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Media verklaring - 3 Oktober 2023
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Die ANC se werklike bedoelings met die BELA onderwyswetgewing
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Afrikaanse skole wat eilande van uitnemendheid geword het, is in die Minister se spervuur.
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Minister Motshekga se aand en oggendpraatjies stem nie ooreen nie. Geen wonder onderwys is disfunksioneel nie
Nadat die ANC sy meerderheid gebruik het om Dinsdag 26 September die omstrede Wysigingswetsontwerp op Basiese Onderwys (BELA) goed te keur het Minister Angie Motshekga eintlik bevestig wat die werklike agenda is.
Volgens Motshekga is toegewings in die aanvang van die demokrasie gemaak - wat insluit wie skole beheer en watter taal die skole kan gebruik. Volgens haar moet dinge nou reggestel word. Sy ontken egter dat Afrikaanse skole in die spervuur is, maar gaan dan voort om te sê dit is eintlik Afrikaanse skole wat die kopseer is.
Minister Motshekga het duidelik gewys dat sy verskillende standpunte gereed het vir verskillende gehore wat onderwysbeleid aanbetref. Sy moet haar egter nie uitlaat oor grondwetlike kwessies en onderhandelinge nie. Wat kultuurverskeidenheid betref, het die Grondwetlike Beginsel XI die volgende vereiste gestel: “Die verskeidenheid van taal en kultuur moet erken en beskerm word, en omstandighede vir die bevordering daarvan moet aangemoedig word.”
Van groot belang is dat die beginsels opgeneem is in die 1993-oorgangsgrondwet en sy nakomeling, die huidige Grondwet van 1996. Dit alles is gevestig in ʼn grondig onderhandelde en algemeen ooreengekome Plegtige Ooreenkoms. In die ANC se soeke na ʼn tweede oorgang en groter sentralisering laat hulle oordeel hulle egter soms in die steek, en moet telkens in die howe daaraan herinner word. Enige wysigings in die letter en gees van die grondwet moet grondig en met regsbasis hanteer word en NIE gebaseer op die nukke en grille van politieke ideoloë wat mislukkings wil verbloem nie.
Die ANC laat geen geleentheid verby gaan om deurentyd mislukkings te probeer verskuif na ander oorsake nie. Daar moet nou opnuut gesentraliseer word want die verleentheid met onderwys word al groter. Ook die funksionele openbare skole moet nou gesentraliseer word want dit is Afrikaanse skole wat eilande van uitnemendheid in die moeras van onderwysverval geword het. Dan is dit beter om eerder almal te laat verval om te voldoen aan die ANC se strewe na substandaard onderwys vir almal.
Die ANC-regering het sedert 1994 voortdurend gedobbel met die skolestelsel en verskeie ondeurdagte modelle geïmplementeer. Afrikaanse skole en professionele onderwysinstansies het deur die dwaalweë van onderwys nog altyd die leiding gegee en daarom kon Afrikaanse skole presteer. Daarteenoor is meer as 80% skole disfunksioneel.
Die Afrikanerbond het omvattend gereageer op Konsepwet B2-2022 (“Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill”). (Sien die skakel na die volledige kommentaar) ʼn Deeglike en oorwoë mening is uitgespreek maar is waarskynlik deel van die tussen 6000 en 9000 skriftelike voorleggings wat nie na behore oorweeg is nie.
ʼn Ideologiese wolf word skaapwagter vir onderwys gemaak. Dit is makliker om onderwys nog verder onder sentrale beheer te plaas en sodoende gemeenskaplike onderwysellende vir almal te vestig. Reeds dertien jaar gelede in 2010 het die huidige minister Angie Motshekga in die media erken dat: -
- “Swak vaardighede in Engels die grootste oorsaak is vir die swak 2009 matriek uitslae”
- “Dat die meerderheid van leerlinge insluitende matrikulante in Engels moet studeer – alhoewel dit nie hulle huistaal is nie.”
- “Leerlinge wie se eerste taal nie Engels is nie, sukkel om hulself in die taal uit te druk.”
