Officials from national department: Vernon Jacobs - Acting Director: AET and David Diale
Mr Dave Shepherd, Director of Institutional and Management Governance of the WCED
Mr Andre Damon and other members of this Directorate Colleagues from provincial and other national departments
Our own Departmental Head Office and EMDC officials Delegates from NGOs,
CBOs and the trade unions
Centre Staff: Centre Managers,
Educators and Learners
I welcome you to this first ever provincial ABET consultative conference called by my MEC for Education in the Western Cape Mr Cameron Dugmore. The theme of this two-day conference is: Opening the Doors to Adult Literacy, Basic Education, Training and Development. First of all, my apologies on behalf of the MEC, unfortunately he has had to attend a session of the National Council of Provinces.
This conference takes place a week after MEC delivered his third Budget Speech, it takes place after we have just celebrated the 12th Anniversary of Freedom Day, and the 10th Anniversary of the adoption of our Constitution.
The Bill of Rights states that everyone has the right to a basic education, including adult basic education; and to further education, which the state, through reasonable measures, must make progressively available and accessible. It implies that every adult in this province has a right to ABET.
As the Western Cape Education Department we respect that right, we shall not only continue to do so, but take active steps to realize the right to basic education, as this conference so clearly demonstrates. This consultative conference is but the start for things to change.
We are convening here, mindful of the call of President Thabo Mbeki, for us to be part of the national effort to grow the economy with six percent, to create jobs and halve unemployment by 2014.
The President has called on all of us to "* move faster to address challenges of poverty, underdevelopment and marginalisation confronting those caught within the Second Economy, to ensure that the poor in our country share in our growing prosperity..."
In order to achieve just that, Government has announced its Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative. AsgiSA has two key components, namely a R370-billion drive to invest in public infrastructure and a concerted effort to acquire the skills the economy needs.
Under the leadership of our Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Government has introduced a high-level task team - the Joint Initiative on Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA) - which is tasked with identifying urgent skills needs and advise on ways to respond to these challenges.
As Education MEC, Mr Dugmore is committed to the call of the President and the National Objectives of the country, and changing and improving Abet delivery in this province, we believe will make a significant contribution in achieving the National Objectives.
Earlier this year we have launched our Human Capital Development Strategy. This strategy is the cornerstone of Ikapa Elihlumayo, the provincial government's economic development blueprint - to grow and share the Cape. Our Western Cape Government's vision of a Home for All is by now well entrenched.
Ikapa Elihlumayo has eight lead strategies, namely, to develop human capital, social capital, micro-economic development, strategic infrastructure, communication, financial governance and greater interdepartmental coordination. As WCED we have been tasked as the lead department responsible for developing human capital in the Western Cape.
Our mission with this strategy is to provide our youth with relevant skills, knowledge, values and attitudes they need to participate meaningfully in the mainstream economy, and be internationally competitive.
With this strategy, we want to increase the participation and success rates of our learners in FET colleges and Higher Education Institutions. In building our country and province, the economy and our communities, the importance of ABET cannot be under-estimated. Literacy empowers and nurtures inclusive societies and contributes to the fair implementation of human rights.
In the case of mothers, literacy leads to an enhanced quality of life for their families and improved education outcomes for their children. We all aware of the significant link between parental literacy and literacy rates amongst school children.
UNESCO indicated that worldwide, 771 million adults are illiterate and about 100 million children are out of school. A large number of those who enroll drop out before attaining literacy skills and some of those who complete primary education remain illiterate.
Literacy is an indispensable means for effective social and economic participation, contributing to human development and poverty reduction. According to UN figures, in 2003 approximately 50% of the South African adult population (or 10 million adults) had less than nine years of schooling.
In the Western Cape alone, the 2001 Census indicate that 162,000 people over the age of 21 never attended school. Nationally it is estimated that about four-and-half-million never attended a school.
Research indicates a strong link between poverty, unemployment and illiteracy. Businesses cannot succeed in the long term by drawing workers from illiterate and innumerate communities.
So, clearly adult literacy is an indispensable means for effective social and economic participation, contributing to human development and poverty reduction. It empowers and nurturers societies and contributes to the fair implementation of human rights.
In 1998 approximately 14,000 adults attended our ABET centres. In 2005, 34,500 learners were reached. This indicates the tremendous progress we have made with adult education in this province. It is clear that Abet has a fundamental role to play in achieving the objectives of AsgiSA.
The president in his 2004 State of the nation address alluded to the expansion of ABET and its alignment to the training objectives of the expanded public Works Programme.
He also concluded that "we cannot work in isolation from other social players in the field of adult education. We will work closely and in partnership with various community and non-governmental organisations."
He further stated: "We will also look at ways of making it easy for community-based and non-governmental organisations to operate in this area. We will strengthen our collaboration with other government departments and the sector education and training authorities to consolidate government intervention in adult education and training."
Once again, our Human Capital Development Strategy has a strong focus on building social capital, ie networks and partnerships. For without partners, Government will never be able to address the huge backlogs alone. That is why we are looking for strong input from our social partners in this conference.
Through our Human Capital Develop Strategy, the WCED aims to reach 72,000 adults by 2014. The question must and can rightfully be asked: Are we geared towards achieving these and other objectives of government and are our ABET programmes aligned to ensure the success of these initiatives?
In all honesty we have to concede that our currently delivery are not necessarily adequately responsive towards achieving the objectives of the Expanded Public Works Programme, the Human Capital Development Strategy and AsgiSA, amongst others.
