DATE: 24 APRIL 2010

VENUE: BELA-BELA

ADDRESS BY: TE MATJILA (BBEAG CHAIRPERSON)

CONTACT: 076 5611 619

 

PROGRAMME DIRECTOR

FAMILIES OF DR. SS KHUMALO

FRIENDS & WELL WISHERS

FELLOW EDUCATORS

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC

LADIES & GENTLEMEN

 

I greet you all in the name of education.

 

I stand before you today, as the Programme Coordinator for the recently established Bela-Bela Education Advocacy Group (BBEAG), a non-government organisation established for the purpose of improving the education output of our town (Bela-Bela).

 

Our organisation is made up of young people, but not just any kind of young people, but young people who are driven and dedicated towards the improvement of the education standards in Bela-Bela’s public schools. From the beginning of this year we have lobbied:

·         principals,

·         teachers,

·         learners,

·         the education department,

·         school governing bodies

·         bela-bela municipality and

·         other progressive members of the public and in the private space

to prioritize the education question in our three local schools, viz Maope, Raeleng & Bela-Bela. We have also been joined, enthusiastically by Vingerkraal High School in this great battle. Our vision for these schools is simple: 75% matric pass rate across the board by 2015!

 

And yes, we are conscious about what we are saying. Getting results to rise to a desired level is not complex but it needs collaboration. Collaboration by each and every member of the public to re-look education in a different light. It needs men and women, like Dr. SS Khumalo, whom we are gathered here to celebrate, to step up and help the cause for a better education for our brother & sisters. It needs the law enforcement to act decisively and with speed when learners, teachers and principals complain about drug peddlers and users at school. This problem ladies & gentlemen, needs school managers, teachers, circuit management, inspectors and learners to report those among them who are bringing shame to the culture of learning and teaching. If a teacher is a loafer, slack and not pulling his/her weight as an educator – The Department of Education must dismiss that person!

 

We must not be shy to act anymore.

We must not cover for mediocrity anymore.

We must not abdicate our responsibility anymore. If it is not your responsibility, whose is it?

We must not be shy to hold joint teachers meeting across the three schools anymore. If anything, we must start seeing joint meetings among the three schools at least once a month…not during school hours, but after school.

We must not be shy to extend the mandate of the school governing boardies to hold the school managers to account when results are not forthcoming. If anything, should a school principal oversee a school that produces declining, three years in a row, that principal must be fired. The board must then find a competent manager to take the school forward. If it was up to me, any school that produces results below 45%, an independent commission of enquiry must be set up, and if the findings indict the management of the school – heads must roll. The principal must be fired.

 

Inversely, if a school produces matric results above 60%, the entire management and its dedicated staff should be incentivised. And ‘No’, we are not a political party, but ‘Yes’ we love politicians. We love them because we have elected them, we and they have different mandates and we hope very much for co-existence and, whenever possible, cooperation.

 

Like one president once said ‘the time for individual happiness is over!’ It will no longer cut it for us sit in our ivory towers and criticise the deterioration of the education standards from our lofty positions. We must all come to the table of cooperation to stem this tide. Nobel Laureate Dr. Martin Luther King once said ‘we must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.’

 

I don’t know about you, but from where we stand as BBEAG we would hate to see this community perish as fools. We have to do something, and as BBEAG we are prepared to work with whoever needs our help. This includes:

·         convening, on a regular basis, vacation school programmes or VSPs during school recess to help learners revise and prepare for the final matric exams – like we’ve done during the Easter Holidays

·         helping learners choose careers that are viable and that would help the community in the mid to long-term using our Career Counseling & Guidance portfolios

·         fundraising during the year using various stimuli programs like Fun Runs, Private individuals and business donations, Entrepreneurial Days, selling branded merchandise, promoting Civvies Days and others measures to raise funds for a bursary scheme. The bursaries will then be awarded to top students at a gala dinner after matric results have been published

·         Promoting and fostering a spirit of competition and achievements by incentivising learners with merit awards after trial examinations

·         holding leadership camps for learners’ leadership

·         hosting an annual education summit where all stakeholders can come together to brainstorm a Programme of Action (POA) for a specific year like we have done last month on the 27 March 2010 at Bela-Bela Showgrounds, and

·         many other interventions and stimuli methods deemed effective at a certain point

All this would be done by us – for free – in collaboration with interested stakeholders. We(BBEAG), therefore, would like all of you to help us, help our brother, sisters and children to achieve by supporting us in kind (through your donations & patronship) and in deed (by volunteering your time in helping re-shape the education landscape of our town).

 

In conclusion, the Bela-Bela Education Advocacy Group will like to take this pristine opportunity to congratulate the good doctor, Dr. Stephen Shuti Khumalo on his many education achievements as, again today, he adds another feather in his already well-decorated education hat. We are very proud of you as an organisation and we are even prouder that you are from Bela-Bela.

 

This town is in short supply of positive role-models and you’re choosing to stay here, fight side-by-side with this community shows that you are not only a great son-of-the-soil but a true revolutionary who epitomises true feelings of great love as advocated by Ernesto Che Guevara.

 

We as BBEAG applaud you.

We as BBEAG think of you as a true role model.

We as BBEAG are inspired by your life, your achievements and your faith.

We as BBEAG are very excited with our partnership.

You are one of our own and we love you.

 

Congratulations!

 

THANK YOU PROGRAMME DIRECTOR.