Date: 22/02/05
Source: Department of Education, Gauteng Provincial Government
Title: Motshekga: Gauteng Media Briefing 2005
Social Cluster Media Briefing statement by the MEC for Education Ms Angie Motshekga
22 February 2005
Programme Director
Fellow MECs
Representatives from the media
Ladies and Gentlemen
The Gauteng Department of Education welcomes the commitments made by the Premier of Gauteng, Mr Mbhazima Shilowa during the opening of the Gauteng Legislature. To us, the commitments represent a call to action to ensure that effective and quality education continues
POVERTY ERADICATION
As part of our poverty eradication strategy, our department will be ready to ensure that our contribution towards the single window package for the poor is ready when the programme is launched on 01 June 2005. We will contribute to the programme with the following services:
* Identify learners who qualifies for the free school uniform
* Provision of free meals to qualifying learners * Scholar transport
* Exemptions for school fees for children who attend school at poorest communities
* Provision of Learning, Teaching and Support Material
To date, we are providing 356 264 learners with meals during lunch, while 51 321 learners are transported daily to schools as part of our scholar transport service.
We will continue to provide free and safe scholar transport to those learners who live more than 5 km away from the nearest school. We support the statement by the Premier that over the next three months all buses and taxis used by government to ferry learners will be tested to ensure that our children are not exposed to dangers associated with the use of unroadworthy vehicles. Such testing will in future be carried out annually and upon renewal of contracts.
Early Childhood Development (ECD)
To further increase our investment in our youngest citizens, from 1 April we will begin implementing our early childhood development (ECD) strategy focusing on children at risk and in the most disadvantaged communities.
The strategy, which will be rolled out over five years, includes expanding our ECD services, increasing the number of qualified ECD practitioners, advocacy and awareness programmes focusing on parents and care givers.
QUALITY OF EDUCATION
One of our top priorities for the remainder of our five year term of office will be to continue to improve the quality of school education. This is crucial if we are to secure the necessary educational foundations to become a successful global city region with a growing, job creating economy and a decent quality of life for all inhabitants. Through the implementation of a multi-faceted Mathematics, Science and Technology Strategy, we have increased the number of schools that are able to offer these learning areas. Today more than 90% of our schools offer mathematics, physical science and accounting.
We have also increased learner enrolment in these subjects. Last year 64% of our grade 12 learners wrote mathematics with about one quarter taking the subject in higher grade. While this is encouraging, it is not good enough to write mathematics standard grade. We want to move to a situation where all our learners study mathematics higher grade. This year 56% of our learners will write mathematics higher grade.
As part of the revised curriculum, mathematics literacy has been introduced as a compulsory component for all learners.
GAUTENG ONLINE
We are on track to ensure that all public schools in Gauteng will have fully equipped computer laboratories linked to the cyber community via satellite by the end of 2006. To date, uninterrupted power supply units have been installed at 1 067 schools and there is ongoing orientation and advanced training of educators.
DEEPENING DEMOCRACY
In line with our commitment to deepening democracy, we have also embraced the national initiative to improve awareness and appreciation of our South African heritage and this year will see us expand our activities to raise awareness of the values enshrined in the Constitution and the Freedom Charter amongst learners, educators and parents.
In celebrating the Freedom Charter, all sporting events this year, starting with Primary Schools Athletics Championship in Krugersdorp on 04 March 2005, will be dedicated to teach our learners about the Freedom Charter and what it represents. This will also be followed up with Secondary Athletics Championship scheduled for 11 and 12 March 2005, in Germiston. All our learners will participate in various games and activities to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Freedom Charter.
