2005-11-26,+SADTU+NGC+day+1


 * SOUTH AFRICAN DEMOCRATIC TEACHERS UNION (SADTU)**


 * PRESS RELEASE:**

= **SADTU NGC day 1** =

25 November 2005


 * SADTU President: Calls on educators to defend the revolution against the new elite**


 * Minister of Education: Spells out her vision for quality education**

//SADTU’s NGC (National General Council) is meeting in Johannesburg from the 24-26 November to address the major challenges and priorities facing the Union. The NGC is the highest constitutional structure of the union which meets in between national congresses. The NGC consists of the top 200 national, provincial and regional leaders of SADTU – representing over 220,000 members - the majority of South African teachers. SADTU is affiliated to COSATU and is the second largest union in the country.//


 * The union president, comrade Willy Madisha, opened the NGC with a political analysis of the present situation.**

‘Whilst racial oppression was dealt a deathblow in 1994 with the achievement of political democracy, class rule remains firmly in place. The advent of bourgeois democracy has created space for the emergence of a black elite in alliance with capital to perpetuate the exploitation of the working masses. At the political level, we are witnessing the development of classical ‘Bonapartism’ – the emergence of a dominant individual and elite with their hands on the levers of state power – and the sidelining of the mass movement – the ANC and the Alliance.

And yet the working class and popular forces have not been defeated. We have what Gramsci describes as a catastrophic equilibrium between class forces. In this situation it is vital that labour and the working class should redouble efforts to defend the South African revolution.

At the political level, we are witnessing a major realignment of ideological and class forces within the liberation movement. Whilst the masses vote for a better life for all, the new black elite use their influence to ensure a better life for the few. The first decade of democracy belonged to the rich. With the SACP and COSATU we say that we must ensure that the second decade is in the interests of the workers and the poor.

As labour we have to ensure the unity of the working class in the face of the current onslaughts by capital and their allies. In this respect the defense of the Deputy President of the ANC remains an important task. As COSATU we have said that our support for comrade Jacob Zuma continues. We take very seriously the current rape allegations, but equally we recognise the need to protect the rights of all parties involved.

The Jacob Zuma saga has dominated the political terrain in recent months. We must ensure that this does not become an ethnic and personal issue – but is seen as part of the ongoing class and ideological struggle within the ANC. This is also related to the succession debate within the ANC. The pro-capitalist elite is clearly trying to impose its agenda onto the country. They will use their power in the media to try to impose a future president. As labour we have not yet endorsed any candidate or given unconditional support to comrade Zuma – but until he is tried and convicted he remains in the running.’


 * The report of the union secretariat went into detail on the following areas:**

· **//Local government elections//** - are due in March 2006. There are real challenges facing our movement in this respect. The widespread popular uprisings against poor delivery and corrupt and ineffective councilors points to widespread dissatisfaction. There is a real concern that many will not vote this time around. As a movement we have to combat this tendency as part of the task of defending our revolution. How do we motivate comrades to vote? How do we ensure that comrades who are nominated by ANC branches actually get onto the final list? How do we ensure that elected councilors remain responsive to the needs of the masses – and are not there for self-enrichment? How do we recall councilors who do not perform? How will SADTU and COSATU contribute to the elections process? There is also a need for the ANC to release resources to fund the election campaign.

· **//‘Ten year education review//**’ - conducted for SADTU by the Centre for Education Policy Development (CEPD) – to review and renew our vision of education transformation. We have to assess progress in terms of the goals we set in 1994. At a deeper level we have to analyze the lack of educational development especially in the rural areas – which we believe are a function of deep rooted social inequality.

· **//Education issues//** - specific areas of concern in education include the following:

o Has the Department of Education prepared adequately for the roll out of the new FET curriculum in January?

o The lack of a plan for teacher development

o Disputes around IQMS (Integrated Quality Management System) – we must get it back on a developmental track

o In every sub-sector there are problems of access for the poor – in ECD, ABET, Higher Education, Inclusive Education

o Massive inequalities in public schooling have been entrenched by the SASA (South African Schools Act) and the user fees system. The no-fees schools proposal is going badly depending on the resources of particular provinces. As SADTU we have to say again that the only logical response is to reassert the call of the Freedom Charter for free education.

· **//Organisational Review//** – the report by NALEDI (National Labour and Economic Development Institute) into the effectiveness of SADTU structures has to be debated to ensure improved service to members.


 * · ****//Labour matters://**

o Post provisioning – the present model does not assist the majority of learners in disadvantaged communities and must be challenged in 2006

o Medical aid – the unilateral introduction of GEMS – the new medical aid system – by the employer has to be carefully monitored

o There is a critical need for SADTU to develop a clear bargaining strategy based on a strong mandating and report back process to members

· **//COSATU Jobs and poverty campaign//** – as SADTU we have a real interest in this campaign. We have some 50,000 temporary teachers who have been denied benefits and job security for years. When schools reopen in January we must come with a powerful campaign to make sure that these teachers are made permanent.

