"A quality curriculum does not only work from 8am to 2pm and inside classroom walls. A quality curriculum takes the children out into the grounds to play and exercise. It encourages extra-mural activities. It does not just lead the child in circles. It takes it into a special place."

So said Education MEC Cameron Dugmore during his keynote address to a conference on "Quality Assurance in Education" attended by about 300 academics, principals, teachers, unions, department officials, school governing bodies and other members of the education community.

The conference, which has started yesterday and will run until today at the Cape Town College, Crawford Campus, was addressed by Premier Ebrahim Rasool this morning.

In his address, Premier Rasool said the previous decade of freedom was about quantity, for example ensuring more children in school, building more schools and classrooms, and getting more matrics passes. However, the next decade is about a better curriculum, ensuring better quality of passes, for example in maths and science, and a quality learner experience.

Said MEC Dugmore: "I believe that the need to ensure quality education, for all, is non-negotiable. When half of our learners leave school before completing Grade 12 then there is no room for complacency. Then we must ask hard questions like 'Who is responsible for quality in education?'"

For full text of speech, visit: www.capegateway.gov.za/education.

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

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