Geagte voorsitter en minister,
Minister, addressing you every year seems like dejavu. Every time the very same issues emerge and every year we try to provide some advice. Despite, this the parlous state of basic education is not getting any better. This country still faces the cliff of climbing back from the depth of being the poorest achiever – if one can use that word – in mathematics and science, the two most important subjects to adequately compete in the modern local and international economy. Our youth is being deprived of a decent future and they are destined to become mere cannon fodder for populist politicians, a process that has already started. Our abundance of young people could be a demographic dividend to spur economic growth as opposed to the developed states where workers are growing old, or they can become victims of populist leaders that will promise Utopia but create another Zimbabwe.
Minister, ons het gevind dat baie van die probleme by die provinsiale LUK’s (Lede van Uitvoerendekomitee) lê wat nie u sentimente deel nie. U het voorheen in reaksie op vorige begrotingsdebatte die volgende sterk standpunte ingeneem: i) dat u geen probleem met Afrikaanse skole het nie; ii) dat moedertaalonderrig belangrik is; en iii) dat meer skole gebou moet word.
We want to believe that you are still committed to these positions. For we need more schools to be built where people live and most of those school must make provision for instruction in official languages other than English. Unfortunately your provincial colleagues do not agree.
Ons vind dat die oprig van skole in baie provinsies, soos Gauteng, nie ‘n prioriteit is nie. Die ironie is dat terwyl daar selfs bestaande leë skoolgeboue bestaan, word Afrikaanse skole deur die LUR van Gauteng gedwing om anderstalige leerlinge in te neem. Wanneer hierdie soort optrede plaasvind weet mens dat dit met politieke motiewe gebeur en niks te make het met die skep van regverdige geleenthede vir leerlinge nie. LUR Lesufi is so daarop gesteld om witmense as rassiste uit te beeld dat hy selfs ‘n kleuterskool intimideer en sy ondersteuners per Twitter oproep om in massa daaraan deel te neem, terwyl die sogenaamde diskriminasie wat sou plaasgevind het bloot vals nuus is. Hierdie gretigheid tot skuldigverklaring van witmense in plaas daarvan om skole te bou en bestaande leë geboue te gebruik is duidelik deel van ‘n plan om minderhede te demoniseer. Ander minderhede, soos die Afrikaanse bruin gemeenskap, is ook baie bekommerd. In Davidsonville word ‘n Engelssprekende hoof by ‘n bruin Afrikaanse skool aangestel met geweldadige gevolge. Die bruin gemeenskap se geduld is ook op en u moet kennis neem daarvan Minister.
We, therefore, again request a commitment from the minister that she will continue to support mother tongue instruction, that more schools will be built and vacant ones used, and that she will bring the provinces into line to implement this without fear and without prejudice to minorities.
Dankie Voorsitter
;
