Education ministry to be split after election

Dineo Matomela EDUCATION REPORTER

THE education ministry will be split into two after next month‘s general election to boost the quality of education at schools and higher education institutions, ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe said yesterday.

“Of the two ministries, one will focus on schooling and the other on higher and further education,” he said.

It was reported that while Education Minister Naledi Pandor was likely to remain in charge of one of the ministries, South African Communist Party general secretary Blade Nzimande was tipped to be added as a minister in ANC leader Jacob Zuma‘s cabinet.

Mantashe denied the report, saying no minister had yet been appointed.

“You can appoint a minister if you want, but we as the ANC have not yet appointed ministers,” he said.

Political parties, teacher union representatives and an education analyst said the decision to divide the ministry into two was long overdue.

Education analyst and former Gauteng education MEC Prof Mary Metcalfe supported Mantashe, saying the move had merit “because of the scale of challenges, as long as the ministers work closely together”.

“As to predictions, these are premature as there is a range of capable and experienced candidates,” said Metcalfe.

SA Democratic Teachers‘ Union (Sadtu) general secretary Thulas Nxesi said the union welcomed the ANC‘s decision.

“Out of one million public servants, 40 per cent are teachers and education support staff,” said Nxesi.

“We have found that there has been an over-concentration of one area over another.

“It is good to have this new approach.”

National Professional Teachers‘ Organisation of SA (Naptosa) president Ezrah Ramasela said the government should first ensure regular teacher attendance at schools.

He questioned whether there otherwise would be an improvement as a result of the new approach.

“If teachers are on the streets campaigning (for political parties) during school hours, there will be no improvement,” he said.

The DA‘s Eastern Cape education spokesman, Donald Smiles, said the ANC had finally realised that its political transformation agenda had “come to bite it”.

“If the ANC was taking education seriously, they should have taken this decision a long time ago.

“The ministries should not be about creating jobs for pals, but appointing worthy candidates to lead the department.”

Smiles said the ANC had taken some of the DA‘s election manifesto priorities of creating an advanced education (technology and innovation) ministry and a schools ministry.

“The DA believes it is about giving pupils an opportunity to develop their skills and talents,” he said.

Education department director general Duncan Hindle said he could not comment until an announcement was made by the president.

“This is a political decision that will be taken by the president, from whom we will take our instructions,” Hindle said yesterday.