Date: 28/07/2005
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government
Title: C Dugmore: Opening of Glendale High School Hall
Address by Western Cape Education MEC, Mr Cameron Dugmore, at the opening of Glendale High School Hall, Mitchell's Plain
Thank you very much for the introduction Mr Eugene Daniels, Director for the EMDC South
Mr Duncan Crowie, Master of Ceremonies
Principal Mr AS Chotia
Pastor Brown and Sheik Ryland
Mr J Isaacs from Garden Cities, one of the key sponsors, I am told
Teachers, parents and learners
Valued guests to everyone for the musical and poetry items.
Thank you very much for allowing me to share with you in this joyous occasion. The fact that the hall is situated on the site where former President Nelson Mandela held a public address after his release from prison, is of great sentimental and historical significance to the school and surely the community at large.
Since being appointed as MEC, I have in the last year been made acutely aware of the challenges that our education system faces. To borrow a phrase from national Minister Naledi Pandor: "the impact and imprint of apartheid education is as hard and unyielding as a crocodile's skin".
In our province we face major education infrastructure backlogs, firstly because African people were for so many years literally regarded as visitors to the Western Cape and no adequate planning happened in regard to education and other social needs.
Many of our schools in historically coloured communities were built as "second class" facilities, some of them constructed out of chipboard and inferior materials.
Many of our former Model-C schools were not only located in advantaged residential areas, but school facilities and school grounds still reflect apartheid conditions that embedded the privilege of these schools as compared with schools in poorer communities, such as this school for instance.
Wealthy schools are located on land of an average of between 8 and 10 ha, while those in African and Coloured townships range between 3 and 4 ha. If a school was built, part of the plan automatically was facilities like sports fields and halls. With the result that many of our schools in the province are without halls.
The continued perpetuation of school inequality has the potential of generating widespread discontent among our education communities. School principals of poorer schools are already raising this issue with us in our interactions with them.
A school hall has many attributes, which can contribute to the overall improved learner experience. For example, assemblies can be held even if it is winter and cold. This helps with improving communication and discipline.
When this new government was sworn in, we had a situation where our department of public works was responsible for the building and maintenance of infrastructure.
However, this situation has changed, in that we now hold the budget for public works. But the problem is, we do not have the personnel, and that is something that I want to follow up with the new MEC Mr Marius Fransman.
The recent Cabinet decision to transfer the Capital Works budget from Public Works to us, is in line with a national agreement. The budget for 2005/06 which amounts to R170,972,000 is already committed to existing projects.
The current process to ensure a smooth transition is that a draft Memorandum of Understanding is in place to establish the relationship between Public Works and the WCED. This would, however, be replaced by a Service Level Agreement once the first phase issues have been resolved.
We have Provincial Treasury involved, as the co-ordinator of this process. We will be meeting Public Works on a monthly basis to monitor the progress in respect of expenditure and the related deadlines with regards to various projects.
I hold the view that we should use this budget in an imaginative and efficient way. For example, when I visited a school in the Strand on Tuesday, where the WCED commissioned the building of two extra classrooms, the principal indicated to me that he could have built at least two extra classrooms with the same budget if it was given to the school directly, without compromising the professionalism and quality of the workmanship.
If our department has a dedicated project team, which monitors and work closely with the school governing bodies in the procurement process, it can lead to speeding up the process. In my interactions with various school principals in the last few weeks, they have indicated clear support to this idea.
And therefore I am going to vigorously pursue this route, as I am of the view that it holds great potential for both the school, the WCED, and can at the same time stimulate the local economy.
Because of the backlogs we face, we also need to find other ways of dealing with this, including the need for public-private partnerships, as well as bringing the process of alienation of land a decisive breakthrough.
When I became MEC, I thought this was going to be easy, but a lot of schools are still not co-operating, and I am now at the point where I think I want to approach Cabinet, to look at a dedicate unit to fast-track this process. But I will need to consult further with my Cabinet colleagues and department officials.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is not just the infrastructure backlogs and inequalities which impact on our ability to provide quality education for all. It is also the deep-seated social problems, bequeathed by Apartheid and the differential oppression it created in our province, that impact on our communities and schools every day.
