Issued by the Presidency
15 January 2002
President Thabo Mbeki is expected to visit schools on the East Rand at the beginning of the school year tomorrow. President Mbeki joins Kader Asmal, Minister of Education in his annual visit to schools on their opening day to demonstrate government’s commitment to effective education for South Africa’s children.
Government will pay undivided focus to effective education in January 2002, particularly so in the spirit of voluntarism as outlined by the President earlier this month. Government has always maintained that all of South Africa needs to join hands in order to overcome the difficult challenges that we have inherited from apartheid. Changing the unequal education system from one, which provided a privileged few with excellent education and denied South Africa’s majority a good basic education was one of those challenges.
The last seven years has seen government together with parents and teachers working hard to provide good basic education to all our children. All our efforts have been well rewarded by the marked improvement in the matric results over recent years. We are reducing overcrowding in the classrooms. Every year sees significant improvements in the provision of basic facilities such as water, sanitation, power supply and telecommunications to schools in even the most remote areas of our country.
A prompt and smooth start of the school programme is an indication that government and the teaching professionals are starting out on the right footing and assures us all that our children will be spending their time productively at school.
President Mbeki joins students tomorrow on their first day of school to highlight some of the achievements in our schooling system as well as some of the challenges ahead. The President’s visit is also aimed at encouraging learners, parents and teachers to take an active hand in ensuring that South Africa attains a world-class education system.
The media are invited to participate in the President’s visit to the four schools. The programme is as follows:
Date: 15 January 2002
Time: 07:30
Venues:
Bracken High School – Alberton
Edenpark High School – Alberton
Thembalethu Primary School – Katlehong
Winile Secondary School – Katlehong
Enquiries: Bheki Khumalo 083 256 9133
Tasneem Carrim 012 300 5200