Fellow Members
The issues as raised by Cde Tiisetso Makhele are quite premised on the revolutionary assertion that "Education is an engine for Human Development".Cde Paulo Freire said"Education can be used to oppress or liberate people and in the context of the discussion forum submissions by our Commander it is vivdly accurate to say the latter quorate.
Polokwane Conference clearly resolved on achievable deliverables to cite amongst others;
Firstly;This has greatly assisted our majority poor to confidently sent their sons and daughters to schools as many parents were begining to feel the pinch in terms of rising COST OF LIVING but with perennial LOW SALARIES against the exclusive tendencies by School Governing Bodies and Institutions of Higher Learning.Until we conclude on the Critical Question of COST IN EDUCATION currently denying our masses access to education,we will be making a revolutionary limitation.We have witnessed communities being happy about the Government Led by the ANC initiatives,However the challenge still rest with STATS SA in terms of criterion used to declare schools no-fee schools.For Example;you will find a school disallowed but only separated by a fence/street etc.
Through the policy Quality Public Free Education is achievable.
Secondly;The Policy will make an impact in the provision of education for All Children at Early Childhood Cenres,PreSchools,Schools inwhich it also priorities early development of our future leaders.For instance;Countries such as Taliban,we have inter-acted with negative developments around Girls denied the chance to be educated on the basis of their sex orientation and/or chauvinistic tendencies towards the education of girls.South Africa must never take that route.
Thirdly;The critical question will be the provision of necessary improvements on Maths,Science and Technology offering.We have in the past year being confonted by results pointing that South African Learners have been failing International Tests conducted across the globe.Critical questions will of course be based on Material Conditions insofar as quality of offering in many institutions both public and private,ResAccess to Resources,Teacher Development and Support,Assessment tools used currently which in my view(Our) demand a lot of attention.
Further more,the Manifesto has been elaborative around such limitations.
What is key in the current conjuncture is that We should never Allow Erosion of Public Education in whatsoever form.When this key questions are raised normally the next escape route to some become private education.South African majority were not produced by private education whatsoever.We have seen stealing of our educators by private schools with promises of better salaries which is not the case right now;the continuation of erosion of labour rights by these private schools on our people with narrow importance attached to corporate image of these institutions.And our Manifesto speaks to DECENT JOBS AND JOB SECURITY.
Fellow Members;
We have to rally around the ANC-Led Manifesto and ensure that proper mechanisms are put in place to continously assess the impact on the implementation by Provinces,Institutions on all areas of education.
Lastly;Adult Education should be the other instrument we mobilise to consolidate skills revolution in our country.The nterventions that are done in SETA's should be clearly documented to everyone as few people know about Workplace Learning which has assisted our workers to career pathing and advancement of our revolution at the shopfloor through negotiations,collectivr bargaining etc.
The contradictions of Learner-Teacher/Student-Educator should not be forgotten.Until we deal holistically and Revolutionary on the challenges that learners come to the learning environment knowing something and that a Water/Bucket education system is a No-Go Area for Us all.Paulo Freire spoke about"The Teacher is the subject of the learning process,while the Pupils are mere Objects".This negative development in the Education System should be basically Eradicated.
Education cannot be practiced in vaccumm besides Politics.Political education is the answer in ANC-Led Government to continue to liberate South Africa for a better life for All.
It is not yet Uhuru!!
Mampane Norman
(POPCRU National Educator writing in his personal capacity)
From: Tiisetso Makhele <[email protected]>
Subject: [YCLSA Discussion] Why ANC recognizes that Education is key
To: [email protected]
Date: Thursday, February 26, 2009, 8:02 AM
Education: a key priority for our developing economy
The East Asian Tigers (Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, etc), as nations that were acknowledged for maintaining high growth rates between the early 1960’s and 1990’s, chose education as a single important means of improving productivity. Through increased public expenditure in elementary and secondary education, as well improvement of the higher education system, these economies created a sustainable educated and intellectual class that improved productivity and increased demand for locally produced goods. This had economy-wide impacts that led to periods of sustained economic growth. The ANC’s Manifesto (2009) states that, “Education is a means of promoting good citizenship as well as preparing our people for the needs of a modern economy and a
democratic society.” At its 52nd Conference (2007) in Limpopo, the ANC resolved to, amongst others;
- Prioritize education as one of the most important programmes for the next 5 years
- Ensure that at least 60% of schools are classified as “no-fee schools”
- Progressively introduce free education for the poor until undergraduate level
- Progressively expand school nutrition programme to include high school learners in poorer communities
- Develop a policy on affirmative measures for Historically Disadvantaged Institutions (HDI’s) with specific emphasis on Infrastructure, access and staff provisioning
- Increase support for Maths, Science and IT through, amongst others, Saturday Tutorial Programmes and bursaries to teachers in these areas
Most analysts conclude that unemployment in South Africa is mainly structural in nature, where there is a mismatch, or imbalances, between the skills and other characteristics required by firms and those acquired by job seekers. The resolutions alluded to above indicates that, indeed, the ruling party seeks to progressively transform our economy. There is immense evidence throughout the world that education is central in, inter alia, poverty eradication, fighting unemployment, reducing inequality, etc. The ANC government seeks to make education accessible, affordable and superior by world standards, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that all who are of working age participate fully in the formal economy. Some commentators would argue that markets are better left alone and will automatically fix themselves, the so-called “laissez
faire model” or pure free market capitalism. The current global financial crisis and the subsequent “massive bailout programmes” by mostly developed economies (USA, UK, etc) is an indication that, contrary to claims by these pseudo “experts”, the markets still needs constant monitoring and discipline from nation states. These, and many other interventions, have exposed an inconsistency in what the developed economies of the North have been preaching about capitalism and their actions. For instance, while socialists and their sympathizers have been arguing that in developing countries, nation states should provide free, or partially free, education, these countries have been dismissing that as nonsensical. Meanwhile, some of them have been secretly practicing socialism in their countries. A relevant example is British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, who continuously makes a pledge for free, state-funded, education in England. I am sure the reader
is quite aware of this hypocrisy displayed by the so-called “world giants”. In Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela, of all those aged 15 and above, a staggering 93.4% can read and write. And Cuba was able to wage an anti-illiteracy revolution in the 1960’s that saw the illiteracy rate fall from more than 50% to less that 3%. The education models used in these socialist states is one where “Neither university nor school students have to pay tuition fees” and education is compulsory for all children between 6 and 16 years old. And we all remember South Africa recruiting Medical Doctors from Cuba amid shortages of Doctors in the country, especially in rural areas. I know that some, especially from the opposition, would be saying, “Where will all the money come from?” Without underplaying the importance of such a question, I think it is illogical to calculate the cost of an envisaged policy without also calculating the
benefits thereof. It is important to check if the economy-wide impacts of such a policy will be more positive than negative. So I argue that the ANC’s resolution to “progressively introduce free education for the poor until undergraduate level” is progressive and shows that the ruling party is on course to creating a better life for all!
By Tiisetso “Afrika” Makhele
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