Date: 22/10/2004
Title: Manuel: National Teaching Awards Ceremony
ADDRESS BY MINISTER MANUEL, AT THE NATIONAL TEACHING AWARDS CEREMONY, Presidential Guest House, Pretoria
Programme Director
Minister of Education, Mrs Naledi Pandor
Deputy Minister, Mr Enver Surty
MECs and Provincial Heads of Department
Distinguished guests
Recipients of the awards
Ladies and Gentlemen
On the occasion of the fifth National Teaching Awards Ceremony, it is a great honour to join you in celebrating the contribution, which our award winners have made to improving our people’s quality of life. While celebrating a decade of freedom, we are proud to recognise and celebrate ten years of quality and excellent teaching. This ceremony highlights the role of education in realising our goals as a nation.
As we are all aware, next to parents and families, teachers are the greatest single influence over our children’s future. Communities present teachers with our most precious resource, our children. Our society gives to teachers the responsibility and the immensely challenging task of unlocking our children’s potential to learn, to mould them into good citizens and capable members of our society. Ladies and gentlemen, it is excellence in teaching that unlocks that potential. So it is entirely fitting that we celebrate excellent teaching through the National Teaching Awards Ceremony.
These awards do not simply celebrate the efforts and successes of those who teach in our public schools, but also extends to those who have been outstanding in Early Childhood and Adult Basic Education centres. So, tonight:
We celebrate Excellence in Primary and Secondary School Teaching
We celebrate Excellence in Primary and Secondary School Leadership
We celebrate Excellence in Early Childhood Development
We celebrate Excellence in Special Needs Education
We celebrate Excellence in Adult Education and Training
We celebrate excellence because we want excellence for our students, for our families, for our future.
I am particularly pleased to see the addition of the final category, that of adult basic education. This is a new category for this year, just as early childhood development was added last year. Ladies and gentlemen, these are two critical categories. These categories reward those men and women who often labour in remote corners of our country to rectify and remedy the inequalities of the past, which manifest themselves in illiteracy amongst our adults and poor performance in primary schools. We can really celebrate as a nation that now we have early childhood centres in every part of the country and adult education classes going on in every community. I appeal to the broader community to make use of these opportunities which provision of such centres provides, often on your doorstep! The provision of these centres is doubly important as they are a key plank in our Extended Public Works Programme. These centres provide employment to community members, while also helping to uplift their community and provide a better future than many of us had for our children.
I am also delighted at the impact that these awards are making on the educational fraternity. There is a marked increase in the number of entries. This also includes the Adult Education and Training Sector. These entries and the number of guests gracing this ceremony tell us that more people are joining hands in efforts to improve the quality of education, and to make it accessible to the majority of South Africans. They show that we recognise that education is central to the success of a whole range of other human endeavours.
Our own effort at deepening our democracy, the renaissance of the entire continent and our successful interaction in the global village depend largely on the progress we make in educating our people. This ceremony not only offers us the opportunity to celebrate dedication and excellence in the teaching profession, with these awards we also acknowledge and rejoice at the attainment of high standards of teaching as well as inspiring others in this profession to aspire to these high quality attributes that define the work of each and every teacher in our country.
Let me use this opportunity to support the Department of Education’s attempts to increase the number of graduates and school leavers going into the teaching profession. I know that it is not seen as a glamorous profession, in the way that some other professions appear to be. However, it is a very important calling and it should be the first choice for those of our people who want to make a real difference to the lives of our young people and to the overall improvement of our society. It is rare to meet someone who cannot remember a special teacher: a teacher who changed that person’s life. I am sure that among the seventy-two national finalists we have here today there are many who fall into that category. It is hard to think of anything more worthwhile and inspiring than to know that to achieve excellence in your chosen field leads not only to peer acknowledgement but also the life-long affection and gratitude of those you teach. I would ask all of you who are considering a career in public service and in education to come and join this fine collection of people I see before me tonight. It really is a noble profession.
