Admin
28 Feb, 2025
UDM disturbed by ill-considered McDonald's foldable desks for Grade 1 learners
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is deeply concerned about the ill-conceived donation of foldable school desks, handed over by the Minister of Basic Education, Ms Siviwe Gwarube, in partnership with McDonald's and MiDesk Global. These desks were given to St. Paul's Primary School in Cape Town's Bo Kaap, in the Western Cape. It is unacceptable that, in 2025, our children are being used as walking advertisements for corporate branding instead of being provided with fully equipped classrooms that uphold their dignity. South African parents and educators have justifiably expressed their outrage over this situation. Rather than ensuring every child has a proper desk in the classroom, the department is celebrating a donation that shifts the responsibility from the government onto the backs of young children - literally! These desks are highly impractical, especially given the long distances and challenging roads many children must traverse to get to school. Adding this extra burden is absurd. To make matters worse, it is highly likely that the average child carrying the McDonald's foldable desk won’t even be able to afford a McDonald's Kiddies Meal in the first place! This situation is a national embarrassment for which Minister Gwarube must take full responsibility. We call on the Government of National Unity to ensure that every child, especially the poorest of the poor, has a desk to sit at when they are at school. Let us hope this is a one-time failed experiment that is not repeated elsewhere in the country.
Admin
27 Feb, 2025
UDM raises concerns over education crisis: Our children deserve better
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is alarmed by the findings of the latest 2030 Reading Panel report, which confirms the ongoing crisis in South Africa’s education system. This report paints a bleak picture of literacy and mathematics skills among both pupils and educators, further entrenching inequality and threatening the future of our children. According to the Report, a shocking 80% of Grade 3 pupils still cannot read for meaning in any language, while nearly 70% of Grade 6 pupils fail to reach appropriate reading levels in their language of learning and teaching. Even more concerning is the widening gap between pupils who speak English and Afrikaans and those who speak African languages - an unacceptable reality in a democratic South Africa. Equally distressing is the sharp decline in Maths proficiency among teachers. In 2013, only 1.4% of Grade 6 maths teachers had basic maths knowledge; today, that number has jumped to 7.3%. This means too many of our children are being taught by educators who lack essential skills to prepare them for the future. How can we expect our young people to compete in a world driven by science, technology, and innovation when our education system is failing them so badly? While we note the improvement in teacher reading proficiency, with 94% of Grade 6 teachers now classified as critical readers, this progress has yet to translate into better literacy outcomes for pupils. The UDM acknowledges efforts by some provinces to introduce reading assessments, but we need a national approach that ensures no child, regardless of where they live, is left behind. The root causes of this crisis are clear: • The lack of proper teacher training and professional development. • Overcrowded classrooms that prevent individual attention. • Budget cuts that leave provinces struggling to provide basic resources. • Misalignment between universities and the Department of Basic Education, leading to teachers unprepared to teach in African languages. The Department of Basic Education’s slow response has already robbed too many children of their right to quality education. The UDM demands urgent and decisive action: • Immediate intervention in foundation phase education to equip young learners with strong literacy and numeracy skills from the start. • Better teacher training and recruitment, where universities must produce educators who are truly fit for purpose. • Investment in African language education, because language should not be a barrier to success. • Proper budget allocations: Government must better spend funding for quality education. Our children are the future of this country but without the right education, they have no future at all. The UDM calls on the Government of National Unity to step up its game so that every child in South Africa receives the quality education they deserve.
Admin
30 Apr, 2020
UDEMWO: Children going to school: is government really ready for this massive operation?
As we are amid the battle against the Coronavirus, we have heard government saying that strict health guidelines have been drawn up regarding the operation of schools, including limiting pupils to 40 in a class, compulsory mask-wearing and the sanitisation of hands, classrooms and scholar transport. However, since the number of infections is rising on a daily basis, even considering recoveries, how did government arrive at the decision to open schools so soon? The United Democratic Movement Women’s Organisation (UDEMWO) therefore calls on Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga to take the country, and parents, into confidence on whether her department is ready and able (financially and practically) to provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for each and every school; for each and every child; each and every day. We have heard disconcerting stories that government cannot even provide enough PPE at our healthcare institutions, never mind institutions of learning! This especially is a massive concern for scholars in disadvantaged areas, where parents struggle to provide food for their children and PPE is financially out of reach. There are a number of other concerns, such as, how the department is going to resolve scholar transport? Children, under “normal circumstances”, are wrongly loaded into vehicles like sardines, how on earth will it be feasible to transport thousands of children, considering the need for social distancing? What control measures are going to be put in place to maintain social distancing during breaks? Also, if no more than two pupils should share a desk, how is government going to handle schools that have large volumes of school-goers? Even though we realise that lockdown and partial lockdown (level 4) is eating away at the school year, UDEMWO is of the view that government may be jumping the gun in opening schools. At this rate, we are running a real risk of allowing the Coronavirus to run rampant through our communities by opening schools at this point in time. Issued by: Ms Thandi Nontenja UDEMWO Secretary General
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20 Feb, 2020
Violent protests at universities: why is Dr Nzimande quiet?
