Date: 29/07/2004
Source: Department of Education
Title: N Pandor: Standard Bank Nationwide Financial Literacy Programme


SPEAKING NOTES, NALEDI PANDOR, MP, MINISTER OF EDUCATION, ON HER VISIT TO THE STANDARD BANK, 29 July 2004

M Derek Cooper, Chairman of the Standard Bank Group
Mr Jacko Maree, Chief Executive Officer
Directors of Provincial Education Departments
Mr Ricky Buwalda, team leader of the financial literacy project
Distinguished guests

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 positively contribute to the emergence of highly skilled effective social actors. These could be employers, entrepreneurs, employees or any form of economically active person. Our challenge is create real learning opportunities.

The united struggle against apartheid serves as the best example of how challenges must be confronted. There has to be a joint national and where necessary, international set of partnerships.

Government is very aware of the importance of entering into partnerships with the private sector and with civil society organizations and has advocated collaboration as the route to enhancing implementation. I have noted the immense value of the range of educational partnerships that support learning and teaching.

This launch is a further mark of progress. The ministry is pleased to learn that the Standard Bank is committing more funds to this very important and strategic project. This serves as testimony that for this funder education initiatives are not a mere feel good exercise, they are a genuine participation in supporting the human resource skills development activities of South Africa. Consistent partnership and the further elaboration of collaborative programmes exemplify the best spirit of corporate social investment.

Some banks and other major corporations in our country are turning towards the triple bottom line system of management that encompasses financial, environmental and social equity. In a world under increasing environmental pressure and in a society like ours that features stark inequalities it is simply not enough to measure business success on financial performance only.

The ministry expresses its thanks to the Bank for its commitment to the further development of the financial literacy project and to the learnership programmes. I hope these partnerships will play a strong role in improving our ability to give practical meaning to the objective of providing a quality education for all. There are immense challenges in education, successful responses to them will give South Africa the growth potential that it desires for real transformation. We can only provide real change by ensuring all our people have education and training.

I would like to call on those who will have the responsibility of implementing the project to make sure that it is a success.

Thank you for inviting me to attend this launch and I wish you, ourselves in education and our partner the Standard Bank, success in our endeavour to create new and real opportunities for learning in South Africa.

Issued by: Department of Education
29 July 2004