In die week het ek saam met senior departemente se amptenare verskeie skole besoek, in die Strand, Manenberg en in Bishop Lavis. Die onderwysers het almal gekla oor die onaanvaarbare vlakke van dissipline van ons kinders, aggressie, bendegeweld, dwelmsmokkelary en verbroke families.
Daar blyk 'n persepsie te wees dat, sedert lyfstraf weggeneem is, die dissipline heeltemal by ons skole afgebreek het; en dat die leerlinge dit uitbuit.
Sekere opinies van onderwysers met wie ons gepraat het, meen dat kinders nie net gesag by die skole afbreek nie, maar ook gesag by die huis heeltemaal oorgeneem het.
Hierdie verval van familiestrukture en gebrek aan gesag bring mee dat ons kinders verval in 'n bose siklus van dwelm- en drankmisbruik, en hulle maklike prooi raak om deur bendes ingesluk te word.
I am sure you have seen the recent media reports about young learners loosing their lives. Saturday will be the funeral of 17-year-old Cheslyn Jones from Manenberg, who was stabbed to death for whatever bizarre reason.
There have also been various other violent incidents in schools in the first quarter, which culminated in the brutal killing of Marewaan Blankenberg. He was kicked and stabbed to death, allegedly by fellow pupils.
Gangsterism and the violent culture it nurtures, stems from socio-economic conditions such as low-income employment, unemployment, poor living conditions, poverty and deprivation that prevails among some sections of our communities. This leads to learners dropping out of school often culminating in disruptive and usually illegal and anti-social behaviour.
Many of our educators on the Cape Flats have to work under the constant fear of gangsterism and criminal syndicates. This has a negative psychological impact on them and on our children, and John Ramsay, which we are told is situated in the heart of organised crime syndicates, is a typical example.
Drug abuse, teenage pregnancy and discipline amongst our learners remain a huge challenge for all of us. We know that drugs have devastating consequences not only for the user, but also for the families and the broader community. Drug abuse contributes to crime, domestic violence, family disintegration and social problems.
And therefore I want to commend the school for making school safety of paramount importance. You are correct in your approach that the school must act as a safe haven for our children, to shield them from the social temptations prevalent in the community.
I want to commend you for actively promoting a human rights culture by teaching respect and tolerance. These are important values to keep our learners off the streets, and giving them the best possible chance in life to realise their full potential.
Therefore it makes me immensely proud of the achievements of this school community, against all the social odds we experience in so many other school communities.
The fact that you have persevered and worked so hard to achieve this goal of yours, speaks of a community determined not to let the apartheid social system decides your fate.
According to reports I have received, the WCED's introduction of Learner Support Officers (LSO's) made you realise the invaluable contribution they made. Unfortunately, due to insufficient funds we could not sustain this, and had to phase it out.
But I am very pleased that the SGB took this further, by continuing to raise funds on its own to retain the services of the LSO's. Although the primary function of the LSO's was to assist with disciplinary problems and work closely with learners at risk, issues of HIV-Aids and partnerships with valued NGO's also, are also being addressed, I am told.
Today, I think all of you can be proud of the fruits of the perseverance of the staff and parents, who refused to give up on the learners and continued to believe that they can make a difference.
Your partnerships with UCT School of Engineering through their Annual Bridge Building Competition, your cooperation with the neighbourhood watches, your international links with schools in London, your school feeding scheme; all of these are evidence of sound leadership and commitment.
Learners, I now want to address myself to the Grade 9's. Next year, you are going to be the first Grade 10's to be exposed to the Further Education and Training Curriculum.
We want to build this Western Cape as a Home for All, and with FET, we want to give you a better education, which will enhance your abilities to get appropriate knowledge and skills, which will make you competitive for the new job market in the 21st Century.
With the new curriculum, we want to make sure you can have access to the areas of information technology, engineering, sciences and other industries, of which there is a dire lack in this country. So, it is a cool and funky time to be a school kid these days.
But, you know, almost without exception, schools I have been visiting have overcrowded classes in grades 8 and 9. But when it comes to grades 10, 11 and 12, there is a drastic drop in learner numbers.
Only half of about 80,000 learners who enter the system disappear by then. Why? We know that certain social conditions, poverty and crime contribute to this situation.
But why drop out, when you can use education to escape the situation you are in? Education should be your biggest weapon and passport for a better future.
