The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has honoured 30 adult learners who excelled in their examinations in 2005.

The WCED has presented awards to 19 learners who wrote Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) Level 4 examinations, and 11 who wrote the Senior Certificate examinations.

The department presented the awards at a special function at the Cape Teaching Institute in Kuils River on 22 March 2006.

The awards included special awards for the most senior learner who wrote ABET Level 4 examinations, and the top learners who achieved General Education and Training Certificates (GETC).

Mr Adam Marais, 71, received an award for being the most senior learner to write ABET Level 4 examinations.

Mr Marais, a former bus driver, studied at the Eureka Adult Centre, a satellite of the Elsies River Community Learning Centre. The Eureka centre is based in the Adriaanse Library in Elsies River.

He is a keen learner and passed learning areas despite only starting the courses half way through the year. The courses were Human and Social Sciences and Ancillary Health Care.

Mr Marais is very much involved in his community, and helps the elderly with their pensions forms and visits those who are ill. He is very active, and often walks to the learning centre from Ravensmead, where he lives with his wife.

The ABET Level 4 assessment is a national assessment that draws on participation by public adult centres, the departments of Correctional Services, several government departments, and the Cape Town City Council. Some schools of skill and youth centres also participate in the assessment.

ABET Level 4 is placed on the first rung of the NQF (equivalent to grade 9 school level) and is an important step towards ensuring that persons who have been unable to obtain a formal qualification or basic education in the past, can access the NQF and continue their learning.

This is in keeping with the concept of lifelong learning and is especially important as the Bill of Rights list the Right of everyone to basic education including adult basic education.

Said Education MEC Cameron Dugmore: "In terms of our Human Capital Development Strategy, it is important that more people have access to higher education and thus it is vital that previously disadvantaged people are afforded opportunities to gain access to formalised general education.

"Also, the Western Cape government’s vision of a Home for All is important in ABET where most, if not all, learners are from previously disadvantaged backgrounds. The need to encourage, motivate and reward achieving learners and centres is at the forefront of this awards function.

"The WCED also offers opportunities for thousands of adults to gain further education in terms of achieving a Senior Certificate.

"Last year was a significant year for Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) in the Western Cape. We had more learners writing the ABET level 4 examinations, as well as a higher percentage of registered learners writing the examinations than ever before.

"Fifty years had passed since the call for the ‘doors of learning and culture to be opened’ was made and we still heed this call within the realm of adult education today. This is not only a government priority but should be important to business, communities and the individuals themselves.

"In his State of the Nation Address, President Thabo Mbeki has called on us to ‘move faster to address the challenges of poverty, underdevelopment and marginalisation confronting those caught within the Second Economy, to ensure that the poor in our country share in our growing prosperity…’

"Premier Ebrahim Rasool, in his State of the Province Address said there are signs ‘… that we are indeed on the threshold of prosperity. But the prosperity has to be shared by all, otherwise it will not be sustainable.’

"And therefor, our Human Capital Development Strategy document acknowledges that our current throughput rate in both basic and further education at adult centres is poor, and we aim to change this through offering more appropriate programmes and through improved delivery mechanisms.

"I want to salute all those learners for their perseverance, effort and courage in writing the examinations and promoting lifelong learning. We also are appreciative of employers that observe basic rights in giving learners time off to write the examinations.

"We call on all employers to observe this basic right to be allowed the opportunity to write examinations for courses that one has worked so hard toward. Promoting ABET among employees will not only be beneficial for the learner themselves but also to their families and employers."

For enquiries, contact Gert Witbooi: 082 550 3938.