Speech by the Minister of Education, Naledi Pandor, at the centenary celebration of Ndaleni Primary School, Richmond, KwaZulu Natal

MEC Ina Cronjé
Chairperson of the SGB, Mr Mthembu
Principal, Mr Sithole
Mr John Jeffreys MP
Officials from the Department
Learners
Ladies and gentlemen

Thanks very much for inviting me; I am delighted to be here.

There are very few schools in our country that can celebrate one hundred years of existence.

Such a record indicates that this school has overcome the odds and managed to survive. All of us are fully aware that Indaleni went through very hard times during the era Bantu Education.

It present position suggests that even during this era of democracy the school has not been given the level of support that would show that we are in the modern age.

Schools such as this one, which are associated with former missionary society, made important contributions to the access and success of black children in the past periods of imperialism and apartheid oppression.

The concerns that many of us share about the quality of our schools has led to a project that seeks to revive and renew historic mission schools. The historic schools project is an initiative that intends to restore the culture of learning and teaching to our schools. The project intends to establish a public-private partnership in the restoration of historic schools of African excellence.

Those schools were renowned owing to their proud tradition of supporting learning through commitment of dedicated teachers and communities of parents who supported schools and learners and who expected schools to do well.

Sadly much of this character of school had been lost due to the lowering of standards that accompanied the imposition of Bantu Education on all African schools.

Apartheid destroyed the excellence in existing schools; it separated parents from schools; it demotivated good teachers; and starved teacher-training colleges of adequate resources. Teachers were poorly trained and then, worse, they received little administrative support from various departments of education.

Of course, not all teachers were bad teachers, but the true facts are that apartheid produced under qualified teachers for schools in poor communities.

This truth means that, if we are to make a real difference through education, we must directly and boldly use the resources of the state to compensate for disadvantage.

Our department of education cannot be slow on this task. We need accelerated action if Indaleni is to rebuild the culture of success.

The department should consider a school such as this as a survivor school that deserves special support.

Communities and governments usually mark a centenary withy a special project, a school hall, a school swimming pool, a school scholarship.

And I am surer that this school has been fund raising for a special project, one that will be a lasting reminder of the achievement of a hundred years.

So, I would like to congratulate the Principal, Mr Sithole, the School Governing Body, and learners of Indaleni Primary School on your centenary.

In reflecting you centenary, you should remember that education is one of the great nationalised industries of the twentieth century.

Before the twentieth century, education was for the few.

Before the twentieth century, education was for males only.

And before the twentieth century, education was not provided by the state but by self-help groups and by churches.

It is only from the beginning of the twentieth century that substantial state investment in education began worldwide.

The great growth in public expenditure began as the demand for publicly provided services took off around the world.

In what was to become the OECD countries the percentage spent on government services in 1907 was between 10 and 15% of Gross Domestic Product.

A hundred years later and the percentage is around 50% on average.

That is a huge increase.

The same sort of increase can be seen in the expenditure on education. At the time Indaleni was founded Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries spent a little over one percent of GDP on education. Today, they spend on average, and South Africa does as well, between five and six percent of GDP on education.

Over the last one hundred years this huge expansion of expenditure on education has fundamentally changed the nature of childhood and of young adulthood as well.

Education is now the most critical field of human development. Today governments everywhere in the world agree on one thing: education is for all.

Your celebration of this anniversary and your ongoing commitment to this school confirms that Indaleni Primary School and its community will continue to play an important role in education.

I am pleased to inform you that we will strive to support you in your work; we will begin by installing a technology learning centre with computers and e-access in the next few weeks.

My warm congratulations to the school. May it live for another 100 years.

Issued by: Department of Education
9 November 2007