| 1. |
The national Department of Education has committed itself to participating in and co-ordinating in schools in 2007 the national commemoration of events of historical significance named by the President in his 8 January 2007 Statement.
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| 2. |
This campaign gives South Africans the opportunity to celebrate and at the same time review, in a variety of forms and occasions, the progress we as a nation have made in building a better and more united South Africa and strengthening our democracy. The commemoration of key national and international days in education is an important aspect of the struggle against forgetting. The commemoration of significant historical events and the lives of key individuals who contributed greatly to shaping our young democracy, as well as teaching about them in our classrooms, are important aspects of our strategy in this regard.
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| 3. |
The significant historical events to be commemorated are the following:
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| 3.1 |
The ninetieth anniversary of the sinking of the SS Mendi on 21 February 1917
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| 3.2 |
Passing of Act on Abolition of the Slave Trade (British Act of Parliament) on 25 March 1807
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| 3.3 |
The sixtieth anniversary of the Three Doctors' Pact signed on 9 March 1947, by Dr AB Xuma, Dr GM Naicker and Dr YM Dadoo, then Presidents of the African National Congress, the Natal Indian Congress and the Transvaal Indian Congress respectively
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| 3.4 |
The twentieth anniversary of the meeting in Dakar, Senegal, from 9-12 July 1987, between the members of the African National Congress and a delegation of prominent Afrikaner intellectuals, writers and opinion makers
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| 3.5 |
The death of the ANC President and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Nkosi Albert Luthuli on 21 July 1967
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| 3.6 |
The death of Steve Bantu Biko on 12 September 1977
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| 3.7 |
The ninetieth anniversary of the birth of Oliver Reginald Tambo on 27 October 1917
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| 3.8 |
The fiftieth anniversary of the Alexandra Bus Boycott
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| 3.9 |
The fifth anniversary of the launch of the African Union (AU) in Durban on 9 July 2002
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| 3.10 |
The fifth anniversary of the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg, 2-4 September 2002
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| 3.11 |
The death of Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe on 27 February 1978
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| 4. |
The key national events that the national Department will organise around these commemorations are the following: |
| 4.1 |
The Nkosi Albert Luthuli Young Historians' Competition to be held on the fortieth anniversary of the death of Nkosi Albert Luthuli, the national finals of which could take place at the end of September 2007
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| 4.2 |
The National Language Festival and a National Concert to be combined and to take place from 9 -11 August 2007 (Included in the programme will be an intergenerational satellite dialogue between learners from the African continent.)
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| 4.3 |
South African composers to be commissioned by the national Department to compose choral music, highlighting themes of this year's commemorations, to be performed on the final day of the national Schools' Choral Eisteddfod (5 August 2007) at The Dome, Johannesburg
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| 4.4 |
In partnership with the IZIKO Museums, the national Department to curate an exhibition exploring the broader terrain of the history of slavery and the abolition of the slave trade
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| 4.5 |
The national Department of Education, in partnership with relevant stakeholders, to host an exhibition in Sol Plaatje House, 123 Schoeman Street, Pretoria, in September 2007 in commemoration of the death of Steve Bantu Biko
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| 5. |
The national Department of Education will distribute a booklet for schools that focuses on these historical events. Detailed explanations will be given of the significance of each event, with relevant sources and suggestions for activities for the classroom and school. Classroom activities should be designed in such a way that they form part of the curriculum, and should not be seen as additional activities. The booklet will be distributed to all schools at the end of the second term.
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| 6. |
Activities can be pitched at different levels. For example, teachers could plan classroom activities that are curriculum-based, whilst senior management teams could organise activities that will involve the whole school, including school governing bodies and local communities.
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| 7. |
All schools are encouraged to participate during 2007 in the commemoration of the significant historical events, while continuing to observe South Africa's national days and important international days.
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SIGNED: M. CAMERON
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2007:08:15
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