Date: 16/08/2005
Source: Ministry of Education
Title: Pandor: Sappi-Protec lunch meeting
Address by the Minister of Education, Naledi Pandor, MP, at the Sappi-Protec lunch meeting at Sci-Bono
Chief Executive Officers, Sappi Forest Products & Protec
Alumni and current sponsored scholars
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
It gives me great pleasure to be here today to mark the tenth year of the Sappi partnership with Protec in promoting the learning and understanding of maths and sciences in our schools.
It has to be said that there are some excellent examples of corporate social investment in the education sector, and this is one of the best.
And I have been heartened by the response to the government’s call for a social partnership from the private sector.
Even the harshest social critics accept that community partnerships are the best means of overcoming national development challenges.
One of the greatest challenges we face in South Africa is to ensure that we determine educational programmes that contribute positively to the emergence of highly skilled, effective social actors.
Education dominates the corporate social investment landscape – about R1 billion or 40% of the R2,5 billion invested each year. 1
There is little doubt that this level of investment makes a difference to the lives of our children.
Consistent partnership and the further elaboration of collaborative programmes reveal the best spirit of corporate social investment.
There are excellent partnerships in the work of the Business Trust, the Eskom initiative and the Carnegie-South Africa Undergraduate Women’s Scholarships.
The Carnegie programme, for example, supports women studying in science, engineering, technology, actuarial science and science education, fields of study where women are traditionally underrepresented.
We encourage women to study in these fields not only because we need women with scientific and technological skills, but also because women remain under-represented as teachers and scholars in these disciplines in higher education.
And it is here in the sciences that the Sappi-Protec partnership makes an important contribution to building the foundation of learning in our schools.
I am pleased that the Sappi-Protec focus is on the improvement of teachers and pupils in mathematics and science in semi-rural KwaZulu-Natal areas. No doubt Sappi’s ownership of 550 000 hectares of commercial forests in this area is a motivation.
The government has placed a specific emphasis on developing a strong base for improving the teaching and learning of science and mathematics.
In order to address the legacy of the past and to promote our success in the future, we have focussed on three key thrusts, namely, to raise participation and performance by black pupils in maths and science; to improve on the number and quality of teachers of mathematics, science and technology; and to provide high quality mathematics, science and technology education from grade 1 to grade 12.
We have made some progress towards achieving our goals. In 2001 we established 102 dedicated mathematics and science secondary schools in order to increase participation in these subjects and improve student performance.
These schools are situated across the country in nodal areas targeted for urban renewal and rural development.
This year, we are looking at consolidating the strategy for improving maths and science, specifically, by quadrupling the number of these dedicated schools. But there are other plans in progress to support this development.
In the first place, we plan to improve the teaching of English. The lack of proficiency in the language of teaching and learning is a major factor contributing to poor performance in these subjects.
In the second place we aim to place a qualified and competent teacher in every mathematics, science and technology classroom. A ministerial committee into teacher education has just reported and made radical recommendations for reconceptualising our schools and the way teachers are employed.
In the third place we have plans for setting performance targets for our schools. Setting realistic targets for the system yields favourable results. Targets should relate to increases in participation and performance rates for schools and in certain target groups such as black and girl pupils.
In the fourth place we are aiming to make interactive digital content on mathematics, science and technology available via satellite television, the Internet, and print supplements. This goal is linked to a massive roll out of information and communication technology (ICT) hardware, soft ware and connectivity to schools. By 2013, every school should have access to a computer.
Once again I congratulate the partnership for their work in improving the standards of technological education in our schools.
I thank you.
Issued by: Ministry of Education
16 August 2005
Source: Ministry of Education
Title: Pandor: Sappi-Protec lunch meeting
Address by the Minister of Education, Naledi Pandor, MP, at the Sappi-Protec lunch meeting at Sci-Bono
Chief Executive Officers, Sappi Forest Products & Protec
Alumni and current sponsored scholars
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
It gives me great pleasure to be here today to mark the tenth year of the Sappi partnership with Protec in promoting the learning and understanding of maths and sciences in our schools.
It has to be said that there are some excellent examples of corporate social investment in the education sector, and this is one of the best.
And I have been heartened by the response to the government’s call for a social partnership from the private sector.
Even the harshest social critics accept that community partnerships are the best means of overcoming national development challenges.
One of the greatest challenges we face in South Africa is to ensure that we determine educational programmes that contribute positively to the emergence of highly skilled, effective social actors.
Education dominates the corporate social investment landscape – about R1 billion or 40% of the R2,5 billion invested each year. 1
There is little doubt that this level of investment makes a difference to the lives of our children.
Consistent partnership and the further elaboration of collaborative programmes reveal the best spirit of corporate social investment.
There are excellent partnerships in the work of the Business Trust, the Eskom initiative and the Carnegie-South Africa Undergraduate Women’s Scholarships.
The Carnegie programme, for example, supports women studying in science, engineering, technology, actuarial science and science education, fields of study where women are traditionally underrepresented.
We encourage women to study in these fields not only because we need women with scientific and technological skills, but also because women remain under-represented as teachers and scholars in these disciplines in higher education.
And it is here in the sciences that the Sappi-Protec partnership makes an important contribution to building the foundation of learning in our schools.
I am pleased that the Sappi-Protec focus is on the improvement of teachers and pupils in mathematics and science in semi-rural KwaZulu-Natal areas. No doubt Sappi’s ownership of 550 000 hectares of commercial forests in this area is a motivation.
The government has placed a specific emphasis on developing a strong base for improving the teaching and learning of science and mathematics.
In order to address the legacy of the past and to promote our success in the future, we have focussed on three key thrusts, namely, to raise participation and performance by black pupils in maths and science; to improve on the number and quality of teachers of mathematics, science and technology; and to provide high quality mathematics, science and technology education from grade 1 to grade 12.
We have made some progress towards achieving our goals. In 2001 we established 102 dedicated mathematics and science secondary schools in order to increase participation in these subjects and improve student performance.
These schools are situated across the country in nodal areas targeted for urban renewal and rural development.
This year, we are looking at consolidating the strategy for improving maths and science, specifically, by quadrupling the number of these dedicated schools. But there are other plans in progress to support this development.
In the first place, we plan to improve the teaching of English. The lack of proficiency in the language of teaching and learning is a major factor contributing to poor performance in these subjects.
In the second place we aim to place a qualified and competent teacher in every mathematics, science and technology classroom. A ministerial committee into teacher education has just reported and made radical recommendations for reconceptualising our schools and the way teachers are employed.
In the third place we have plans for setting performance targets for our schools. Setting realistic targets for the system yields favourable results. Targets should relate to increases in participation and performance rates for schools and in certain target groups such as black and girl pupils.
In the fourth place we are aiming to make interactive digital content on mathematics, science and technology available via satellite television, the Internet, and print supplements. This goal is linked to a massive roll out of information and communication technology (ICT) hardware, soft ware and connectivity to schools. By 2013, every school should have access to a computer.
Once again I congratulate the partnership for their work in improving the standards of technological education in our schools.
I thank you.
Issued by: Ministry of Education
16 August 2005
Advertisement
EMAIL THIS ARTICLE SAVE THIS ARTICLE FEEDBACK
To subscribe email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or click here
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
