Date: 28/05/2004
Source: Ministry of Education
Title: N Pandor: Introducing Social Cluster II at Parliamentary Media Briefing, May 2004
SPEAKING NOTES BY MINISTER OF EDUCATION, NALEDI PANDOR, MP, AT PARLIAMENTARY MEDIA BRIEFINGS INTRODUCING SOCIAL CLUSTER II (HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL SECURITY, Parliament, Cape Town, 28 May 2004
Throughout the state of the nation speech on the 21 May 2004 the President addressed the matter of human resource development as an integral part of the government's response to poverty alleviation, and as the critical element in addressing the challenges of the two economies that exist in our country.
Our brief this morning is to provide an indication of our response to the tasks that have been outlined.
The ministers present here today (Labour, Social Development, Arts and Culture, and Sport and Recreation) represent the driving forces behind South Africa's human resource development strategy.
Although we will address matters relevant to our portfolios here, we are going to be working together in an integrated way to meet the challenges we face. The programmes we address in this statement must be seen in their totality as government's response to South Africa's human resource development needs.
Over the next five years the Department of Education will focus on consolidation. The education system has sound policies, from general education through to higher education. The hard work has been done and the challenges ahead mainly require the harnessing and consolidation of programmes that are already under way.
Quality improvement throughout the system will remain high on the agenda over the next five years. Our vision is of a quality education system in which all our people will have access to lifelong education and training. Implementation of this vision requires that all our children enjoy access to well-resourced schools run by enthusiastic teachers. It requires providing adults who need to achieve or improve qualifications the opportunity to pursue their aspirations. It also requires creating conditions for ensuring that South Africa has the high-level skills that will encourage innovation, creativity, and growth in our economy. It requires supporting and strengthening all sectors in education so that we create institutions of quality able to provide the intellectual leadership that our agenda of transformation through education requires. Our vision means that we must place the learning enterprise at the heart of our national project of change.
The Department's priorities are the following: improving skills; dealing with poverty, improving the quality of education, preventing the spread of HIV and AIDS among learners and educators, and enhancing support and development.
The Department of Labour is working closely with the Department of Education to address the issue of human resource and skills development. The Sector Education and Training Authorities are making inroads into addressing the question of scarce skills. The Ministry of Labour is currently re-establishing all the SETAs and the process will be complete by the end of March 2005 as required by the Skills Act.
In 2003 the Department of Labour injected about R100 million into the National Students Financial Aid Scheme to assist poor students who are unable to afford the costs of higher education.
The Department of Arts and Culture has a programme called "investing in culture". This programme will identify and harness existing skills within communities. This can become the single most significant intervention the department makes in the second economy.
The departments of Arts and Culture and Sport and Recreation will consider how to develop schools of focussed learning (schools of excellence) for children who excel in different fields, like arts, sports and music.
While addressing education and training, the provision of new employment opportunities and the creation and support of new cultural entrepreneurship, we must also not neglect the need to address poverty in our society.
The Department of Social Development will continue to expand on its many achievements: 8,1million beneficiaries of social grants; and over 1,5 million beneficiaries of the food emergency scheme. Its immediate key priorities are:
* The establishment of National Social Security Agency and Inspectorate by 2005 to improve effectiveness and efficiency; drastically reduce fraud and corruption in the management and administration for grants and enhance Batho-pele and better quality in the delivery of services to the poorest of the poor.
* Enhance access of the vulnerable to food security, including children, child headed households, and people with HIV and AIDS, through the food emergency scheme and the integrated food security and nutrition programme.
* Expanded Public Works Programme to create 185,000 jobs, enhance the creation of work through volunteer programmes especially within the Early Childhood Programmes and the Home and Community Based Care.
I fear that sport is going to mean football for the next six years. I only hope that the Minister will have due regard to the interests of women and that 2010 will not devolve into an all-male affair.
The possibilities opened by our successful bid to host the 2010 World Cup to expand the Public Works Programme are huge.
However, in addition to football, Sport and Recreation has to set its sights on the 2008 Olympics and the 2011 Rugby World Cup. This means new sporting skills opportunities for young South Africans. Thus, the Department of Sport and Recreation has a vital contribution to make to our human resource development strategy.
