Election 2004 Manifesto: Part 6
Part 6 deals with the challenges and the ID's solution to Eduction and Anti-Corruption.
EDUCATION
Challenges:
Challenges:
- The ID believes that government must provide quality education to the level of matric for all our children. South Africa is still characterised by massive inequalities in our education system, with many township and rural schools unable to deliver even basic education.
- Three out of five learners drop out of school before matric. The declining level of matriculants has a negative spillover effect on South Africa's higher education institutions, with less student enrollments affecting many institutions financial viability.
- Outcomes Based Education (OBE) Curriculum was introduced based on rhetoric from other countries, many of which have far more educational resources than South Africa and have still failed to properly implement its objectives.
- Teachers are demoralised and leaving the profession. Dedicated teacher training colleges have been closed and teaching has lost its appeal as a profession.
- The number of Higher Education Institutes is disproportionate to Further Education and Training Institutes (FETs). FETs are vital in providing technical skills for the economy. In the past ten years the State has gradually devolved itself of its responsibility for training employees through the imposition of the Skills Development Levy and its corresponding Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETA) system. This system has failed elsewhere in the world and in South Africa it has led to the growth of questionable training providers and an uncoordinated, unplanned system. Many SETAs do not adequately representing the industry needs of their sector.
ID's Solutions:
- Funding of Schools: ID believes that in principle no school should have to impose school fees in order to meet their basic costs. The provision of a Child Education Grant should be made available to poor households for the costs of stationery, books and school transport.
- Curriculum Reform: ID believes that the Outcomes Based Education curriculum needs to be urgently revised.
- Teacher Supply: The ID would urgently prioritise resolving South Africa's current teacher supply crisis by making it an attractive profession. ID would consider offering teachers economic benefits and incentives, including sabbatical years for long-serving teachers.
- Tertiary Education: The ID believe that in the current context of higher education mergers and closures of technical colleges, fewer opportunities now exist for school leavers to pursue tertiary level education. ID supports the establishment of more Further Education and Training Institutes to equip young South Africans with the technical skills needed for our economy. Government needs to take final responsibility for skills training in South Africa and must revise the current SETA system.
ANTI-CORRUPTION
Challenges:
In 1999 Patricia de Lille blew the whistle on corruption in the multi-billion rand arms deal. Although she was vilified by the government at the time, almost all of those she exposed have since been brought to justice.
South Africa is blessed with a constitution that guarantees transparent and accountable government. Over the last decade, this guarantee has been shamelessly and repeatedly flouted.
The environment is often seen as a soft target for corruption. This was evident in the Roodefontein Golf Estate scandal in which senior members of the Western Cape government took bribes to approve development plans. ID will closely monitor future environmental approval plans.
We need to ensure that the issue of corruption is addressed from the top-down. Government must lead the way by recognizing that their actions, first and foremost, will come under intense scrutiny. This must then be extended to the private sector, civil society, political parties and each and every individual.
ID's Solutions
The ID is in favour of establishing a section in every government department to deal with corruption. Legislation needs to be enacted that addresses specific issues. Specific offences must be defined; specific powers of investigations, arrest, search and seizure need to be conferred on the relevant authorities, and effective deterrent punishments created for those convicted.
ID believes that offences should address cases involving control of disproportionate assets or maintaining an unexplainably high standard of living. In the past, these kinds of crime have been perpetrated with relative impunity, a situation that cannot be allowed to continue. ID would enhance the participation of civil society in the fight against corruption:
- Public forums/hearings of draft laws
- Media NGO involvement
- Public awareness campaigns
The ID believes in the importance of public sector management in the fight against corruption.
- Adequate pay for civil servants
- Civil servants to declare their wealth
- Decentralization and accountability
- Budget management