Sy het toe reeds in 2010 erken dat regeringsbeleid om Engels af te forseer tragies misluk het. Maar in 2023 wil sy skole se magte om taalbeleid te bepaal wegneem. In dertien jaar het dinge eerder vererger maar Afrikaanse skole word blameer.
Dit is duidelik dat die ANC leierskap en die minister eerder nog meer met basiese onderwys wil dobbel as om langtermyn en volhoubare oplossings te soek. Dit verg egter politieke wil en hiervoor is nie Motshekga, of die ANC leierskap opgewasse nie.
Die Afrikanerbond sal ander organisasies en gemeenskappe ondersteun wat die onsinnige, ondeurdagte en onwerkbare voorstelle van die departement van onderwys sal stuit.
3 Oktober 2023
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Minister targets quality education at Afrikaans schools that have become islands of excellence
- Minister’s differing views. No wonder education is dysfunctional
No sooner had the ANC used a majority vote to force through the controversial Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill (BELA) on Tuesday 26 September than Minister Angie Motshekga revealed what her real agenda was.
According to Motshekga, concessions were made at the start of democracy - including who could control schools and what languages schools were allowed to use. Now, she says, this must be ‘corrected’. She denies that Afrikaans schools are under fire, but then goes on to claim that it is in fact Afrikaans schools that are causing the country’s education headache.
Minister Motshekga brazenly puts on different faces for different audiences when it comes to education policy. However, she should not venture to opine on constitutional matters and negotiations. As regards cultural diversity, Constitutional Principle XI sets the following requirement: "The diversity of language and culture shall be acknowledged and protected, and conditions for their promotion shall be encouraged." What is important to note is that these principles were included in the 1993 transitional constitution and its successor, the current Constitution of 1996. All of this was embedded in a thoroughly negotiated and commonly agreed on Solemn Agreement. However, in the ANC's search for a second transition and increased centralisation, their judgment sometimes lets them down, and they have to be repeatedly reminded of this in the courts. Any amendments to the letter and spirit of the Constitution must be dealt with thoroughly and on a legal basis and NOT founded on the whims of political ideologues who wish to cover up their own failures.
The ANC never misses an opportunity to attempt to attribute their failures to other causes. There is a new urgency to centralise the school landscape because the education embarrassment is taking on ever greater dimensions. The functional public schools too must now be centralised, because these are Afrikaans schools that have become islands of excellence in the morass of educational decay. They prefer to make everyone fail in line with the ANC's goal of substandard education for all.
Ever since 1994, the ANC government has kept gambling with the school system, implementing one ill-considered model after another. Afrikaans schools and professional educational institutions have been leading the way through the resultant educational wasteland and that is why they have been able to excel. In contrast, more than 80% of other schools are dysfunctional.
The Afrikanerbond responded in detail to Draft Bill B2-2022 (“Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill”). (See the link to the full comment) A thorough and considered opinion was expressed but probably forms part of the 6000 to 9000 written submissions that were not properly considered.
An ideological wolf has been made the shepherd in education. The easy way out is to place education under even greater central control and create educational misery for all. Thirteen years ago already, in 2010, Minister Angie Motshekga admitted in the media that: -
- "Poor skills in English are the biggest cause of the poor 2009 matric results."
- "The majority of pupils, including matriculants, have to study in English - although it is not their home language."
- "Students whose first language is not English struggle to express themselves in the language."
She admitted as long ago as 2010 that government policy to enforce English had failed tragically. Yet in 2023 she wants to take away schools' powers to determine their own language policies. In thirteen years, things have only worsened — but Afrikaans schools are being blamed.
It is blatantly obvious that the ANC leadership and the minister prefer to keep on gambling with basic education rather than seek long-term, sustainable solutions. This requires political will, though: a challenge that Motshekga and the ANC leadership are not equal to.
The Afrikanerbond will support other organisations and communities to stop the absurd, ill-considered and unworkable proposals of the Department of Education.
3 October 2023