Our achievements in education over the past ten years are inspiring. We have improved the qualifications of teachers thus improving the quality of teaching and learning; we have established new policies such as Curriculum 2005 and the National Curriculum Statement; we have provided all schools with learning support materials; we have provided more schools for our people; and we have implemented the school nutrition programme. Perhaps most significantly, we have brought the community and school together through the school governing bodies.
We have established a whole new architecture for education with structures such as the South African Council for Educators, the Education, Training and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority, and the Education Labour Relations Council. We have concentrated development on the 21 urban and rural nodes identified in terms of our Urban Renewal and Integrated and Sustainable Rural Development Programme. These are vital elements in government’s progress in dealing with the legacy of the past. They are visible advances with regard to the improvement of the quality of life for all our people in line with our Human Resource Development Strategy and with our vision of creating a people-centred society as well as a lifelong learning society.
These developments did not come about by chance, just as your nominations for excellence did not happen without dedication and focused commitment. We know that teaching requires a sound character to respond to challenges posed by change. I therefore hope that as recipients of these awards you motivate and encourage your colleagues to work even harder to improve on the example that you have set. The message that you send to the rest of the teaching profession is that teachers are real agents of change and catalysts for the strengthening and consolidation of our democracy. Further, I would argue that teaching and good quality education is critical to my government’s focus on alleviating poverty. While having access to housing, water, food and clinics is clearly central to poverty alleviation, the effective use of these facilities is predicated by access to good quality education. Most societies, like ours, acknowledge the importance of education to improving life chances of young people and those who attend adult classes. It is the best investment any family and community can make in its long-term future. A recent survey showed that there is a correlation between income and happiness. We do not need to see such surveys to understand that if one is spending large amounts of the day simply surviving that it is less likely that you will feel fulfilled. Education is the door to better jobs and therefore a happier, more fulfilled life.
So, logically, the challenge we face includes bridging the achievement gap between the privileged and the under- privileged. This can, at least in part, be achieved through the expansion of adult basic education and early childhood development centres, and aligning these with the training objectives of the Expanded Public Works Programme, and the provision of modern skills to our people. These are challenges brought about by the gap between the First Economy and the Second Economy. I am confident that the teaching profession will respond effectively and efficiently to these challenges. It is through the extra efforts and selflessness of teachers that we as South Africans, will address the inequities and together realise the common goal of providing quality education for all our citizens.
For our country to make necessary and meaningful progress with regard to the many socio-economic challenges that we face, we need appropriately trained and skilled people. This foundation for an ideal society with adequately trained and skilled citizens capable of bringing about holistic development is underpinned by a quality education and training system.
Obviously this depends on the availability of committed teachers who regard their profession as a calling. These types of teachers are aware that their efforts add value to the lives of children in their classrooms. These children will be tomorrow’s scientists, engineers, economists, technologists and other important leaders who will make a difference to the lives of all our people.
Indeed teachers are central to our task of raising the skills levels of our people. Therefore they must be engaged in lifelong learning activities themselves, driven by a clear understanding of the development priorities of our democratic state and the new patriotism.
We will be hosting the Pan African Parliament and the 2010 Soccer World Cup. Education is one of the key instruments in mobilising human resources to respond to and to contribute to the success of these and many other initiatives. I am certain that as teachers, and critical players in the process of the growth, reconstruction and development of our country, you will discharge your responsibilities in this regard in a way that is sensitive to the needs of these important initiatives that we shall be leading.
May the National Teaching Awards Celebrations inspire all South Africans, in the spirit of our deepening patriotism, to make our schools centres of community life and quality teaching that enriches and builds our nation and its people.
Let us join hands, as our country begins its Second Decade of Democracy, and work decisively to make excellence in the teaching profession open the door of culture and education to all in a people’s contract to build a better South Africa and a better world.
Thank you for your attention. I wish you all, and particularly the 72 finalists, well and all the best of luck.
