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Former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng says he is concerned about the quality of education in the country. Mogoeng was addressing delegates of the National Teachers’ Union during its policy conference at Empangeni on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal.
Mogoeng also criticised the 30 percent pass mark which he described as a recipe for disaster. Thousands of National Teachers Union delegates gathered at Imbizo Conference Hall to attend the National Policy Conference.
The aim of the conference is to revise and scrutinise the policies of the union. The union believes the time has come to revise the policies and make them relevant to the current challenges of education.
Addressing the delegates, fMogoeng raised concerns about the country’s education system.
“Here we have implemented all the 10 points Allen Baile, how can 30 percent be a pass mark? If you are serious about building the people, how can a person who is failing 70 percent of what he should know, instead he assed only 30 percent, where are we taking our education system? It is a recipe for disaster and I don’t care how many people have written papers that supporting 30 percent shows success and it should be rejected with the contempt it deserves.”
NATU’s president Sbusiso Malinga emphasised that the lack of resources in most schools impacts negatively on the country’s education quality.
“Teachers have to improvise because there no adequate resources or no resources at all not because our country is poor. South Africa is not poor. We have resources but those resources are poorly managed and that impacts negatively on our education. On Tuesday, the board visited schools where fire broke out in some informal settlements in Durban. Learners were left without food and uniforms. We were told that the department could not even raise a finger to assist those learners claiming that it has no money.”
Mayor of King Cetshwayo District Municipality, Thami Ntuli echoed Malinga’s comments and he called on government to prioritise safety at schools.
Ntuli elaborate, “It should be government’s top priority to create a safer environment for teaching and learning in schools. Teachers must feel safe in schools. There shall be prodigal need on the side of the government to fix these matters. We also maintain an ear-line between politics and teachers’ union. And I think this puts NATU in a better position to fight for the rights of teachers.”
Delegates also committed themselves to make difference in terms of building the nation.
Snethemba Zwane and Phindile Mnabe elaborate.
“We have the responsibility to build visionary leaders and we have a responsibility to say in the next generation from now on, we have to build a united society.”
“We have learnt the importance of educators in education but more importantly us as educators to produce education that will make us to produce learners that will be able to compete globally despite the challenges that are there.”
There are delegates ending that report compiled by Khalesakhe Mbhense in Empangeni.
