Deputy President Paul Mashatile on Thursday praised the role of educators as "foundation builders" for society, as he addressed the National Teaching Awards ceremony, in Tshwane. 

Mashatile said in the 29 years of concerted efforts to transform the education system, “we are proud to say that many products of our education system have gone on to make a difference in their communities, government and various other sectors”.  

This year marks 23 years since the first National Teaching Awards took place, spearheaded by former Minister of Education, the late Professor Kader Asmal.

Mashatile noted Asmal’s instrumental role in the anti-apartheid movement, and in South Africa’s transition to democracy.

The Deputy President said the National Teachers’ Awards would always serve as a reminder of Asmal’s contributions to social transformation in South Africa, to the extent that the Lifetime Achievement Award is named after him.

He reminded the gathering that the transformation journey was not just about building new infrastructure or implementing policies, but that it was also about the human touch, guidance, and inspiration provided by educators.

“In celebrating our teachers today, let us, therefore, renew our commitment to supporting them in every possible way, for in their success lies the success of our nation. Considering the dynamic nature of education, there is a need for education policy to constantly evolve in order to ascertain that our children and youth are provided with the best quality of teaching and learning available to them,” Mashatile said.

He stressed that it was the responsibility of government to ensure that its policies were aligned across various departmental priorities to deal with unemployment, poverty and inequality.

He added that the three-streams model fed into other efforts to create economic opportunities, such as the Presidential Employment Stimulus, which had benefited over 1.2-million people, particularly women and youth.

“Through this awards ceremony, we recognise excellence in teaching and appreciate those who have tirelessly served and dedicated themselves to using education as a tool for social transformation and improving the quality of life for South Africans towards a peaceful, prosperous and democratic South Africa,” said Mashatile.

Congratulating the award recipients, from those in modernised classrooms to those who continue to inspire and nurture future leaders from the most remote corners of our country, he said that “the nation sees you, values you, and cherishes the difference you make in the lives of your learners and to our communities more broadly”.