NO LEARNER TO LEARN UNDER THE TREE
In line with the President's commitment that all schools will have access to water, sanitation and electricity by March 2006, I am proud to announce that only four schools in Gauteng, i.e. Malekgere Primary School (Cullinan), Pheasant Folly Primary and Thabo Tona Primary (all in Kliprivier) and SakhiSizwe Secondary (Willows Farm), do not have electricity and this is due to the fact that these schools are situated in areas without access to the electricity network. We are presently investigating alternative sources of power to correct this situation. We have also replaced nine mud schools and by the end of March this year we will have completed a project to treat 50 schools which were built using harmful asbestos.
By the end of last year, as promised, we had merged or closed approximately 60 farm and rural schools and consolidated teaching at 149 schools. Multi-grade teaching has been phased out. Plans for this year include improving the capacity of educators, piloting five schools as multi-purpose centres and rolling out a food garden project to all rural and farm schools. At the beginning of the school calendar, there was once more a large number of children who could not find accommodation on the first day of school.
While we have a total surplus of 380 primary school classrooms in our province, we also have a shortage of 5 359 classrooms for secondary school learners and particularly in new settlements and informal settlements.
The shortage of secondary schools is due in part to the fact that increasing numbers of learners are staying at school beyond Grade 8. The other reason is population growth and settlement shifts.
It is clear therefore that we need a medium term programme to address the provision of schools in the areas where they are needed.
REGISTER YOUR CHILD EARLY CAMPAIGN
This year, a majority of our schools are facing an unprecedented increase in intake of learners. This is mainly because of parents who enrolled their children very late this year.
We will thus launch our campaign from 01 June to the end of October 2005. We thus urge parents to please register their children early this year to avoid a repeat of learners being enrolled very late.
By March 2005, we will have completed the building of 31 new schools, 1 088 classrooms, 160 toilet blocks, 38 administration blocks and 32 media centres and rehabilitated 59 schools.
FURTHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING (FET)
Critical to achieving our status as a global city region, there is a need to
Improve post school education and training opportunities such as Further Education and Training and learnerships.
We are presently reviewing the curriculum offered at Further Education and Training (FET) colleges as well as our Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) programmes to align them with our provincial growth and skills development strategies.
We have now concluded the merging of all our FET institutions in Gauteng. We are now working on aligning these institutions with the economic priorities of our province.
A further challenge that needs to be addressed is the recapitalisation of FET colleges with modern and appropriate equipment. During the second quarter of this year, we will convene a meeting bringing together the FET colleges and the captains of industry in areas in which they train to look at partnerships to fast track the recapitalisation of these colleges.
Already FET colleges are linking up to the learnership and SETA system in line with national policy. In our FET colleges, 4 358 students are participating in one or another learnership, including in areas of tourism, hospitality, hair care, mechanical and electrical engineering.
DRUG AND ALOCOHOL ABUSE, SUICIDE, TEENAGE PREGNANCY AND BULLYING
To tackle the scourge of substance abuse, we will be intensifying our awareness campaigns at schools and working with the SAPS Youth Desks. Together with the SAPS we will focus our attention on the increasing problems of drug abuse and peddling and related problems at schools in a pro-active manner
We note the recent increase of substance abuse by learners in various school premises. This is a matter of serious concern. Our Schools Safety Programme which is a joint venture with the Dept. of Community Safety will be strengthened to curb criminal activities in our schools. The use of drugs by learners must be eradicated at all cost as it leads to serious misconduct by learners, including rape, assault, bullying and sexual offences.
It is within this context, that on 09 March 2005 in Duduza, Nigel, we will launch an Awareness and Motivational Campaign with various partners and role models including musicians such as Mdu Masilela to visit various schools as part of ensuring that our learners are free from drugs and unprotected sex. We will also produce a booklet for learners, parents and teachers, outlining the effects of substance abuse. This will be followed by a huge media campaign.
CONCLUSION
We once more reiterate our commitment to ensure quality education is delivered unhindered in all our schools.
