes that have resulted in the social construction of difference between males and females.
We must understand that females constitute more than 50% of our population. Even more importantly, they are a more dependable social group as they tend to become more committed to their families and children while a number, albeit small, of able-bodied males are languishing in jail or are unprepared to sacrifice their pleasures for their dependents. If we are to harness the collective genius of all our people we need to pay as much attention to the development of girl learners as we do on boys.
The question of girl learners becomes more pertinent to learner attainment and performance in mathematics and science. As parents, teachers and community members we need to do more to ensure that girl learners achieve as well as their male peers in these gateway subjects, because these subjects are the launching pad into the requisite study fields and success in the modern world economy.
It is the responsibility of schools, parents and communities to take care of, protect and avoid the wastage of the resources allocated to the schools. The department can only afford to allocate certain resources once, it then becomes the responsibility of the schools to replace what is lost or damaged. We urge parents to get directly involved in the affairs of their schools, to support what is good and proper, and to challenge what is wrong and morally unacceptable. Quality education is possible where there is order, discipline and respect for the values and morals of our society. It is incumbent upon all of us to ensure that parents, communities and schools understand this message.
In closing, allow me to congratulate and commend all the schools, educators and learner that will be receiving the awards today. Achieving success and maintaining high standards do no come easily. They are the outcome of consistent hard work and dedication by all concerned. To the top ten schools in matric results during 2002, we encourage you to work harder and smarter this year because you are now backed by the experience of the past year. To the teachers who have achieved the best results in the respective subjects they were teaching, we want you to better your performance this year. To the most-improved schools, we encourage you to continuously set higher achievement targets because the goal is a 100% pass rate. No learner deserves to fail, especially after spending twelve years or more in school. To those schools that have consistently performed well, we warn you not to rest on your laurels because there are as many competitors for your coveted top positions as there are schools in this district. We salute you all and encourage you to do better this year. Finally, we congratulate the top learner in this region. Keep up the good work and work even harder. More is expected out of you.
This ceremony would not have been the same without the generous sponsorship from Old Mutual. We are always encouraged by the participation of the private sector in the development initiatives in our education system. As an old and established public company, you are in a better position to appreciate the importance of sound and solid education as an investment for the future. The youth of today are your future partners, investors, employees and clients.
I thank you.
Issued by the Deputy Ministry of Education
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