By Mr Cameron Dugmore, Western Cape Provincial Minister of Education

WELCOME back to all our learners, and a very warm welcome to the grade 1's.

I trust that all of you, our teachers and learners, enjoyed the holiday break, and used the valuable time to spend with family and loved ones.

I want to urge all our principals to make sure that actual teaching starts on 19 January. Convene meetings with your Strategic Management Teams and School Governing Bodies, and prepare as thorough as possible.

To the parents, please support your school by attending meetings, participate in the life of the school, support the fundraising activities, and assist your child by reading to him/her, and assist with school work. Those who can afford, pay your school fees, those who cannot, can apply for partial or full exemption.

This year will see enormous challenges for us in education. To meet these challenges the department will seek partnerships with labour, business, local government, NGO's and other social partners. Schools cannot operate in a vacuum and require wider, sustained support.

This year will see the launch of a new look Western Cape Education Foundation, which will be instrumental in blending partnerships into a real vehicle for transformation, equity and quality.

Already we have, within a short space of time, been able to make crucial interventions in the following areas:

• Stabilized the teaching profession by obtaining additional funding from the provincial treasury, to save 1,800 teaching posts and employ 365 more teachers.

• Laid the basis to increase the number of maths HG passes from 4,000 this year to 8,000 in 2009.

• Initiated on instruction from the Premier, the development of a provincial Human Resource Strategy with a focus on youth, which is being operationalised and linked with our sister department's lead strategies as we try and work in a seamless way.

• Electrified every school in our province, meeting our 100 day targets.

• Initiated a land audit of unutilised education property for possible alienation to generate additional funds to build the 65 schools we need, faster.

• Developed a policy guideline on the optimal utilisation of classroom space, this policy will be finalised after extensive consultation in 2005.

Increasing learner participation and success rates for growth and development

As part of our Human Resource Development Strategy for the Western Cape for the next ten years, we are focusing on the youth, especially those who come from poor homes.

The Vision of the strategy is to develop the relevant values, knowledge and skills of the young people of the Western Cape and so enhance their participation in a globally competitive economy and vibrant, caring society.

The specific goals of the HRDS are:

• to ensure an integrated approach to the physical, social and cognitive development of all 0 to 4 year olds living in the province;

• to provide high quality Grade R tuition to all five year olds so that they are ready for school learning;

• to ensure that all learners from grades 1 to Grade 6 read, write and calculate at the levels determined by the National Curriculum;

• to ensure that all learners in grades 7 - 9 are provided with a high quality general education;

• to provide advice on subject choice/career guidance to all learners in grade 9 so that they make appropriate choices in the FET band;

• to increase the participation and success rates of learners, especially black learners, participating in the FET band at both schools and colleges;

• to increase the number of FET learners who qualify to enter higher education;

• to increase access to higher education especially for learners from poor families;

• to increase the provision of learnerships, apprenticeships, internships and skills programmes that are linked to work opportunities;

• to increase the number of adult learners in basic education courses through programmes such as the Expanded Public Works Programme.

I am looking forward to the challenges of 2005, to work with our schools, teachers and parents, governing bodies and unions, to continue improving the quality of education in this province.

We have a vision - a home for all. We have a plan - iKapa elihlumayo and our job as education is to develop the HRD strategy to implement the plan and fulfil the vision.

Some challenges and priorities for 2005

1. The Western Cape Education Department is committed to improving performance and enhancing accountability, by redeploying some of our district and head office staff, including circuit managers, so that they will be optimally used and held accountable.

2. Prioritise the areas of maths, science and accounting.

3. Realigning our human resource strategy so that it supports all bands of education and develops learners with knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to contribute to the provincial economy, fighting poverty and creating work.

4. Make sure every high school has a computer lab by the end of next year, and in partnership with Multi-Choice, equip our schools with a satellite dish, television and VCR set.

This article first appeared in newspapers in the week of 17 - 21 January 2005

For enquiries, contact Gert Witbooi at 082 550 3938, or gwitbooi@pgwc.gov.za.