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is concerned that the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology is quite reticent when the country needs his attention the most. Since the beginning of the academic year, there has been unrest in a number of South African universities like the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the Central University of Technology in the Free State and others. These crises have been met with Dr Blade Nzimande’s deafening silence. The nationwide outcry of unhappy students, as some who qualify for National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) support are denied their benefits, is disconcerting. This whilst Dr Nzimande has made a promise that students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and those who are from families that earn a gross income of up to R350,000 annually, would automatically be accepted for NSFAS support. What is currently taking place is different from what the minister said three weeks ago at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research where he addressed political parties. Who is in-charge of this higher education portfolio? Why are the vice-chancellors of these universities using different approaches with regards to NSFAS? All and sundry have seen the videos circulating on social media with extremely disturbing scenes of buildings being burnt down and attacks on campus security personnel. The UDM deplores this totally wrong and unacceptable behaviour. What the perpetrators of this violence don’t seem to realise is that rehabilitation will take some years, and that this will negatively affect the future of our youth. The UDM calls on Minister Nzimande to speedily attend to the outcries of the students; these are our future leaders and they deserve better than a passive, seemingly don’t care minister. – end — Issued by: Mr Bongani Msomi UDM Secretary General
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29 Jan, 2020
Free education a reality or a dream deferred
In December 2017 on the evening of the ANC Conference, South African youth woke up to news that free higher education was finally a reality as the then President Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma declared. These news were greatly received with jubilation hence fees must fall activists thought they finally won the long war that has seen many young people lose their lives and others like Khanya Cekeshe activists incarcerated for a cause they so much believed in. The fees must fall campaign saw many violent attacks and blood was shed as the ANC government was very sluggish in responding to the cries of young people who so wants to be educated in-order for them to be formidable players in all economic activities. It was the same Minister Blade Nzimande who was at the helm of the Department of Higher Education and Training then and he is still today as we see yet another historical National shutdown. This is really Minister Nzimande’s legacy in this ministry, every time he holds this position in this particular department there emanates chaos as young people feel that what he says and what is happening on the ground do not talk to each other. The United Democratic Movement Youth Vanguard is of the view that there are no measures in place, plans to curb such from re-occurring, year in year out there are these shutdowns of higher learning institutions. Clearly there’s no preventative work done, and the DHET get surprised when each academic year resumes. The Youth Vanguard lamented the appointment of Minister Nzimande into DHET and all those cries and of many young South Africans fell on deaf ears as our President felt obligated to appease his comrades, factions within the ANC and tripartite alliance above the interest of the country. This is costing the country dearly. What young people are fighting for are not new demands or needs they’ve been there for years and we have called for action and decisive leadership and nothing has emanated. The UDM Youth Vanguard proposes that there should be a synergy between the two departments of lower and higher Education, since the latter seemed to not know how to prepare for the in-take of matriculants that have passed each year. These two departments are required to work closely together. Selling out the youth dreams is a gross human rights violation. A country that does not take care of its youth is a country with no future. The way things are, the ruling party will be judged negatively by history. Issued by: Yongama Zigebe UDMYV Gauteng Secretary
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24 Jan, 2020
Signing of indemnity in schools must be reviewed: Enoch Mpianzi’s incident
The United Democratic Movement Women’s Organisation is as shocked as President Cyril Ramaphosa would be, at the total negligence at Parktown Boys High, where a young boy named Enoch Mpianzi lost his life during their trip at Ngathi River and Bush lodge. We ask ourselves a question, why there was no roll call before the children stepped into the bus and at the site before resuming activities. This type of negligence leaves much to be desires and it is totally unacceptable. The UDEMWO calls all stakeholders to take their task serious, for example; the teachers should take full responsibility for the children. This brings us to the question of indemnity! Why parents must sign indemnity when children embark on school outings? What is the role of the teachers during school outings? By signing the indemnity, parents are signing death warranties for their children as the teachers shack their responsibility and leave the children to their own peril. UDEMWO calls for the signing of indemnity in schools to be reviewed as this puts the lives of the children at risk with no one taking responsibility. Children are entrusted to the teachers and teachers should be held accountable. The UDEMWO calls on all involved to be held accountable and legal actions to be taken to serve as an example to all others in the profession. We are saddened by this incident, we send our warmest and deepest condolences to the Mpianzi’s family. Issued by: Thandi Nontenja UDMWO Secretary General
Admin
22 Jan, 2020
A weird way of Employing teachers in KZN!
