11 September 2001
The South African Communist Party (SACP) welcomes the policy announcement by government to recognise a single national examination for matriculants.
This is an important step forward in building a common education system and consolidating the efficient provision of education by the public sector. This new policy will go a long way to reverse the proliferation of many fly-by-night and profit maximising private schools. The new policy is a breath of fresh air moving away from the consistent ideological barrage of expanding the private sector at the expense of the public sector in all economic spheres even in the field of education.
For the SACP, the key challenge is the defence and strengthening of the public sector to play a leading role in the provision of quality education and the transformation of society.
The SACP agrees with Minister Asmal that values taught and imparted by our education system must be in line with the building of a better life for all in South Africa. Our schools must not ram racist, patriarchal, capitalist ideology and values down the throats of our children. Let ideas of caring, solidarity, community, sharing, equality, non-racialism and non-sexism be a central part of our education system so that our children can see and choose for themselves a more humane system for our future.
The SACP calls on the Minister to take further steps to ensure effective
regulation of private sector education institutions as part of a broader
programme to improve and protect public education through teacher training
and allocation of sufficient and adequate resources for public education.
CONTACT
Mazibuko Kanyiso Jara (surname Jara)
Department of Media, Information and Publicity
South African Communist Party
Tel: 011 339 3621
Fax: 011 339 4244
Cell: 083 651 0271
Email: sacp1@wn.apc.org