With regards to delivery of Abet, we continue to face some serious challenges, which among others include an inadequate budget; lack of support and infrastructure; shortage of Learner Teacher Support Material and inadequate human resources personnel.
Many centres still operate mostly in the evening; the curriculum often does not address the needs of local communities and/or does not prepare learners for participation in the local economy; there is a lack of involvement of the private sector and business; and lack of involvement of learners in the operations of centres.
Another very important matter is the issue of the conditions of employment of personnel. A lot must still be done to professionalise the sector, and it is something currently addressed by the National Department of Education.
Ladies and gentlemen, Abet delivery must be transformed. We must continue to do things differently and creatively, and think out of the box. Abet can no longer be the Cinderella of the WCED, it is no longer the stepchild. We all have a duty to transform Abet.
This conference will focus on both formal and non-formal education delivery. Non-formal education constitutes learning opportunities for the vast majority of children, youth and adults who are not reached by the formal education system. Formal education may take place both within and outside educational institutions, and may cater to persons of all ages.
Depending on the contexts, it may cover educational programmes to impart adult literacy, basic education for out-of-school children and life skills. It is therefore important that we acknowledge the role of non-formal education in achieving a literate society in the Western Cape.
My request to you is to debate issues and the challenges we face in a constructive manner. Let's take ABET forward. Let's explore ways to improve ABET delivery. Let us use the opportunity to make positive contributions in our discussions, debates and commissions.
Some of the themes we will be dealing with over the next two days include:
- ABET and the Human Capital Development Strategy
- ABET and Skills Development and Workplace Learning
- The importance of ABET in advancing literacy amongst our children - Family Literacy
- ABET and the Expanded Public Works Programme
- The role of Non-Formal ABET delivery in increasing literacy levels
- The proposed Norms and Standards funding for ABET
- The possibility of a Mass Literacy Campaign
The MEC has always viewed a school to be a part of the community, its community role is to reach and serve the community, opening its doors to everyone and enabling the whole community to become a learning community. Learners, teachers and administrative staff are not only school agents; they are also community agents, agents of social change and development.
Later this year we will have a WCED Community School Week, which will be an inter-sectoral and transectoral effort, engaging all role-players, such as yourselves. This initiative is intended to restore both hope and dignity to school communities.
In a "learning community" approach everyone in the community has learning needs and desires, and everyone can learn from one other. Hence the importance of linking this initiative with the Learning Cape Festival. The key words are participation, collaboration, learning, process, ownership, integration, non-discrimination and joy.
This year will see the celebration of five years of the Learning Cape Festival. This is an important initiative to keep on highlighting and profiling education, training and development opportunities with the aim of popularising and promoting the concept of lifelong learning as an important vehicle for achieving equity and redress in education and training.
The WCED has been an active participant in the annual Learning Cape Festival and has contributed actively to ensuring that the concept of lifelong learning has taken root in the minds of our people in the province.
The evidence shows in the increasing number of enrolments of adults in the various programmes offered through our ABET centres, or Community Learning Centres (CLCs).
To illustrate to you our commitment to changing the face of ABET delivery; I want to take this opportunity to inform you that the WCED will conduct a six month feasibility study into the provisioning of Abet. We are in the final stages of the adjudicating process to appoint an outside service provider. The study will commence on 01 June 2006.
The feasibility study aims to critically review current delivery and will focus on management and governance of centres; modes of delivery, i.e. the operational hours of centres; feasibility of full-time centres; and making recommendations to improve delivery to ensure the outcomes of the Human Capital Development Strategy are met in terms of accessibility and expansion.
Also, provincially there will be a continued focus on the following:
- Expanding ABET delivery. Currently reaching 34,500 learners from ABET Level 1 - 4 to Grade 12
- Improved access by increasing the number of Centres - currently we have 356 sites of delivery throughout the Western Cape
- Focus on women, youth, disabled and rural areas
- Improved management and governance of ABET centres through targeted capacity building of centre management and governing bodies
- Improved structured curriculum delivery in line with national and provincial strategies, e.g. EPWP, Human Capital Development Strategy, ASGISA
- Focus on the implementation of accredited skills programmes through partnerships with SETAs and the Department of Labour. Successfully implemented skills programmes in collaboration with national Department of Education, Construction SETA, Energy SETA, AgriSETA and Tourism and Hospitality SETA
- Family Literacy - piloted in EMDC South Cape/ Karoo, Overberg/ Breede River, West Coast/ Winelands. Exploring the feasibility of extending to other EMDCs based on lessons learned.
I also want to refer to the work done by our EMDC Breede River / Overberg, under the leadership of Clifton Frolick, Piet Hermanis and many others. They have been doing some good work, and have just launched a 160 Intervention campaign, to consolidate their Abet delivery programme, increase retention rate, and increase the quality of academic outcomes. I trust that they will use this conference to showcase some of their good practices.
Colleagues, guests, members of the audience, in conclusion, I want to acknowledge that, whilst great progress has been made in creating a better life for all uneducated adults in this province, we must acknowledge that it is too slow.
It is not only that we have to fight poverty and create work, but it is also the way in which we do this, that is important. The centrality of partnerships with our communities, schools, NGOs, CBOs and business communities, and the manner in which we interact with one another, is critical in achieving the National Objectives.
We shall never succeed without working together, and all of us must work in ways, which build confidence within communities. This means engagement, consultation and implementation on the basis of a mandate.
So, with those few words the MEC wishes you well with the deliberations; I know you it will be frank and robust, but at the end of the day it will be part of a constructive process. At the end of the day we are looking forward to continue engaging with you on the outcomes of this conference.
I thank you.