Issued by: Ministry of Finance
22 October 2004
Source: Department of Education (http://education.pwv.gov.za)
Title: Manuel: National Teaching Awards Ceremony
ADDRESS BY MINISTER MANUEL, AT THE NATIONAL TEACHING AWARDS CEREMONY, Presidential Guest House, Pretoria
Programme Director
Minister of Education, Mrs Naledi Pandor
Deputy Minister, Mr Enver Surty
MECs and Provincial Heads of Department
Distinguished guests
Recipients of the awards
Ladies and Gentlemen
On the occasion of the fifth National Teaching Awards Ceremony, it is a great honour to join you in celebrating the contribution, which our award winners have made to improving our people’s quality of life. While celebrating a decade of freedom, we are proud to recognise and celebrate ten years of quality and excellent teaching. This ceremony highlights the role of education in realising our goals as a nation.
As we are all aware, next to parents and families, teachers are the greatest single influence over our children’s future. Communities present teachers with our most precious resource, our children. Our society gives to teachers the responsibility and the immensely challenging task of unlocking our children’s potential to learn, to mould them into good citizens and capable members of our society. Ladies and gentlemen, it is excellence in teaching that unlocks that potential. So it is entirely fitting that we celebrate excellent teaching through the National Teaching Awards Ceremony.
These awards do not simply celebrate the efforts and successes of those who teach in our public schools, but also extends to those who have been outstanding in Early Childhood and Adult Basic Education centres. So, tonight:
We celebrate Excellence in Primary and Secondary School Teaching
We celebrate Excellence in Primary and Secondary School Leadership
We celebrate Excellence in Early Childhood Development
We celebrate Excellence in Special Needs Education
We celebrate Excellence in Adult Education and Training
We celebrate excellence because we want excellence for our students, for our families, for our future.
I am particularly pleased to see the addition of the final category, that of adult basic education. This is a new category for this year, just as early childhood development was added last year. Ladies and gentlemen, these are two critical categories. These categories reward those men and women who often labour in remote corners of our country to rectify and remedy the inequalities of the past, which manifest themselves in illiteracy amongst our adults and poor performance in primary schools. We can really celebrate as a nation that now we have early childhood centres in every part of the country and adult education classes going on in every community. I appeal to the broader community to make use of these opportunities which provision of such centres provides, often on your doorstep! The provision of these centres is doubly important as they are a key plank in our Extended Public Works Programme. These centres provide employment to community members, while also helping to uplift their community and provide a better future than many of us had for our children.
I am also delighted at the impact that these awards are making on the educational fraternity. There is a marked increase in the number of entries. This also includes the Adult Education and Training Sector. These entries and the number of guests gracing this ceremony tell us that more people are joining hands in efforts to improve the quality of education, and to make it accessible to the majority of South Africans. They show that we recognise that education is central to the success of a whole range of other human endeavours.
Our own effort at deepening our democracy, the renaissance of the entire continent and our successful interaction in the global village depend largely on the progress we make in educating our people. This ceremony not only offers us the opportunity to celebrate dedication and excellence in the teaching profession, with these awards we also acknowledge and rejoice at the attainment of high standards of teaching as well as inspiring others in this profession to aspire to these high quality attributes that define the work of each and every teacher in our country.
Let me use this opportunity to support the Department of Education’s attempts to increase the number of graduates and school leavers going into the teaching profession. I know that it is not seen as a glamorous profession, in the way that some other professions appear to be. However, it is a very important calling and it should be the first choice for those of our people who want to make a real difference to the lives of our young people and to the overall improvement of our society. It is rare to meet someone who cannot remember a special teacher: a teacher who changed that person’s life. I am sure that among the seventy-two national finalists we have here today there are many who fall into that category. It is hard to think of anything more worthwhile and inspiring than to know that to achieve excellence in your chosen field leads not only to peer acknowledgement but also the life-long affection and gratitude of those you teach. I would ask all of you who are considering a career in public service and in education to come and join this fine collection of people I see before me tonight. It really is a noble profession.
