'outside the circuits of trade and capital' - Patrick Bond

Patrick Bond pbond at wn.apc.org
Thu Apr 25 21:15:01 PDT 2002


----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Pollak" <mpollak at panix.com>
> > That's the programme, comrade: free lifeline water, electricity,
housing,
> > healthcare, education. A massive international campaign is moving on the
> > latter front this week, by the way... Join us!
> Sounds good. Where do I join?

On the latter front, comrade, here's the SA version below. More generally, the "decom prepcom" that the Municipal Services Project (http://www.queensu.ca/msp) is hosting in Jo'burg in mid-May will try to amplify the myriad local/international social and trade union fights for decommodification of water, electricity, etc, into a set of demands for the World Summit on Sustainable Development -- knowing full well that those demands are already off the agenda, leaving only ...?... for the WSSD meeting in late August in Jo'burg. (Stay tuned, and feed us advice!)

***

MEDIA RELEASE OF THE GLOBAL CAMPAIGN FOR EDUCATION [GCE]

WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 2002 NO EMBARGO: 4 IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EDUCATION FOR ALL

March to Parliament Thursday 25 April 2002

March to the Gauteng Legislature Friday 26 April 2002

Two marchers are planned to highlight the plight of adult learners. One in Cape Town to parliament on 25 April 2002, and another to the Gauteng provincial legislature on Friday 26 April 2002 at 1:30 pm. All GCE members will address these marchers where the National Report Card will be handed over to provincial education authorities and the premiers.

National Report Card Kader and Mdladlana gets F+

"Government has failed to honour its commitment to lifelong learning,

says Makonane from the Adult Learners Network. "Whilst adult

education is meant to provide a second chance to adult learners - it

appears that we are losing out for a second time" he said. "We seriously

question when the government is going to put its money where its mouth

is. The constitution of the country states clearly that adult education is a

right, and not a favour, yet government continues to under-resource this

sector. This is unconstitutional," Makonane added.

Both the Ministries of Education and Labour responsible for adult

education and skills development have done poorly when dealing with

adult education and literacy. Hence the F+. They have failed adult

learners. Here are the facts: One in six adults in South Africa cannot read

and write, and a further one in three have never attended high school,

equating a total of approximately 13 million adults lacking in basic adult

literacy and numeracy skills necessary to function effectively in any

society.

Despite these damning statistics less than 2% of the education budgets at

national and provincial level is spent on adult basic education and

training, said Adult Learners Network.

About the Global Campaign for

Education

The Global Campaign for Education aims to mobilise civil

society and lobby government to implement the Dakar

Framework of Action that commits over 180 governments

making Education for All a reality. Some of GCE objectives

include

Attaining: gender equality in primary and secondary education by

2005.

- Free and compulsory access to primary education by 2005, and

- A 50% improvement in adult literacy by 2015.

This year's campaign under the heading "Free to Learn"is aimed at :

Callingon government to provide free access to primary school

education and give adult learners a second chance in life. EvaluatingSouth Africa's progress towards implementing the Dakar

Framework of Action and achieving education for all Lobbyingthe government to honour the Dakar Framework Action

including its commitment to draw up a detailed national action plan

by 2002, in consultation with civil society, indication how and when

it aims to make the Education for all objectives a reality. We call for

this national education parliament to sit on 16 June 2002.

The GCE-SA comprises NGO's and trades unions.

We say "NO" to the poverty of illiteracy

Give adults a second chance in life!

Provincial Government Spending on ABET

A startling publication released by Russell

Wildeman of IDASA Budget Information Services in

March this year, indicates the stark contrast

between education policy and the actual funds

allocated for the implementation of ABET in the

provinces.

Education accounts for almost 40% of provincial

government spending. However, less than 2% of the

Provincial Education Budget is allocated for ABET

and in the Western Cape, actual spending on ABET

has even fallen by 2.5%.

When is government going to honour it's

commitment to lifelong learning and respond to the

needs of an estimated 3 million adults who cannot

read and write?

ABET as a percentage of total provincial education

budgets

1999/00 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04

ECape 0.6% 1.3% 1.2% 1.2% 1.2%

Free State 1.1% 1.5% 1.7% 1.7% 1.7%

Gauteng 1.6% 2.0% 1.5% 1.5% 1.5%

KZN 0.3% 0.4% 0.5% 0.6% 0.6%

Mpuma 0.9% 1.2% 0.9% 0.9% 0.9%

NCape 0.5% 0.6% 0.5% 0.8% 0.8%

NProv 0.4% 0.9% 0.4% 0.5% 0.5%

NWest 1.4% 1.4% 1.2% 1.3% 1.3%

WCape 0.6% 0.3% 0.4% 0.3% 0.3%

Total 0.8% 1.1% 0.9% 1.0% 1.0%

Issued by Hassen Lorgat for GCE Secretariat 082 45 0052

For more information on the march

CapeTown: · Lin Helme - Chairperson, Adult Learning Forum - 021 851

1427 · Don Pasquallie - Regional Secretary, SADTU - 021 930

8565

Or 083 627 8006

Gauteng:

Contact: archie Makonane 082 773 79818

Chairperson of CATE

Greg Clark

Deputy Chairperson of CATE



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