Gender equity; the right to education and training; career development for educators; arguments for and against single sex education; violence in schools, and teenage pregnancy. These are just some of the issues with which the South African Education system has had to grapple, within the broader transformation process.
The Gender Equity Task Team, chaired by Dr Ann-Marie Wolpe of the Education Policy Unit at the University of the Western Cape, was appointed by the Minister of Education, Professor, S.M.E. Bengu, in late 1996 to establish whether there should be a separate gender equity unit within the depart. It was also within the brief of the Task Team to recommend guidelines and strategies which may be adopted to enable such a unit to achieve its overall aims, to establish a structure to achieve this, and to recommend appropriate legislation.
The Task Team, which presented its mid-term progress report in March last year, completed its task at the end of last year and is now scheduled to present its final report to the Minister on Thursday, 29 January 1998 at a press conference to be held in Pretoria. During its tenure, the Task Team consulted as widely as was possible and met with representatives of most key stakeholders.
The Report took into account every level of educational provision, from pre-school educare to tertiary education. While one of its major objectives is to make recommendations on gender equity in education and particularly on the establishment of dedicated structures at national and provincial level for dealing with gender equity issues in education, the report also has a wider educational role. It is designed to assist researchers, practitioner in all fields and levels of education, organisations dealing with gender matters, parents and the general public.
A distingulshing feature of the work of the gender Equity Task Team compared to most other task teams, committees and commissions is that it was breaking new ground. The complexities and extensive nature of gender equity issues in every aspect of education required the use of a theoretical framework for the Investigation. This gives the report its unique character and makes it relevant for a wider readership than just those responsible for educational policy development.
Advance copies of the report can be requested from Ntobsy Njikela on telephone 012-312-5474/5476.
Issued by Khume Kangala Deputy Director: Communication
27 January 1009 Tel: (012) 5030 Cell: 083 725 7624