Our achievements in education over the past ten years are inspiring. We have improved the qualifications of teachers thus improving the quality of teaching and learning; we have established new policies such as Curriculum 2005 and the National Curriculum Statement; we have provided all schools with learning support materials; we have provided more schools for our people; and we have implemented the school nutrition programme. Perhaps most significantly, we have brought the community and school together through the school governing bodies.
We have established a whole new architecture for education with structures such as the South African Council for Educators, the Education, Training and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority, and the Education Labour Relations Council. We have concentrated development on the 21 urban and rural nodes identified in terms of our Urban Renewal and Integrated and Sustainable Rural Development Programme. These are vital elements in government’s progress in dealing with the legacy of the past. They are visible advances with regard to the improvement of the quality of life for all our people in line with our Human Resource Development Strategy and with our vision of creating a people-centred society as well as a lifelong learning society.
These developments did not come about by chance, just as your nominations for excellence did not happen without dedication and focused commitment. We know that teaching requires a sound character to respond to challenges posed by change. I therefore hope that as recipients of these awards you motivate and encourage your colleagues to work even harder to improve on the example that you have set. The message that you send to the rest of the teaching profession is that teachers are real agents of change and catalysts for the strengthening and consolidation of our democracy. Further, I would argue that teaching and good quality education is critical to my government’s focus on alleviating poverty. While having access to housing, water, food and clinics is clearly central to poverty alleviation, the effective use of these facilities is predicated by access to good quality education. Most societies, like ours, acknowledge the importance of education to improving life chances of young people and those who attend adult classes. It is the best investment any family and community can make in its long-term future. A recent survey showed that there is a correlation between income and happiness. We do not need to see such surveys to understand that if one is spending large amounts of the day simply surviving that it is less likely that you will feel fulfilled. Education is the door to better jobs and therefore a happier, more fulfilled life.
So, logically, the challenge we face includes bridging the achievement gap between the privileged and the under- privileged. This can, at least in part, be achieved through the expansion of adult basic education and early childhood development centres, and aligning these with the training objectives of the Expanded Public Works Programme, and the provision of modern skills to our people. These are challenges brought about by the gap between the First Economy and the Second Economy. I am confident that the teaching profession will respond effectively and efficiently to these challenges. It is through the extra efforts and selflessness of teachers that we as South Africans, will address the inequities and together realise the common goal of providing quality education for all our citizens.
For our country to make necessary and meaningful progress with regard to the many socio-economic challenges that we face, we need appropriately trained and skilled people. This foundation for an ideal society with adequately trained and skilled citizens capable of bringing about holistic development is underpinned by a quality education and training system.
Obviously this depends on the availability of committed teachers who regard their profession as a calling. These types of teachers are aware that their efforts add value to the lives of children in their classrooms. These children will be tomorrow’s scientists, engineers, economists, technologists and other important leaders who will make a difference to the lives of all our people.
Indeed teachers are central to our task of raising the skills levels of our people. Therefore they must be engaged in lifelong learning activities themselves, driven by a clear understanding of the development priorities of our democratic state and the new patriotism.
We will be hosting the Pan African Parliament and the 2010 Soccer World Cup. Education is one of the key instruments in mobilising human resources to respond to and to contribute to the success of these and many other initiatives. I am certain that as teachers, and critical players in the process of the growth, reconstruction and development of our country, you will discharge your responsibilities in this regard in a way that is sensitive to the needs of these important initiatives that we shall be leading.
May the National Teaching Awards Celebrations inspire all South Africans, in the spirit of our deepening patriotism, to make our schools centres of community life and quality teaching that enriches and builds our nation and its people.
Let us join hands, as our country begins its Second Decade of Democracy, and work decisively to make excellence in the teaching profession open the door of culture and education to all in a people’s contract to build a better South Africa and a better world.
Thank you for your attention. I wish you all, and particularly the 72 finalists, well and all the best of luck.
Issued by: Ministry of Finance
22 October 2004
Source: Department of Education (http://education.pwv.gov.za)
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