Enver Surty

When Cadre Naledi Pandor was appointed Minister of Education, tertiary institutions as well as schools were located in her portfolio.

She held a Master’s degree in linguistics and had been an educator and academic before being appointed as MP and then as Minister.

She had first-hand knowledge of the autonomy and independence of universities and universities of technology and how they functioned. She was also well-versed in how schools functioned, as she had an added advantage being married to Mr Sharif Pandor, an experienced teacher, who would share his experiences with her as an educator.

Much of the policy decisions she had taken and initiatives she had begun were continued by her successor, Cde Angie Motshekga, who at that time served as the provincial Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for the Gauteng Department of Education.

This in a sense resulted in a seamless transition between Cde Naledi and Cde Angie, as most policies were the outcome of discussions and resolutions in the ANC and in the Council of Education Ministers, where Cde Angie represented Gauteng. It is beyond the scope of this (edited) article (the full version of it available on https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/opinion/a-special-tribute-to-dr-gracenaledi-pandor-part-2-a745bd9e-c2d146f7-957d-569a60c03c21) to reflect on each aspect of Minister Pandor’s contribution but it will be demonstrated how she laid a solid foundation that her successor refined, expanded, and implemented in a manner that benefited the entire system of education, leaving a legacy we must celebrate.

The objective reality was that when she was appointed as minister of education, thousands of schools were dilapidated, constructed of unsafe materials, and without adequate sanitation and electricity.

Provincial administrations were made up of a disproportionate number of districts and challenges were exacerbated by the mixture of combined schools, in addition to viable and non-viable schools, under-funded special needs schools and rural schools with hardly any proper infrastructure and resources.

There was hardly any preparatory year in black African primary schools, less than 5% of the black African learners had the benefit of a preparatory year. Literacy and numeracy were a huge challenge among learners and there were thousands of over-age learners in primary and high schools.

In rural areas, there were primary schools with less than 40 learners across all grades. This phenomenon was especially prominent in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Limpopo. There was also a huge illiteracy rate among adults and there were no Further Education and Training (FET) colleges.

Cde Naledi reminded us that education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger cohort into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.

This article (the second of a two part series) will highlight just a few of the astounding achievements that are now firmly embedded in the system thanks to the foundation laid by Minister Pandor and the persistence of Minister Motshekga in ensuring that they are sustained and wherever possible expanded.

In this sense, the future is not something hidden in a corner. It is something we build in the present.

Kha ri Gude South Africa was confronted with the reality that there were more than 5 million illiterate adults. Minister Pandor was aware of how being literate and numerate enhanced the self-esteem of individuals and made them more resourceful in their homes and working environments. Under her leadership, the Department of Education set a target of 4.5 million adults who had to become numerate and literate, and the Kha ri Gude programme was born.

The programme was driven by Professor Veronica McKay and was launched in the Eastern Cape. Wordbooks had to be developed, quality assured, printed in mother tongue languages and English, and distributed.

Thousands of volunteers and co-ordinators were appointed and teaching and learning took place in the homes of mainly elders in the villages.

Each adult who was enrolled and the success rate of the programme exceeded 85%. Women in rural areas and townships across the country were the primary targets of the programme.

Thirty years later, the programme’s impact is still evident in the literacy and numeracy skills of these gogos, who now play a vital role in nurturing and stimulating the young minds of the children they care for.

Grade R

Minister Pandor realised that black African learners in particular were disadvantaged as less than 5% received formal pre-school education before 1994. She was acutely aware that cognitive development is at its highest level in early childhood. She set about the task to prioritise Early Childhood Development (ECD) by integrating Grade R in primary schools and developing norms and standards for classrooms and play areas.

Ms Palesa Tyobeka played a prominent role in driving this effort including the training and qualifications of practitioners. This was a bold move and a huge courageous step forward.

Crèches in communities were run by individuals and NGOs through the Department of Social Development.

Although there was no budget originally, the National Treasury recognised the value of Grade R and began allocating resources. It was left to Minister Motshekga to implement the programme fully. Today all practitioners have the minimum qualifications, and more than a million children in public primary schools have access to Grade R as schools now have dedicated sites where appropriate play takes place, as well as age-appropriate ablution facilities.

Literacy and Numeracy

The outcome-based education system had its merits but resulted in too swift a change in methodology.

It occurred in under-resourced environments and with hastily developed training programmes which created widespread confusion, owing to the education sector’s lack of readiness.

A consequence of the new curriculum was that there was a diminished emphasis on literacy and numeracy.

Minister Pandor started an initiative to revise the curriculum with the participation of the whole education sector and thereby ensured that the fundamentals of literacy and numeracy would be central to learning. The workbooks developed for the Kha ri Gude programme were used as a model to develop workbooks for learners in primary schools in the language of learning and teaching, as well as in all indigenous languages.

It became the responsibility of Minister Motshekga to further develop and implement the workbooks initiative and today, all Grade R to Grade 9 learners receive workbooks in their mother tongue and the language of learning and teaching.

More than 55 million books are delivered each year to each public school. The benefit of this initiative became evident when the annual national assessments were carried out indicating the value of workbooks in enhanced performance.

Cde Naledi, fellow combatant and cadre: We have been deeply touched by your integrity, your ceaseless quest for justice and the path of reason and logic.

Your temperament was distinctive, your collegial generosity of spirit excessive, with a beautiful mind to boot.

I have learnt that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Your legacy will not be forgotten, your contribution will not be diminished and the many causes you fought for will endure.

Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea!

* Surty served as Chief Whip of the NCOP, negotiator on the Bill of Rights, Deputy Minister of Education, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development and Deputy Minister of Basic Education.

Cape Times