Date: 15/02/2003
Source: Mpumalanga Provincial Government
Title: Padayachee: Mpumalanga Youth Leadership & Management Summit


SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE MEC FOR EDUCATION MR CNM PADAYACHEE, AT THE YOUTH LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT SUMMIT, Mpumalanga Parks Board, 15 February 2003

Programme Director
Head of Department - Dr MT Mashinini
Mr Wim Slabbert from EMD
Departmental Officials
Commissioner Mariba from the Mpumalanga Youth Commission
Teacher Unions
Parent Representatives
Learner formations
Invited guests
Ladies and gentlemen - I greet you

It is indeed a great honour and privilege for me to be invited to a summit of this magnitude. I feel honoured because this summit brings together the leaders and managers of tomorrow to discuss a variety of issues affecting our communities and to ultimately plan for the future. It has always been my belief that a wise nation invests in the youth because this is where the leaders of tomorrow come from. It is for this reason, ladies and gentlemen, that I hold this summit in high esteem.

Programme Director, let me begin by recognising the contributions made by our learners in the ongoing transformation of our education in the province. Most learners have shown good leadership skills in the structures of governance where they sit and participate. The South African School Act (Act 84 of 1996) makes provision for learners to be members of the School Governing Bodies (at post-primary level). This is one area in which learners have served with distinction. This is despite the fact that these learners have the heavy demands of the schoolwork to cope with. Youth leaders have also made positive contributions in school management through their participation in RCL as prescribed in the SASA (Act 84 of 1996). I would therefore, ladies and gentlemen, want to salute these learners and leaders of tomorrow for their unselfish contribution and dedication in bringing about change and stability in our schools. I also like to make a special appeal to learners to begin to seriously participate in debates and challenges facing today's school-going youth.

HERE ARE SOME OF CHALLENGES FACING OUR SCHOOL-GOING YOUTH TODAY: GANGSTERISM

Some schools have become breeding grounds of crime and gangsterism. Learners carry dangerous weapons to schools, which they use to carry out acts of crime or reign of terror against educators. We should please bear in mind that schools are centres of teaching and excellence and should be utilised as such.

It is, however, encouraging to note that this problem is not so prevalent in Mpumalanga as compared to other parts of the country. I want to encourage our communities (including the youth) to continue the fight against this scourge.

Today's school going-youth has become drug couriers and addicts. Schools have gradually become centre of drug trading. This is unacceptable. Learners should be made aware of the risks and dangers associated with this activity.

VANDALISM

This is one other problem facing our communities today. This problem is happening within our society. Young people are the main culprits here. In our debates and deliberations we need to engage one another with a view to coming up with lasting solutions. The future belongs to you (young people). You cannot afford to engage in act of damage to school property, furniture and other equipment. The facilities you are using must be looked after for the use by future generations.

TRUANCY

Truancy and the bunking of classes contribute negatively to learner achievement. I invite all learners to take their studies very seriously in order to ensure a better future. Poor school attendance and ill-discipline also contribute to a high failure rate amongst learners. It becomes a serious problem when a student leader is also involved in acts of truancy and ill-discipline. Leaders should lead by example.

RAPE AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

It has come to my attention that most girls are victims of rape and other forms of sexual violence. This is a serious matter of concern that must feature highly on your agenda for vigorous debate. Women, like any other human being, deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS is one problem confronting our community, especially the youth of this country. When I addressed the HIV/AIDS conference for the ABET sector last week, I did mention that the economy, the workplace, the classroom and a variety of other sectors in life are being affected by HIV/AIDS. Despite governments' unwavering commitment to fight HIV/AIDS, the challenge of HIV/AIDS cannot be left in the hands of government alone. Even the strategic collaboration between the health, social development and education state departments need your support in order to be in a position to arrest the spread of this disease. The youth, too, can contribute to the fight against HIV/AIDS by ABSTAINING, CONDOMISING and remaining FAITHFUL. The challenge for the youth is to change behavioural patterns and to begin to practice safe sex and good habits.

Having mentioned the challenges facing the youth I want to ask this summit to seriously interrogate these issues and eventually come up with solutions that will help to improve our standard of education and life in general within our communities.

The term of office of the current SGBs is almost over. Elections for new SGBs are going to be held in May 2003. All the plans and preparations for those elections are in place. I want to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks for the generous contributions these SGB members have made within the province in making our schools stable and centres of teaching and learning. You have made these huge contributions despite the commitments you are having.

In preparation for the forthcoming elections, I expect all Grade 8 schools and upwards to have finalised their RCL elections. The training of Teacher Liaison Offices (TLOs) will be completed by the end of this month (February 2003).

I therefore call upon you to mobilise your respective communities by encouraging everybody who is eligible to stand for SGB elections to participate. School governance cannot be left to chance. Please elect capable and credible leaders who will take our schools and education forward. The department will continue to provide capacity building on issues such as school governance, school developmental planning and financial management. This is to ensure that our schools are managed properly.

Whilst on the topic of financial management, I want to announce that a decision has been taken to allocate extra functions and responsibilities to all schools, thereby making them self-managing schools. What does this mean? This means that all public schools in the province will receive funds from the department to run their schools. The money will differ from school to school depending on the school poverty ranking and the enrolment of learners. Each school will have money deposited in their bank account.

This therefore calls for each school to have a functional school governing body and to keep financial records (and also have sound financial management skills). Schools that do not present the annual budget for approval by parents and that do not submit annual audited financial reports will have the section 21 statuses withdrawn. This is a challenge that our schools must come to terms with.

In order to ensure financial accountability, monitoring mechanisms are already in place. Schools will be further trained in financial management. Schools that will deviate from policy will be taken to task.

In conclusion, I wish you a successful summit. As you will be going to commissions, I expect that you come out with implementable resolutions that are going to take our education a step further.

I THANK YOU

Issued by Department of Education, Mpumalanga
15 February 2003