When I visited a particular school in this week, they told me they find it difficult to compete for the attention of the learners - against the gangsters with flashy cars and money; against alcohol and drugs; against the jukebox on the smokkel yard; and against negative peer pressures.
My message to you is: drugs, alcohol and gangsterism are short-term nice-times, which are going to lead to nowhere but the jail or the graveyard.
Gangsters with guns, money and drugs are not heroes. The real heroes are the teachers and the parents who have worked hard for you to have a school hall. Duncan Crowie, who played for Bafana and was a Soccer Star par excellence, is a much better, funky, cool role model than those gangsters who are going to give you nothing but short-term nice-times, in return for your life.
To the matrics I also have a special word for you. Last year we were able to acquire special prizes for the matrics of Mitchell's Plain and Khayelitsha who excelled. And this year, if you work hard and improve on the class of 2004, there could be even bigger surprises in store this year - who knows.
I am not promising anything, but I am going to do my best to see how we can reward and honour all of those who show determination and the will to succeed, who show courage even in the face of severe challenging social conditions.
I also want to honour schools who have retained more learners in the system, and learners who excel in languages. I am hoping some will come from this school, as this was one of the first schools, which enrolled Xhosa and Zulu speaking learners, and appointed Xhosa teachers.
I appeal to all of you, please enjoy the last two months of your school, because you are going to enter another world after matric. I do not mean you must see matric as the end of your learning life, because another exciting life beckons you at the level of varsity.
But I also want you to enjoy yourselves responsibly; take care at your matric parties; do not spoil it by being irresponsible. It is not worth throwing everything away after having sacrificed so much to come to this stage of your life.
Continue to remain focussed and study hard. Last year our matrics did us proud. This year, we want you to make us even more proud, by passing your maths and science on the higher grade, by getting endorsements for entry to university, by passing with better symbols.
I know it is possible. The spirit of this school tells me it is.
Thank you.
Enquiries
Gert Witbooi
Tel: 021 467 2523
Cell: 082 550 3938
Email: gwitbooi@pgwc.gov.za.
Issued by: Office of the MEC for Education, Western Cape Provincial Government
28 July 2005
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government
Title: C Dugmore: Opening of Glendale High School Hall
Address by Western Cape Education MEC, Mr Cameron Dugmore, at the opening of Glendale High School Hall, Mitchell's Plain
Thank you very much for the introduction Mr Eugene Daniels, Director for the EMDC South
Mr Duncan Crowie, Master of Ceremonies
Principal Mr AS Chotia
Pastor Brown and Sheik Ryland
Mr J Isaacs from Garden Cities, one of the key sponsors, I am told
Teachers, parents and learners
Valued guests to everyone for the musical and poetry items.
Thank you very much for allowing me to share with you in this joyous occasion. The fact that the hall is situated on the site where former President Nelson Mandela held a public address after his release from prison, is of great sentimental and historical significance to the school and surely the community at large.
Since being appointed as MEC, I have in the last year been made acutely aware of the challenges that our education system faces. To borrow a phrase from national Minister Naledi Pandor: "the impact and imprint of apartheid education is as hard and unyielding as a crocodile's skin".
In our province we face major education infrastructure backlogs, firstly because African people were for so many years literally regarded as visitors to the Western Cape and no adequate planning happened in regard to education and other social needs.
Many of our schools in historically coloured communities were built as "second class" facilities, some of them constructed out of chipboard and inferior materials.
Many of our former Model-C schools were not only located in advantaged residential areas, but school facilities and school grounds still reflect apartheid conditions that embedded the privilege of these schools as compared with schools in poorer communities, such as this school for instance.
Wealthy schools are located on land of an average of between 8 and 10 ha, while those in African and Coloured townships range between 3 and 4 ha. If a school was built, part of the plan automatically was facilities like sports fields and halls. With the result that many of our schools in the province are without halls.
The continued perpetuation of school inequality has the potential of generating widespread discontent among our education communities. School principals of poorer schools are already raising this issue with us in our interactions with them.
A school hall has many attributes, which can contribute to the overall improved learner experience. For example, assemblies can be held even if it is winter and cold. This helps with improving communication and discipline.
When this new government was sworn in, we had a situation where our department of public works was responsible for the building and maintenance of infrastructure.