I thank you
For further details please contact: Panyaza Lesufi
Cell: (011) 355 0524
Mbela Phetlhe
Cell: 083 700 1076
Issued by: Department of Education, Gauteng
Provincial Government
22 February 2005
Source: Department of Education, Gauteng Provincial Government
Title: Motshekga: Gauteng Media Briefing 2005
Social Cluster Media Briefing statement by the MEC for Education Ms Angie Motshekga
22 February 2005
Programme Director
Fellow MECs
Representatives from the media
Ladies and Gentlemen
The Gauteng Department of Education welcomes the commitments made by the Premier of Gauteng, Mr Mbhazima Shilowa during the opening of the Gauteng Legislature. To us, the commitments represent a call to action to ensure that effective and quality education continues
POVERTY ERADICATION
As part of our poverty eradication strategy, our department will be ready to ensure that our contribution towards the single window package for the poor is ready when the programme is launched on 01 June 2005. We will contribute to the programme with the following services:
* Identify learners who qualifies for the free school uniform
* Provision of free meals to qualifying learners * Scholar transport
* Exemptions for school fees for children who attend school at poorest communities
* Provision of Learning, Teaching and Support Material
To date, we are providing 356 264 learners with meals during lunch, while 51 321 learners are transported daily to schools as part of our scholar transport service.
We will continue to provide free and safe scholar transport to those learners who live more than 5 km away from the nearest school. We support the statement by the Premier that over the next three months all buses and taxis used by government to ferry learners will be tested to ensure that our children are not exposed to dangers associated with the use of unroadworthy vehicles. Such testing will in future be carried out annually and upon renewal of contracts.
Early Childhood Development (ECD)
To further increase our investment in our youngest citizens, from 1 April we will begin implementing our early childhood development (ECD) strategy focusing on children at risk and in the most disadvantaged communities.
The strategy, which will be rolled out over five years, includes expanding our ECD services, increasing the number of qualified ECD practitioners, advocacy and awareness programmes focusing on parents and care givers.
QUALITY OF EDUCATION
One of our top priorities for the remainder of our five year term of office will be to continue to improve the quality of school education. This is crucial if we are to secure the necessary educational foundations to become a successful global city region with a growing, job creating economy and a decent quality of life for all inhabitants. Through the implementation of a multi-faceted Mathematics, Science and Technology Strategy, we have increased the number of schools that are able to offer these learning areas. Today more than 90% of our schools offer mathematics, physical science and accounting.
We have also increased learner enrolment in these subjects. Last year 64% of our grade 12 learners wrote mathematics with about one quarter taking the subject in higher grade. While this is encouraging, it is not good enough to write mathematics standard grade. We want to move to a situation where all our learners study mathematics higher grade. This year 56% of our learners will write mathematics higher grade.
As part of the revised curriculum, mathematics literacy has been introduced as a compulsory component for all learners.
GAUTENG ONLINE
We are on track to ensure that all public schools in Gauteng will have fully equipped computer laboratories linked to the cyber community via satellite by the end of 2006. To date, uninterrupted power supply units have been installed at 1 067 schools and there is ongoing orientation and advanced training of educators.
DEEPENING DEMOCRACY
In line with our commitment to deepening democracy, we have also embraced the national initiative to improve awareness and appreciation of our South African heritage and this year will see us expand our activities to raise awareness of the values enshrined in the Constitution and the Freedom Charter amongst learners, educators and parents.
In celebrating the Freedom Charter, all sporting events this year, starting with Primary Schools Athletics Championship in Krugersdorp on 04 March 2005, will be dedicated to teach our learners about the Freedom Charter and what it represents. This will also be followed up with Secondary Athletics Championship scheduled for 11 and 12 March 2005, in Germiston. All our learners will participate in various games and activities to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Freedom Charter.
NO LEARNER TO LEARN UNDER THE TREE
In line with the President's commitment that all schools will have access to water, sanitation and electricity by March 2006, I am proud to announce that only four schools in Gauteng, i.e. Malekgere Primary School (Cullinan), Pheasant Folly Primary and Thabo Tona Primary (all in Kliprivier) and SakhiSizwe Secondary (Willows Farm), do not have electricity and this is due to the fact that these schools are situated in areas without access to the electricity network. We are presently investigating alternative sources of power to correct this situation. We have also replaced nine mud schools and by the end of March this year we will have completed a project to treat 50 schools which were built using harmful asbestos.