· **//BEE or crony capitalism//** – we witness the perversion of BEE as top politicians and civil servants are given millions of rands in BEE deals to safeguard the interests of white capital. As a result the fundamental interests of the masses of poor people are not addressed. This is the real cost of the new parasitic black bourgeoisie that is being created.

· **//HIV/Aids//** – we have to be concerned at the continuing denialism and lack of clear national political direction in combating the pandemic. In the education sector the ELRC-HSRC research report this year spelt out the implications for the profession. With a prevalence rate of 12.7% this means there are currently some 45,000 teachers who are HIV positive. At least 10,000 are in need of immediate anti-retroviral treatment. Already last year some 4,000 teachers died as a result of HIV and Aids. It is therefore essential that SADTU and the other unions engage with the Department for Education to ensure that teachers receive support and treatment.


 * The keynote address to the NGC was delivered by the Minister of Education, Naledi Pandor. She covered the following areas under the theme: the pursuit of quality education for all the children of South Africa:**

· The need to inculcate a passion for education in the children and people of the country

· The continuing imperatives of equity and access which are key to education transformation

· The need both to support education initiatives in the rest of Africa and the South, and to learn from their experiences. In particular, a teacher exchange programme is being contemplated with Cuba in the first instance

· Policy decisions and implementation need to be based – not on intuition or ideology – but on scientific research. The national department sets national norms in education policy, but hitherto this has not been backed up by research, monitoring and evaluation to ensure implementation in the provinces.

· The recent systemic evaluation of grade 6 learners – yet to be published - conducted by the HSRC points to major challenges. It is imperative that we take steps to address problems of illiteracy and non-learning. We have to take collective responsibility for this. Contextual factors include poverty, malnutrition, and high levels of community illiteracy. But we can impact on some areas in the short-term, including:

o A major emphasis on foundations skills of literacy and numeracy, and making available relevant resources

o The need to improve home language and second language instruction at the appropriate levels

o Improved resource and professional support to schools from district offices. This includes support to educators at primary level.

The Minister appealed to the union to engage constructively with the report when it is published.

· Need to ensure accountability within the education system. This will include publishing district level matric results to guide subsequent interventions to improve delivery and performance. School principals also need to be held to account. The SASA does not at present specify their responsibilities.

· The battle for the recognition of the professional status of educators is being won. This has led to increased funding – eg for upgrading and incentives – from the Treasury. We need to attract good students to the profession. This must involve the provision of bursaries for education.

· IQMS (Integrated Quality Management System) – a cursory view is that we may have developed a model and instruments which are far too complex. The ELRC-HSRC report confirms that educators are spending too much time on administrative tasks which detracts from time spent teaching.

· Need for resources to be availed for affirmative action to ensure qualitative interventions in the most disadvantaged schools in South Africa, particularly in the rural areas.

· Need to eradicate fees in the poorest schools and to enforce the fee exemption policy in fee-paying schools. The NGC was assured that the no-fee schools policy is being implemented and provinces will be announcing targets in this respect. We also need to look at the possibility of a ceiling on fees charged by public schools.

· FET (Further Education and Training) – the Minister was pleased to report that adequate preparations have been made in the schools for the new curriculum in 2006. The FET college sector is also undergoing a complete overhaul. There is a need to encourage young people to take up these new opportunities which directly contribute to raising the skills level in the economy.

· Need to continue to review issues of governance and in particular the policy powers given to SGBs (School Governing Bodies) in the Schools Act. Presently SGBs in the most privileged schools are paying additional bonuses to educators and principals in particular – these include free cars and other perks and in at least one case an additional R500,000 per annum paid to the principal. People need to raise these issues publicly to make parents aware about what is happening to the fees that they pay.

· Temporary educators – we must end the unfair practice of continuously reappointing teachers on contract. This needs to be addressed in legislation. The new Education Laws Amendment Act will allow for making temporary teachers permanent who are appointed against vacant permanent posts. Provinces are also beginning to advertise posts more urgently.

· Class size – we need to open this debate, but do we have the resources to radically reduce class sizes given the other demands on the fiscus? We have to look for solutions within our own context. We also need to address timetabling problems to optimize teaching time.

· ABET – there is a need for a mass-based intervention to address adult illiteracy, drawing on the experience of successful models – Cuba for example.

//SADTU will issue a final press release on 26 November covering the decisions of the NGC.//

CONTACTS:

//Thulas Nxesi, General Secretary 082 782 6877//

//Willy Madisha, President 082 783 2967//

//Jon Lewis, Research & Media Officer 082 567 5628//