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Date : 17/09/2004
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
Title: S Ndebele: Visit to Menzi High School by President of India


REMARKS BY THE PREMIER OF KWAZULU-NATAL, MR. SBUSISO NDEBELE, ON THE OCCASION OF THE VISIT TO MENZI HIGH SCHOOL BY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, Umlazi, Durban, 17 September 2004

Your Excellency, Dr Abdul Karan, President of the Republic of India and the entire Indian delegation;
The Honourable Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Ms Meira Kumar;
The Honourable MEC for Education, Ms Ina Cronje
The Honourable Mayor of Ethekwini Municipality, Councillor Obed Mlaba
The Principal of Menzi High School, Mr Felix Mshololo and all the teachers at the school;
Members of the School Governing Body;
Learners;
Ladies and gentlemen.

We feel honoured that the community of this school has welcomed us, together with His Excellency and the Indian delegation, to spend a few minutes at this institution of learning to interact with learners.

His Excellency, together with the Indian delegation, landed in Durban yesterday afternoon and decided that this first port of call today will be at this school because he shares our passion for the development of learners into responsible and upstanding adults. Like us, His Excellency is of the firm view that the future of any society of any society is determined by how well that particular society raises and moulds its children.

Indeed this visit could not have come at a better time for Menzi High School for it occurs at a time when our province has just begun with the programme of rebuilding itself. As much as this period throws real challenges at ourselves as elected leaders and government of this province, it also raises tow fundamental questions for our schools- learners, teachers and the governing body-in whose hands lies the future of this province.

What role can the school play during this period?

What is the vision of our government in the development of our schools, particularly learners?

1 The role of this school and all other schools in our province is to mould from these learners, a crop of individuals who will be able to tackle and negotiate the challenges they will encounter in pursuit of their adult lives. The role of the school, particularly educators, is to inculcate at this very early stage of development of learners a sense of civic duty and patriotism for their country.

All learners should, for example, know the National Anthem, the new Provincial Coat of Arms and other important symbols of our country.

While the two points highlighted as the role of the school may seem wide ranging and generic, they, in essence, form the foundation of all that the learners need in order to bring to fruition a prosperous and peaceful KwaZulu-Natal.

Our Vision for the development of the schools is that they should be centres of creativity and innovation. Because a sense of civic duty shall be inculcated in our learners, then in whatever they do they will constantly ask themselves the question. "How does this develop KwaZulu-Natal?"

We know that in order to have this creative buzz in our schools, resources are desperately needed. It is difficult for teachers to teach under the tree. It is difficult for learners to conduct science experiment without ever entering a laboratory.

It is difficult for children to concentrate on their studies when there are not adequate resources.

However, we need not lose hope the challenges we face today are mainly challenges thrown at us by the skewed distribution of resources as a result of our past. While we cannot constantly bring this forth as an excuse for the problems we face, we must nonetheless, not forget this fact because it then informs our responses to solving this problem.

Menzi High School and many other schools with similar challenges is a beacon of hope for the majority of the people of this province. There are townships and rural schools, with no resources to speak about that have managed to turn their fortunes around through sheer hard work and determination. The fact that this school has, over the past five years managed an average 96% matric pass rate despite the very real resource constraint is indeed a sign that our future as a province is not in danger.

Your Excellency, the global reality we face is that no country can hope to advance itself if it does not invest in science and technology. That is why our province is committed to arming our learners with science and technology skills.

While we have committed ourselves to bringing science and technology to our children, through science laboratories, computer classes and technology, we need to balance this with very real basic needs that some of our schools still do not have resources like water, sanitation, proper classrooms and electricity.

2 We, therefore, need our communities, the alma maters of these schools, the business sector to help government in its bid to mould a new citizen of KwaZulu-Natal through learning. We hope, Your Excellency that we can draw on the experiences and support of your country to address some of the challenges our province faces as far as learning is concerned.

I thank you.

Issued by: Office of the Premier, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
17 September 2004
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government (http://www.kwazulunatal.gov.za)

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