Educators, Learners
Distinguished international and local guests
Literacy and numeracy are essential for success in further learning, and education is critical to improving the human capital of any nation.
As a country and as a nation, education has always been a part of our struggle to liberate ourselves from oppression. We have fond memories of stories of our leaders who were involved in learning and teaching programmes on the "University" of Robben Island and in the townships.
The struggle for the right to adult literacy and adult education was part of the struggle for democracy in South Africa, and in as much as the right to adult basic education is now enshrined in the South African constitution, huge challenges remain.
This week gives us the opportunity to place the spotlight on the important role of adult education in the transformation process of South Africa.
Literacy and education remain a priority. Expenditure on education is the largest budgetary item in South Africa. In this province, education accounts for the largest single slice of the provincial budget, and I am well aware of the awesome responsibility that this investment places on us.
The total education budget for 2004/05 is R5.466-billion, which represents 30.31% of the total provincial government budget. This confirms both the value we attach to education in this province, as well as the scale of the challenges we face.
We can indeed be proud of some of our achievements in the last ten years.
For early childhood development (ECD) there has been a steady enrolment in the reception year. Gross primary school enrolment is currently about 85%, indicating a 15% increase from 1992. The learner-to-facility ratio has also declined with classroom sizes declining from 43:1 in 1996 to 38:1 in 2001, indicating that learners are getting better access to classroom facilities. In addition, the male to female enrolment ratio is greater than one, indicating that slightly more girls are enrolled than boys.
But whilst our progress is positively different to other comparable developing countries, the main outcome indicator for education remains the adult literacy rate, which is the proportion of the population over 15 years that can read and write in one language.
General outcomes of the educational programmes indicate that there has been an increase in literacy rates from 83% in 1996 to 89% in 2001 for the general population while the literacy rate for 15-24-year olds has increased from 83% to 96%, which is exceptionally high for any nation.
These improvements are also reflected by a parallel increase in the matriculation pass rate from 54% in 1996 to 69% in 2002, suggesting that the skills profile of the country is improving.
It should be noted that whilst the proportion of matriculants has increased, there has been a decrease in the absolute number of matriculants.
Currently, in this province alone, we are loosing half of about 80,000 learners who enter the education system in grades R and 1.
Central to the vision of this new provincial government, is to build the Western Cape as a Home for All. The economic development strategy, which we have adopted to build this home for all, we refer to as Ikapa Elihlumayo, which means "Growing the Cape".
I have committed the department to provide the knowledge, skills and values for iKapa Elihlumayo to grow the Cape as a Learning Home for All our children.
Currently the department supports ABET for nearly 26,000 learners at about 300 ABET sites. While numbers have grown in recent years, we are going to do more to increase enrolment for ABET.
ABET forms an essential part of our plans to combat poverty and unemployment. In this respect I am pleased that the SA Students Congress (Sasco) in the Western Cape are going to involve their members in our literacy campaign amongst parents.
Further I have received a commitment from the Rally to Read campaign to increase the number of schools they service from 23 to 60.
We have launched a range of projects in the past months to support skills development, especially in the nodal zones of the Western Cape earmarked for special attention.
And whilst we celebrate the commitment and achievements of adult learners and educators, we must remember we still have huge challenges.
According to our 2001 census, more than four million adults are illiterate and 10 million do not have a general education. This poses not only government, but all of us here, with the challenge to work together in turning this statistics around.
We must build effective partnerships between the state, business and civil society. Funding remains a constant source of concern to me, and I am sure to all of you as well. But we do not have any choice, other than to make sure we mobilize funds and resources needed to facilitate an integrated approach to adult learning and development.
Events, like this conference, can play an important role in promoting a culture of lifelong learning amongst all South Africans.
This event provides an ideal forum for policy dialogue and advocacy among policy makers, education stakeholders and practitioners from civil society on the importance of adult learning, literacy and lifelong learning.
This conference should help in building a diverse, inclusive and democratic society, with a special focus on experiences in the African region.
This should further strengthen the international movement of learning festivals as effective advocacy instruments for learning, giving impetus to the United Nations Literacy Decade, and at celebrating and honouring the achievements of adult learners.
We have a legacy of literal oppression and denial of access to equal education. The majority of the 4.5million people who cannot read or write, are youth and women.
Adult basic education plays a key role in Government's strategy to combat poverty and making sure that our people are empowered to contribute to the economic development of the country.
Ensuring our citizens have access to information to make informed choices, is important to sustain our democracy.
Your support and involvement in this important campaign will help build a culture of adult learning amongst all South Africans and serve as a cornerstone for the sustainable economic and social development of our country.
I am delighted to see the commitment of so many role players assembled here. If the Government is going to rectify the inequities of the past, then we must work in a "people's contract" in ensuring the doors of learning are opened.
We know the passport that will take poverty-stricken people into a comfortable and contributing life, is proper learning.
But sometimes we get burdened and feel that we alone cannot possibly make any headway. But a look around this venue gives one an immediate and powerful surge of hope.
An enormous number of educators and agencies dedicated to adult learning have gathered here.
Through the energies and leadership and skills represented here in this centre, surely together we can make a real difference.
With these few words, I want to say to all of you WELCOME to Cape Town, South Africa. I hope you do not work too late and too hard. Do take some time off to enjoy what our beautiful city has to offer - the beaches, the mountains and other scenic beauty.
I thank you
For enquiries, contact Gert Witbooi: 082 577 6551, or gwitbooi@pgwc.gov.za.
Gert Witbooi
Media Liaison Officer
Office of the MEC for Education
Western Cape
Tel: 021 467 2523
Fax: 021 425 5689
Visit our website: http://wced.wcape.gov.za
INtshona Koloni - iKhaya loMntu wonke
Die Wes-Kaap - 'n Tuiste vir Almal
