Minister Siviwe Gwarube during the swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Cape Town. The appointment of Siviwe, who is the youngest minister in the 7th democratic administration, inspires hope for the youth, the writer says. – Picture: Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers / July 3, 2024
By Hendrick Makaneta
The appointment of Siviwe Gwarube, the youngest minister in the cabinet of the seventh administration inspires hope, especially for young people because one of their own is at the helm of a national department.
Gwarube’s appointment of course does not translate into a quick fix solution for a wide range of problems that affect the terrain of basic education.
It is said that while a new broom sweeps clean, the old one knows all the corners of the house. This alone dictates that to do well in her portfolio, the newly appointed minister will have to work with those who led the department before her.
The minister herself has already indicated that she will be meeting with her predecessor in what is predicted to be a handover meeting. This is encouraging and shows that the minister does not take her roles lightly.
Of concern is that a leading union Sadtu has expressed itself and seems to be concerned that the new minister who comes from the Democratic Alliance may become hostile to the union since her own party has been hostile to the structure before.
It is a cause for great concern that the union has not started on a good footing in its relationship with Gwarube because whether we like it or not, the two will have to work together. If the department does not agree completely with the union, that can affect learning and teaching.
There is no doubt that most teachers belong to Sadtu as it is the biggest union within the education sector. We do not want to see unnecessary prolonged strikes that can destabilise the sector because of Sadtu being at loggerheads with the minister and by extension the department of basic education.
The terrain of education requires sober minds that can act swiftly in the best interests of the learners. Gwarube has already indicated that in everything that she will be doing, learners will be placed at the centre.
Sadtu should meet urgently with the minister and agree on a way forward. Whereas there are many challenges in the basic education sector, the new minister of basic education should increase the pass mark to 50 percent for all subjects.
It cannot be correct that learners need thirty percent to pass. We need to up the game when it comes to academic standards.
Secondly the minister should prioritise the eradication of pit latrines in schools as a matter of urgency. We urge the minister to work with the cabinet and produce a reasonable deadline for the complete eradication of pit latrines.
Equally we are concerned that scholar transport remains an unresolved issue, particularly in the Eastern Cape province where there are still learners who have to walk long distances to school. There are still learners who have to cross a river, just to go into a school.
It should be clear at this point that the department of basic education alone will not be able to address these pressing challenges.
Poverty and unemployment continue to negatively affect the living conditions of millions of South Africans, especially the youth who are the hardest hit. Although there are still graduates who remain unemployed, there is no doubt that the majority of those who are unemployed have no tertiary qualifications.
The data that is reflected from the records of Statistics South Africa continues to depict unemployment in the form of a pyramid where the majority of those in the base of the pyramid are unskilled.
The second burning issue in addition to unemployment is crime. The seventh administration should take time to reflect on the burning issues of unemployment and crime and resolve to reaffirm education as an apex priority of government.
We remain convinced that it is only through education that the child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation.
Perhaps the starting point for Minister Gwarube should be to call a basic education lekgotla where she will be able to meet all the stakeholders in education.
The other pressing challenge for the minister is to ensure that the education system is modernised to ensure that our learners can create a better future for themselves. It cannot be correct that most learners who leave the system find themselves in the unemployment queues.
The minister in collaboration with her colleagues from cabinet and the private sector should deal with the structural unemployment that affects even those with qualifications.
One way of doing this is to ensure that when learners leave the basic education terrain, they have the skills to conquer unemployment and to fend for themselves.
* Hendrick Makaneta is an education acitivist
** The views in this article are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The African