Premier Nomvula Mokonyane at the occasion to announce the 2012 Matric
Results
Programme Director,
MEC Creecy, Members of the Gauteng Executive Council,
Officials of the Gauteng Department of Education,
School Principals, Educators, Parents and Learners,
Members of Business Communities, Education Partners and Stakeholders,
Distinguished Guests,
Members of Media,
Ladies and Gentlemen
I greet you all at the dawn of a new 2013 year to welcome and celebrate the
fulfillment of one of the Gauteng Provinces’ Priority Outcomes on Education.
When we committed to improving the quality of learning and teaching in schools, we
adopted a resilient approach by investing in various resources including human skills
to pursue a common goal whose results we share with you this morning.
We therefore celebrate with a clear conscience that recognizes the collective efforts
of every soul’s involvement in helping the province attain an overwhelming 83.9%
pass rate in the Matric Class of 2012; an outcome that still places us number one in
the provincial analysis report presented by Minister of Basic Education; Angie
Motshega the previous day.
We therefore have reason to implore the Class of 2012 together with its educators,
officials, parents and supportive communities to take a bow as we applaud their
hard-work and dedication that has indeed made us a proud and hardworking
province.
1
Whilst I may not dabble in the intricate technicalities of our analysis and implications
of our very good and gratifying report, may I, however, reflect on some of its aspects
that have immediately caught my attention.
May I do so perhaps with a view that clearly confirms that our government is on
course to obliterate historical injustices of apartheid education that claimed and
compromised a huge portion of our quality of human existence particularly in
disadvantaged communities. Felt by majority female population of this country, this
scourge has been reversed by many girl learners that are shaking our education
fraternity by scoring and achieving exceptionally good results in learning areas like
mathematics and science that were far remotely buried as unreachable for
historically-marginalized communities.
Of course, the Gauteng Provincial Government took its cue from the address by
President Jacob Zuma who stated in the 2009 June National Council of Provinces
and the National Assembly that; “Education will be a key priority for the next five
years. We want our educators, learners and parents to work with government to turn
our schools into thriving centers of excellence”.
Today, the performance of some celebrated girl learners in this audience and outside
will certainly tell a story of our provinces’ successful campaigns and programmes
that intensified the application of Gauteng Department of Education’s vision and
mission statements that spoke to the Presidential call for our collective involvement
in the education of our children.
The Secondary Schools Intervention Programme (SSIP), the School Safety
Campaigns, the Maths and Science Projects coordinated through formidable
institutions like the Sci-Bono Centre, Priority Schools, the GPG Bursary Schemes
and many other innovative intervention programmes were some of the activities that
pursued a common goal of effective education service delivery in our province.
The results also show that schools in historically disadvantaged communities are
beginning to operate at high levels of accountability and responsibility despite the
ever-present challenges of over-crowding that has been born by in-migration as
proven in the Census 2011 results.
2
For example, the performance of NO-FEE Paying schools has recorded a
commendable 77.5% pass rate despite the dire background of learners majority of
who came from rural and peri-urban communities.
Furthermore, the broader Education Support Programme had notable outputs that
included;

Improving nutrition by feeding 1 051 362 (101%) learners in no-fee schools.

Increased Access to Schooling by bussing about 65 472 to schools in rural
communities

Increased Access to Schooling – registering 1 051 362 learners in no-fee schools

Extra school support – targeting 1 266 under-performing schools with an extraschool programme

Extra school support –training 81 214 parents in Family Support Programme.

Extra school support – providing 4 105 sports and homework assistants in
various targeted schools

Implementing the Master Skills Plan are aimed at:
a) Strengthening the capacity of the Education System in Gauteng
b) Responding to the skills needs of Government in Gauteng
c) Enabling the economic growth of the province through Education and Skills
programmes

Infrastructure - progress in relation to some infrastructure targets on major
projects like the Magaliesburg and Fochville boarding school
Ladies and Gentlemen;
It is worth noting that all these efforts and many others that integrate the contribution
of immediate peripheral education stakeholders were aimed at the Class of 2012 that
has essentially spent duration of 12 years within a democratically established
academic calendar of South Africa’s Twenty First Century epoch. This is a group of
learners that qualify to be called the authentic “Born Free” society of potential
pioneers that should carry the hopes of a nation that is hard at work to better itself
from the scorn of a very unfortunate historical past.
3
May I furthermore invite you to consider the implications of such results in the
context of a deepened understanding of our provinces’ responsibility as a socioeconomic hub of Sub Saharan Africa and South Africa in general.
I believe that our sustaining the number one academic spot in two successive years
gives credibility to our investment in Human Resource Capital; an undisputed
requirement for effective contribution to meet the demands of knowledge-based
economy of modern times.
It is therefore prudent that I encourage our educators, learners, parent communities
and officials to sustain our collective responsibility of embracing our education’s
mission of “ensuring quality learning and teaching” becomes the vehicle that
champions our daily performance in our schools.
To the learners that are present this morning and those that may not be with us, I
would like to congratulate you for a job well done. I would like to challenge you to
embrace prospects of a future that has abundance of opportunities for you.
Dr. Mokubung Nkomo in a book titled PEDAGOGY OF DOMINATION – Towards a
Democratic Education in South Africa (1990); dedicates a poem to South Africa’s
future generations by writing;
The young Lions
Recipients of the collective memory
Hand firmly gripped on the baton
As they relay the message
4
Must now go yet another lap
And hasten to shorten the distance
From ashes must arise renewed life
Future awaits eagerly
The tidings of the new griots
Summoning them to ethereal heights
Hercules’s toils are their wage
Undoubtedly, Dr. Nkomo evokes a sense of achievement and a pursuit of vision that
can help take Gauteng Province and the country forward in the global competitive
world of socio political and economic progress. He calls on you to never bask in the
glory of your immediate success, but to hasten to shorten the distance of a past that
never gave your parents and ancestors a chance of good and acceptable human
existence.
As you venture into various post Matric pursuits, may your acquired independence
from the rigours of twelve years of a strict school schedule not blind you to lose
focus. I urge you to remember the bigger assignment of gaining more knowledge
and skill so that you may return to serve your country with a clear and sharp mind of
becoming better citizens.
As we begin the 2013 commitment to the Gauteng Department of Education, may I
challenge all citizens of Gauteng to rise up, hold hands and fuse all skill and
knowledge in assisting government’s efforts that seek to create a balance between
the formerly privileged and the deprived.
I thank therefore all educational stakeholders including the generous companies and
partners that may identify and support the potential that is on display this morning. I
thank you for giving these learners an opportunity to develop further.
Congratulations to all Educators, Schools, parents and learners as we brace for
another 2013 academic calendar that begins immediately after the celebration of the
achievements of a Class of 2012.
5
In the spirit of a proud Gauteng Province; may I unequivocally state that;
Kuya sheshwa e Gauteng!
Thank You.
6