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) in KZN, appeals to the Department of Education in the province, to be cognisant of the ‘transparency’ element in the ‘Batho Pele’ principle when it comes to employment of teachers. The Department has since taken upon itself in employing teachers instead of them being appointed at their respective districts due to “alleged corruption which involved nepotism and bribery”, among other reasons. All teachers seeking positions are required to enter their details on the provincial database, online. The unfortunate part is that nothing gets sent to the applicant which serves as a confirmation of successful registration on the database, other than the pop-up on the screen after a successful registration. Against the fact that, as the UDM, we have spoken to quite a few teachers who are still waiting for more than a year for placements, the UDM registers a concern that in December 2019, there was a facebook notification which was later made a whatsapp message that was circulated, calling for the qualified teachers to present themselves to a private lawyers premises in Pietermaritzburg, whereby the teachers were appointed on the spot. The UDM visited these premises on 14 January 2020 and confirmation was made that teachers were interviewed from those premises and were appointed on the spot. Therefore, the United Democratic Movement (UDM) in KZN, calls for the Department of Education in the province to explain the purpose and use of the database whereas it uses some private persons to randomly hire teachers from their private premises on its behalf, disregarding the database system that it put in place. The employment system must be transparent. Ends. Statement issued by: Boysey Gumede UDM-KZN Interim Provincial Secretary
Admin
06 Nov, 2019
A teacher dies: Keiskammahoek tragedy
The United Democratic Movement is disheartened by the sad news of the passing of an educator at Sivuyile Primary School in Keiskammahoek, Eastern Cape. The video of a heated argument between an Educator and a learner started circulating on social media late last week. The UDM is truly disappointed by this behaviour of the learner which is rapidly becoming a norm in our schools. The parents are to blame for allowing their children to take mobile phones to schools and the Department of Basic Education as well for failing to come to the rescue of the teachers who are subjected to the trauma of being abused by the learners. The teachers are not safe in schools and there is very little that they can do to instill discipline to rude learners. As a result of this emotional abuse they are exposed to, they end up being victims of depression. As of now, there are quite a number of educators whose attendance is regular because of the depression. The learners know it is not acceptable to bring phones in school premises but they continue to bring them because they are aware that the educators irrespective of whatever provocation there is very little that they can do. The learners have rights. An educator cannot confiscate a mobile phone from a learner in a classroom without being chastised. The UDM calls on the Eastern Cape Education MEC, Fundile Gade to take educators into confidence on his plan that he has that will prevent this from happening again. The death of this educator must be really a wake-up call for the education stakeholders and the Country as a whole. Many Educators are experiencing depression due to the conditions they undergo whilst on duty. May the Soul of the late Educator rest in eternal peace. Issued by: Mr Bongani Msomi UDM Secretary General
Admin
15 Aug, 2019
Eastern Cape Legislature: Mr Mncedisi Filtane, MPL’s contribution Vote: Education
1. The MEC’s commitment to further improve the matric results is most appreciated. The United Democratic Movement commits to support all efforts that will take our Eastern Cape learners to greater heights. However, education always exists in a world in transition. Accordingly teaching methods and curricula have got to constantly change to adapt to the changing environment both inside the classroom as well as in the outside world. 2. Let’s look at the past, present and the future, there are critical factors here: (i) The purpose of education (ii) The curriculum (iii) The teacher (iv) The classroom (v) The community environment which the learning and teaching takes place (vi) The workplace 3. (i) All the above are driven by two things, namely: • The brain, which produces systems and • The budget, which pays for goods and services. (ii)(a) The brain gets sharper with more use and the budget gets diminished with more use. 4. Let’s look at how best to optimise the budget in order to address the core functions of this department, which are teaching and learning. Here the guiding principles should be that you can’t do it alone. (i) Welcome to the science laboratory where we are going to • Mix • Synthesise • Filter and • Crystalize (ii) When you do that within the lab (i.e. the brain) each one of the original products (ideas) loses some of its originality in order to accommodate the necessary partner (i.e. a different and new idea). Philosophical rigidity is not going to help us here. (iii) Such a process has taken place in the right room temperature, crystal clear ideas will be the outcome. 