Cape Town 14 APRIL 2000
The Director of ceremonies
Principal and staff
Parents
Representatives of organisations
Ladies and gentlemen.
I wish you all a very good morning and thank the organisers for inviting me to share this time with you. I enjoy being among people who are involved in education and in the welfare of schools.
Let me share some personal thoughts with you.
At the beginning of each day, as I emerge out of sleep, my thoughts circle around the immense sense of purpose and privilege I experience.
I wake up everyday; awash with the immense privilege I have been granted. A privilege to serve the people of my country. A country and people that I admire and love dearly.
Paradoxically, I wake up to a dream come true.
I wake up to the reality of a situation that I, and countless others, could only dream about for decades. I wake up in a democratic South Africa, with a Constitution that guarantees you and me human rights, acceptability and respect in the international world, freedom of association, speech, thought and belief and protection from unfair discrimination on the grounds of disability, age, race, sexual orientation and language.
Above all, I wake up to the dream of a peaceful country, with a people that are progressively knitting into an innovative, progressive, harmonious and uniquely South African nation.
I have to pinch myself several times during the course of the day.
I also wake up everyday, with a sense of purpose.
I am not beset with doubts about the responsibilities and tasks I have to perform. These are clear to me.
I have to ensure that the learners in early childhood facilities, primary schools, high schools and technical colleges - those in the general education and training band, the further education and training band, adult education and training and in higher education all receive quality education as a right that is protected and promoted.
We must all try to be good South Africans.
I try to be a good South African by meeting my responsibilities as the Minister of Education in a fair, just, efficient and effective manner. I meet my responsibilities by striving to ensure that the policies of our democratic government are implemented and supported. In particular, I shepherd the implementation of Education policies in the national and provincial education departments and in education institutions.
Today, I am being a good neighbour by helping the parents of the Rustenburg High School for Girls fulfil some of their responsibilities and duties. One of the functions of School Governing Bodies is to supplement the resources of schools so that they are better able to provide quality education.
I am also trying to be a good South African neighbour.
As a good neighbour I need to have contact with those who live on the same street I do. I also have to co-operate with them. They should be able to turn to me in times of need and I should likewise be able to turn to them.
One day, by sheer chance, my wife and I found ourselves in the same cinema queue as my neighbour Margaret Goodson. (Yes, for those of you who are wondering, I do enjoy going to the movies) but only about once a year.
Anyway, as neighbours we got to talking, and in the course of the conversation we started to mention issues related broadly to education in South Africa. I won't bore you with the details, but share with you that I indicated that my ministry receives hundreds of requests for assistance and that we also receive many offers of help.
About two months after that conversation my neighbour, Margaret, asked me for help. Typically, she did not request help for herself, but for a school she was associated with - and so, as a good neighbour, I am here today.
What a truly remarkable country and people we are. Part of the miracle of South Africa is the fact that Margaret and I are neighbours, that I am Minister of Education and that we were able to have a relaxed conversation in a queue - when less than 10 years ago the world, and many of us, were convinced that we were destined to violent, sustained, civil war.
Our achievement, as a nation, in drawing ourselves away from that precipice and presenting the world with a living, working example of the power of the human spirit to rise above negative conditions, should be celebrated over and over again. It is part of the dream I wake up to.
Let me now invite Rustenburg High School for girls to be a good South African neighbour. The organisers of this function have indicated to me that any funds raised by this breakfast would be split between Rustenburg High school for Girls and a school or charity of my choice. As Minister of Education I do not have any particular school in mind. In any case, I do not view this opportunity as a mere "division of money".
Part of the dream I wake up to everyday, involves constructive partnerships amongst various actors in education. These partnerships are not simple "donor - recipient" or "horse and rider" relationships. The partnerships are based on the genuine desires of the organisations and persons involved to participate meaningfully in improving the quality of education in our country.
The participants do not only dip into their pockets or chequebooks, but also share their time, expertise, energy and enthusiasm.
I invite the Rustenburg High school for girls, with its management, teachers, learners and parents to share not only its material resources, but also any expertise, experience and commitment it may have, with the nearest neighbouring school that falls within the poorest category of schools on the provincial targeting list. This list ranks the schools in the province from the richest to the poorest and helps the provincial education department to channel more resources to the most needy schools.
I am convinced that you will initiate contact with the identified school, and that you will ensure that the kind of relationship you build is characterised by genuine respect for each other.
I know that it would not be a traditional "charity" relationship. It would thus be a relationship that does not engender dependency and does not absolve either school from their responsibilities. It will be a relationship that will benefit both partners. You will learn from each other, you may organise joint events and functions, you will develop new friendships, you will grow in understanding and tolerance, and you will learn to love each other as fellow South Africans - developing a unique South African culture, with new traditions, new artefacts, new cuisines, new fashions and new neighbours.
I trust that you will be part of the continuing dream I wake up to. Please, give me reason to pinch myself.
I thank you.