However, this situation has changed, in that we now hold the budget for public works. But the problem is, we do not have the personnel, and that is something that I want to follow up with the new MEC Mr Marius Fransman.
The recent Cabinet decision to transfer the Capital Works budget from Public Works to us, is in line with a national agreement. The budget for 2005/06 which amounts to R170,972,000 is already committed to existing projects.
The current process to ensure a smooth transition is that a draft Memorandum of Understanding is in place to establish the relationship between Public Works and the WCED. This would, however, be replaced by a Service Level Agreement once the first phase issues have been resolved.
We have Provincial Treasury involved, as the co-ordinator of this process. We will be meeting Public Works on a monthly basis to monitor the progress in respect of expenditure and the related deadlines with regards to various projects.
I hold the view that we should use this budget in an imaginative and efficient way. For example, when I visited a school in the Strand on Tuesday, where the WCED commissioned the building of two extra classrooms, the principal indicated to me that he could have built at least two extra classrooms with the same budget if it was given to the school directly, without compromising the professionalism and quality of the workmanship.
If our department has a dedicated project team, which monitors and work closely with the school governing bodies in the procurement process, it can lead to speeding up the process. In my interactions with various school principals in the last few weeks, they have indicated clear support to this idea.
And therefore I am going to vigorously pursue this route, as I am of the view that it holds great potential for both the school, the WCED, and can at the same time stimulate the local economy.
Because of the backlogs we face, we also need to find other ways of dealing with this, including the need for public-private partnerships, as well as bringing the process of alienation of land a decisive breakthrough.
When I became MEC, I thought this was going to be easy, but a lot of schools are still not co-operating, and I am now at the point where I think I want to approach Cabinet, to look at a dedicate unit to fast-track this process. But I will need to consult further with my Cabinet colleagues and department officials.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is not just the infrastructure backlogs and inequalities which impact on our ability to provide quality education for all. It is also the deep-seated social problems, bequeathed by Apartheid and the differential oppression it created in our province, that impact on our communities and schools every day.
In die week het ek saam met senior departemente se amptenare verskeie skole besoek, in die Strand, Manenberg en in Bishop Lavis. Die onderwysers het almal gekla oor die onaanvaarbare vlakke van dissipline van ons kinders, aggressie, bendegeweld, dwelmsmokkelary en verbroke families.
Daar blyk 'n persepsie te wees dat, sedert lyfstraf weggeneem is, die dissipline heeltemal by ons skole afgebreek het; en dat die leerlinge dit uitbuit.
Sekere opinies van onderwysers met wie ons gepraat het, meen dat kinders nie net gesag by die skole afbreek nie, maar ook gesag by die huis heeltemaal oorgeneem het.
Hierdie verval van familiestrukture en gebrek aan gesag bring mee dat ons kinders verval in 'n bose siklus van dwelm- en drankmisbruik, en hulle maklike prooi raak om deur bendes ingesluk te word.
I am sure you have seen the recent media reports about young learners loosing their lives. Saturday will be the funeral of 17-year-old Cheslyn Jones from Manenberg, who was stabbed to death for whatever bizarre reason.
There have also been various other violent incidents in schools in the first quarter, which culminated in the brutal killing of Marewaan Blankenberg. He was kicked and stabbed to death, allegedly by fellow pupils.
Gangsterism and the violent culture it nurtures, stems from socio-economic conditions such as low-income employment, unemployment, poor living conditions, poverty and deprivation that prevails among some sections of our communities. This leads to learners dropping out of school often culminating in disruptive and usually illegal and anti-social behaviour.
Many of our educators on the Cape Flats have to work under the constant fear of gangsterism and criminal syndicates. This has a negative psychological impact on them and on our children, and John Ramsay, which we are told is situated in the heart of organised crime syndicates, is a typical example.
Drug abuse, teenage pregnancy and discipline amongst our learners remain a huge challenge for all of us. We know that drugs have devastating consequences not only for the user, but also for the families and the broader community. Drug abuse contributes to crime, domestic violence, family disintegration and social problems.
And therefore I want to commend the school for making school safety of paramount importance. You are correct in your approach that the school must act as a safe haven for our children, to shield them from the social temptations prevalent in the community.