5. Here are some suggestions which hopefully, will clear the congestion (of activities) in this department. (i) (a) The MEC for Education is loaded with many functions which are no more than merely supporters of the core functions of the department. (b) These are: feeding scheme, infrastructure, social services, and security. (ii) The legislative committee researcher has identified self-provision of infrastructure as a huge drawback and time consumer in this department. Even the DG Department volunteered a statement and said on the evening of the 16th July: ‘’I must confess that I spend most of my time on infrastructure issues’’ This was during committee proceedings. (iii) The results of the synthesis here is that the premier is called upon, suggestively though to re-assign the infrastructure function to public works. This will be in accordance with the latest National policy position. Here section 137 of the constitution the premier mandates to do so. However minor but critical and urgent repairs may still be a function of this department. But routine maintenance should also go to public works. (iv) There should be a direct link between the natural attractions of scholars, the curriculum and the potential career of the learner. Their interest should be identified quite early. Then they should be linked to potential funders on a group basis. (v) Teachers should be subjected to psychometric tests, at least bi-annually. They seem to have lots of personal challenges that tend to demoralise them. (vi) The depreciating socio-economic factors in society are the root cause of population migration from area to area. The department should keep a live barometer of these societal changes and prepare itself accordingly. (vii) Health, social and nutritional services should be totally outsourced to the relevant departments. This department should be a mere recipient of these services, instead of having to manage them. This will relieve the DG so he can focus on improving teaching and learning.
Admin
09 May, 2018
2018 Budget Vote 14: Basic Education; declaration by Ms CN Majeke, MP in the National Assembly
Honourable Chairperson and Honourable Members Education is the greatest investment into the success of the National Development Plan and the advancement of the South African socio-economic status and basic education is the starting point. Over time the quality and output of the South African basic education system has changed. On the positive side: • Pre-school enrolment has improved; • The proportion of people with aged 20 and above, with no formal schooling, has fallen significantly to 4.8% in 2016 from 13% in 1995; • Matric candidates receiving a bachelor pass have increased from 20.1% in 2008 to 28.7% in 2017; and • Many schools now have clean water and electricity. However, the negatives of this system are overwhelming. • Just under half of children whom enrol in grade one makes it to grade 12; • Roughly 20% of grade 9, 10 and 11 are repeaters, which suggests that they have been poorly prepared in the early grades; • Less than 7% of matric candidates pass math with a grade of 70%; • In the poorest quintile of schools, less than 1% of matric candidates receive a distinction in math; • Only one in three schools have a library and one in five have a science laboratory. The poor quality of math education in South African schools is of great concern. Math, in all probability, is the most important marker in determining whether a young person will enter the labour market or grow to become a professional. Whilst this problem is across the board, the quality is worse in the poorest quintile of schools, leaving no doubt that the inequalities in the schooling system is replicating pre-democratic trends of poverty and inequality in our society. Our economy is evolving in favour of high-skilled tertiary industries, yet political pressure and policy is being used to drive up the cost of unskilled labour. This means that the majority of poor children are unlikely to ever find gainful employment. The current school infrastructure remains the devil in our system of basic education. Schools built out of mud, wood, zinc and asbestos should have been replaced by November 2016. Yet by its own admission the department of education will only meet this expired deadline, six years later. Furthermore, provinces like Eastern Cape add to the educational challenges by being culprits of under-expenditure in this regard. Chairperson, the department must resist its current practice of building schools that become white elephants because there was a lack of proper understanding of the local demographics and no direct participation of the provincial stakeholders which must include all sectors a community. Whilst we support the report, we are doing so under protest, because our system represents the single greatest obstacle to socio-economic advancement of our nation. It replicates patterns of unemployment, poverty, inequality and it denies the majority of young people the chance to make it in life. Additionally, the dismal failure of the department to replace inappropriate school infrastructure, such as pit latrines, has turned schools into graveyards for learners. We impress on the minister to pull up the department’s socks and deliver to the poor people of South Africa. Let us put the people first. Thank you
Admin
29 Aug, 2014
Eastern Cape: Education budget vote – Speech by the Honourable Mpulu in the Eastern Cape Legislature