Issued by: Ministry of Education
28 May 2004
Source: Ministry of Education
Title: N Pandor: Introducing Social Cluster II at Parliamentary Media Briefing, May 2004
SPEAKING NOTES BY MINISTER OF EDUCATION, NALEDI PANDOR, MP, AT PARLIAMENTARY MEDIA BRIEFINGS INTRODUCING SOCIAL CLUSTER II (HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL SECURITY, Parliament, Cape Town, 28 May 2004
Throughout the state of the nation speech on the 21 May 2004 the President addressed the matter of human resource development as an integral part of the government's response to poverty alleviation, and as the critical element in addressing the challenges of the two economies that exist in our country.
Our brief this morning is to provide an indication of our response to the tasks that have been outlined.
The ministers present here today (Labour, Social Development, Arts and Culture, and Sport and Recreation) represent the driving forces behind South Africa's human resource development strategy.
Although we will address matters relevant to our portfolios here, we are going to be working together in an integrated way to meet the challenges we face. The programmes we address in this statement must be seen in their totality as government's response to South Africa's human resource development needs.
Over the next five years the Department of Education will focus on consolidation. The education system has sound policies, from general education through to higher education. The hard work has been done and the challenges ahead mainly require the harnessing and consolidation of programmes that are already under way.
Quality improvement throughout the system will remain high on the agenda over the next five years. Our vision is of a quality education system in which all our people will have access to lifelong education and training. Implementation of this vision requires that all our children enjoy access to well-resourced schools run by enthusiastic teachers. It requires providing adults who need to achieve or improve qualifications the opportunity to pursue their aspirations. It also requires creating conditions for ensuring that South Africa has the high-level skills that will encourage innovation, creativity, and growth in our economy. It requires supporting and strengthening all sectors in education so that we create institutions of quality able to provide the intellectual leadership that our agenda of transformation through education requires. Our vision means that we must place the learning enterprise at the heart of our national project of change.
The Department's priorities are the following: improving skills; dealing with poverty, improving the quality of education, preventing the spread of HIV and AIDS among learners and educators, and enhancing support and development.
The Department of Labour is working closely with the Department of Education to address the issue of human resource and skills development. The Sector Education and Training Authorities are making inroads into addressing the question of scarce skills. The Ministry of Labour is currently re-establishing all the SETAs and the process will be complete by the end of March 2005 as required by the Skills Act.
In 2003 the Department of Labour injected about R100 million into the National Students Financial Aid Scheme to assist poor students who are unable to afford the costs of higher education.
The Department of Arts and Culture has a programme called "investing in culture". This programme will identify and harness existing skills within communities. This can become the single most significant intervention the department makes in the second economy.
The departments of Arts and Culture and Sport and Recreation will consider how to develop schools of focussed learning (schools of excellence) for children who excel in different fields, like arts, sports and music.
While addressing education and training, the provision of new employment opportunities and the creation and support of new cultural entrepreneurship, we must also not neglect the need to address poverty in our society.
The Department of Social Development will continue to expand on its many achievements: 8,1million beneficiaries of social grants; and over 1,5 million beneficiaries of the food emergency scheme. Its immediate key priorities are:
* The establishment of National Social Security Agency and Inspectorate by 2005 to improve effectiveness and efficiency; drastically reduce fraud and corruption in the management and administration for grants and enhance Batho-pele and better quality in the delivery of services to the poorest of the poor.
* Enhance access of the vulnerable to food security, including children, child headed households, and people with HIV and AIDS, through the food emergency scheme and the integrated food security and nutrition programme.
* Expanded Public Works Programme to create 185,000 jobs, enhance the creation of work through volunteer programmes especially within the Early Childhood Programmes and the Home and Community Based Care.
I fear that sport is going to mean football for the next six years. I only hope that the Minister will have due regard to the interests of women and that 2010 will not devolve into an all-male affair.
The possibilities opened by our successful bid to host the 2010 World Cup to expand the Public Works Programme are huge.
However, in addition to football, Sport and Recreation has to set its sights on the 2008 Olympics and the 2011 Rugby World Cup. This means new sporting skills opportunities for young South Africans. Thus, the Department of Sport and Recreation has a vital contribution to make to our human resource development strategy.
Issued by: Ministry of Education
28 May 2004
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