I want to commend you for actively promoting a human rights culture by teaching respect and tolerance. These are important values to keep our learners off the streets, and giving them the best possible chance in life to realise their full potential.
Therefore it makes me immensely proud of the achievements of this school community, against all the social odds we experience in so many other school communities.
The fact that you have persevered and worked so hard to achieve this goal of yours, speaks of a community determined not to let the apartheid social system decides your fate.
According to reports I have received, the WCED's introduction of Learner Support Officers (LSO's) made you realise the invaluable contribution they made. Unfortunately, due to insufficient funds we could not sustain this, and had to phase it out.
But I am very pleased that the SGB took this further, by continuing to raise funds on its own to retain the services of the LSO's. Although the primary function of the LSO's was to assist with disciplinary problems and work closely with learners at risk, issues of HIV-Aids and partnerships with valued NGO's also, are also being addressed, I am told.
Today, I think all of you can be proud of the fruits of the perseverance of the staff and parents, who refused to give up on the learners and continued to believe that they can make a difference.
Your partnerships with UCT School of Engineering through their Annual Bridge Building Competition, your cooperation with the neighbourhood watches, your international links with schools in London, your school feeding scheme; all of these are evidence of sound leadership and commitment.
Learners, I now want to address myself to the Grade 9's. Next year, you are going to be the first Grade 10's to be exposed to the Further Education and Training Curriculum.
We want to build this Western Cape as a Home for All, and with FET, we want to give you a better education, which will enhance your abilities to get appropriate knowledge and skills, which will make you competitive for the new job market in the 21st Century.
With the new curriculum, we want to make sure you can have access to the areas of information technology, engineering, sciences and other industries, of which there is a dire lack in this country. So, it is a cool and funky time to be a school kid these days.
But, you know, almost without exception, schools I have been visiting have overcrowded classes in grades 8 and 9. But when it comes to grades 10, 11 and 12, there is a drastic drop in learner numbers.
Only half of about 80,000 learners who enter the system disappear by then. Why? We know that certain social conditions, poverty and crime contribute to this situation.
But why drop out, when you can use education to escape the situation you are in? Education should be your biggest weapon and passport for a better future.
When I visited a particular school in this week, they told me they find it difficult to compete for the attention of the learners - against the gangsters with flashy cars and money; against alcohol and drugs; against the jukebox on the smokkel yard; and against negative peer pressures.
My message to you is: drugs, alcohol and gangsterism are short-term nice-times, which are going to lead to nowhere but the jail or the graveyard.
Gangsters with guns, money and drugs are not heroes. The real heroes are the teachers and the parents who have worked hard for you to have a school hall. Duncan Crowie, who played for Bafana and was a Soccer Star par excellence, is a much better, funky, cool role model than those gangsters who are going to give you nothing but short-term nice-times, in return for your life.
To the matrics I also have a special word for you. Last year we were able to acquire special prizes for the matrics of Mitchell's Plain and Khayelitsha who excelled. And this year, if you work hard and improve on the class of 2004, there could be even bigger surprises in store this year - who knows.
I am not promising anything, but I am going to do my best to see how we can reward and honour all of those who show determination and the will to succeed, who show courage even in the face of severe challenging social conditions.
I also want to honour schools who have retained more learners in the system, and learners who excel in languages. I am hoping some will come from this school, as this was one of the first schools, which enrolled Xhosa and Zulu speaking learners, and appointed Xhosa teachers.
I appeal to all of you, please enjoy the last two months of your school, because you are going to enter another world after matric. I do not mean you must see matric as the end of your learning life, because another exciting life beckons you at the level of varsity.
But I also want you to enjoy yourselves responsibly; take care at your matric parties; do not spoil it by being irresponsible. It is not worth throwing everything away after having sacrificed so much to come to this stage of your life.
Continue to remain focussed and study hard. Last year our matrics did us proud. This year, we want you to make us even more proud, by passing your maths and science on the higher grade, by getting endorsements for entry to university, by passing with better symbols.
I know it is possible. The spirit of this school tells me it is.
Thank you.
Enquiries
Gert Witbooi
Tel: 021 467 2523
Cell: 082 550 3938
Email: gwitbooi@pgwc.gov.za.
Issued by: Office of the MEC for Education, Western Cape Provincial Government
28 July 2005
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