By the end of last year, as promised, we had merged or closed approximately 60 farm and rural schools and consolidated teaching at 149 schools. Multi-grade teaching has been phased out. Plans for this year include improving the capacity of educators, piloting five schools as multi-purpose centres and rolling out a food garden project to all rural and farm schools. At the beginning of the school calendar, there was once more a large number of children who could not find accommodation on the first day of school.
While we have a total surplus of 380 primary school classrooms in our province, we also have a shortage of 5 359 classrooms for secondary school learners and particularly in new settlements and informal settlements.
The shortage of secondary schools is due in part to the fact that increasing numbers of learners are staying at school beyond Grade 8. The other reason is population growth and settlement shifts.
It is clear therefore that we need a medium term programme to address the provision of schools in the areas where they are needed.
REGISTER YOUR CHILD EARLY CAMPAIGN
This year, a majority of our schools are facing an unprecedented increase in intake of learners. This is mainly because of parents who enrolled their children very late this year.
We will thus launch our campaign from 01 June to the end of October 2005. We thus urge parents to please register their children early this year to avoid a repeat of learners being enrolled very late.
By March 2005, we will have completed the building of 31 new schools, 1 088 classrooms, 160 toilet blocks, 38 administration blocks and 32 media centres and rehabilitated 59 schools.
FURTHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING (FET)
Critical to achieving our status as a global city region, there is a need to
Improve post school education and training opportunities such as Further Education and Training and learnerships.
We are presently reviewing the curriculum offered at Further Education and Training (FET) colleges as well as our Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) programmes to align them with our provincial growth and skills development strategies.
We have now concluded the merging of all our FET institutions in Gauteng. We are now working on aligning these institutions with the economic priorities of our province.
A further challenge that needs to be addressed is the recapitalisation of FET colleges with modern and appropriate equipment. During the second quarter of this year, we will convene a meeting bringing together the FET colleges and the captains of industry in areas in which they train to look at partnerships to fast track the recapitalisation of these colleges.
Already FET colleges are linking up to the learnership and SETA system in line with national policy. In our FET colleges, 4 358 students are participating in one or another learnership, including in areas of tourism, hospitality, hair care, mechanical and electrical engineering.
DRUG AND ALOCOHOL ABUSE, SUICIDE, TEENAGE PREGNANCY AND BULLYING
To tackle the scourge of substance abuse, we will be intensifying our awareness campaigns at schools and working with the SAPS Youth Desks. Together with the SAPS we will focus our attention on the increasing problems of drug abuse and peddling and related problems at schools in a pro-active manner
We note the recent increase of substance abuse by learners in various school premises. This is a matter of serious concern. Our Schools Safety Programme which is a joint venture with the Dept. of Community Safety will be strengthened to curb criminal activities in our schools. The use of drugs by learners must be eradicated at all cost as it leads to serious misconduct by learners, including rape, assault, bullying and sexual offences.
It is within this context, that on 09 March 2005 in Duduza, Nigel, we will launch an Awareness and Motivational Campaign with various partners and role models including musicians such as Mdu Masilela to visit various schools as part of ensuring that our learners are free from drugs and unprotected sex. We will also produce a booklet for learners, parents and teachers, outlining the effects of substance abuse. This will be followed by a huge media campaign.
CONCLUSION
We once more reiterate our commitment to ensure quality education is delivered unhindered in all our schools.
I thank you
For further details please contact: Panyaza Lesufi
Cell: (011) 355 0524
Mbela Phetlhe
Cell: 083 700 1076
Issued by: Department of Education, Gauteng
Provincial Government
22 February 2005
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