• Honourable Speaker and Deputy Speaker • Honourable Premier and the Executive • Honourable members of the legislature • Officials present here • Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen Honourable Speaker I wish to indicate that I have observed a defeatist image in the Department of Education, but when you come close you can see that there are greater strides achieved both politically and administratively. We were at time of celebrating stability and progress in this department until we were informed that the head of department was suspended. There are four institutions in South Africa that you always avoid if you still love your career; it is SAFA, SABC, department education and department of health in the Eastern Cape. Honourable speaker it is a known fact that every effective and performing organisation needs permanency, those who are charged by acting responsibility have no full mandate because they themselves operate under as induced cloud, first they must prove to their predecessors that they have not always being eyeing their jobs so they would not want to make drastic action to tamper with their legacy lest they come become with venom. But the dichotomy is that they don’t want to rock the boat for the incumbent and that creates a state of vacillation. We are particularly not please by the lack permanency in the department, we wish to appeal to the MEC that post needs to filled with speed notwithstanding the pending matters in terms of labour relations. Honourable Speaker the second issue that we are keen to raise is that this department must be given space to focus on its core business, it is not pleasing to discover that some of the problems are logistically problems that relates to education such as the construction of schools. The non-payment of teachers remain to be sour point in this department, we are projecting the people in government yet our people are suffering under their watch and the sad part about the whole situation is the fact this perennial issues are issues that we have control over but teachers who have served with their sweat can look back and enjoy their retirement and the department put on the health and some might die if before they see their monies. What is more frustrating Honourable speaker is the non-payment of teachers in budgeted post, where get employed and months pass without remuneration. This cannot accepted at all. Honourable Speaker I might have missed this issue of rural allowance and I notice there little mention if any. The UDM is particular interest in whether this issues do have a positive impact in attracting good teachers in the rural areas. The UDM welcomes the EPWP programme that is geared towards ensuring that the education sector contributes to job creation, however Honourable Speaker we think that a more comprehensive approach could be implemented to make sure that these opportunities can be sustained even when the EPWP coffers dries up. We wish to call upon the department to rethink the strategic intervention of these jobs. They cannot be left in the manner where the department has allocated because have a potential to be a sour point in the school.
Admin
15 Jul, 2014
Vote 15 Basic Education (MTEF 2014)
Contribution made by UDM Member of Parliament, Ms CN Majeke, in the National Assembly Honourable Chairperson Minister and Deputy Minister Honourable Members The United Democratic Movement (UDM) believes that the major intervention if any is to be made in the Basic Education Sector, must mainly be on • School Leadership, Management and Governance; • Teacher content and knowledge – knowledge of the subject matter / content; • School Environment and • Learner discipline – a culture of reading and writing In this regard, we wish to make the following recommendations for further consideration and prioritisation by the Ministry as part of enriching the departmental five year strategic plan as well as the annual performance plan for the financial season 2014 /15. Some of these matters have been raised however; we strongly feel that they deserve to be lifted up in the prioritisation process. In line with the DBE MTEF priorities, the critical activities and targeted outputs for the next five years, the department needs to: • Improve the quality of early childhood education and primary schools including implementation of the foundation for learning campaign emphasising the promotion of language and numeracy. • Conduct external test for all Grade 3 and Grade 6 learners every year and provide results to parents for further engagement and practical role to be played by parents. • Investigate a system of effective evaluation of all learners based on the extent to which learner performance improve, with results influencing occupationally specific dispensation pay for teachers. • Ensure that teacher unions have a formal and funded role in teacher development. • Strengthen management capacity to ensure working districts and schools. This entails bringing in management capacity from the private sector, civil society and elsewhere in the public sector. Phase in a process of measurable improvements through targeting efforts selected education districts and dysfunctional schools. Use of infrastructure budget as an incentive for schools that deliver improved teaching and learning. • We further welcome the decision to improve national – provincial alignment and efficiency of education expenditure, through amongst others, procuring textbooks nationally and allocating resources to improve district capacity and the use of conditional grants to ensure alignment. • Develop a social compact for quality education. This will include a National Consultative Forum dedicated to clarifying the “non-negotiable” and performance targets for key stakeholders and the monitoring thereof. • Mobilisation of communities at all levels should be given priority to raise awareness and participation in education issues. An example includes graduates assisting former/dysfunctional schools, corporate social investment, and party branch campaigns to clean up schools, supporting food gardens and encouraging young graduates to enter teaching. • Implement poverty combating measures that improve the environment for learning and teaching, such as nutrition programmes, basic infrastructure for schools, and social support for children. Thank you
