Media Release

4 August, 2003


Gaum welcomes decisions of Council of Education Ministers

Statement by Adv. André Gaum, Minister of Education in the Western Cape

I welcome the decisions taken by the Council of Education Ministers, which met in Bloemfontein today, with regard to the proposed policy on Religion in Education and the proposed regulating of teacher payments of the Education Amendment Bill.

I welcome the several positive changes in the document on religion education from the various draft documents issued in the past, as well as the fact that the document has also been made available for public comment. This has given the council the much-needed access to public opinion to inform our decision.

My concerns regarding the implementation of Religion Education in the Foundation Phase have not been fully met. I would prefer learners in the Foundation Phase to be fully settled in their own religious tradition before the policy is implemented as planned. The distinction made between religious observance and religious instruction is also artificial, and there is no indication how this policy will be policed.

However, I believe that the approved document provides a way forward and will go a long way towards ensuring equitable religious practice and education in schools.

Recently elected school governing bodies are about to start their new, three-year terms. I call on them to make equitable religious practice and instruction one of main priorities.

With regard to the proposed paragraphs on additional remuneration of the South African Act Amendment Bill, I still hold that we must first learn more about the actual practice of topping up salaries and awarding any other types of additional remuneration in each province before we embark on the measures outlined in the Bill. The investigation should to identify the types of additional remuneration or perks being provided with a view to developing a national framework to guide employers in their deliberations on granting or denying a request for additional remuneration in terms of the relevant employment laws.

I welcome the proposed, much-needed regulations that would legalise additional remuneration, which helps to ensure retention of good teachers. They would assist parents markedly in occasional cases where additional remuneration would result in unaffordable school fee increases. It is indeed unacceptable when schools claim fees that are so high that parents are effectively "priced out of the market". Sharp questions should be asked if two schools offer the same services, while charging school fees that differ dramatically.

However, the possible impact of the legislation on the autonomy of governing bodies does concern me. School governing bodies should have the right to reward teachers and principals for hard work, commitment and achievement in a fair manner. This is in line with the principle I subscribe to: Just, as there must be consequence for failure, hard work and success must be rewarded.

Parents are well placed to monitor this issue, through school governing bodies. The State does not have to play "big brother". I would like to encourage all parents to become involved with school governing bodies to ensure that funds are well-spent and not used for unacceptable luxuries.


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