MEDIAVERKLARING UITGEREIK DEUR DIE NASIONALE VOORSITTER VAN FEDSAS, MIKE RANDELL - 4 MEI 2007

FEDSAS het met teleurstelling kennis geneem van die mislukking van die konsiliasieproses met betrekking tot die salarisse en diensvoordele vir opvoeders.
Die beeld van openbare skoolonderwys het oor die afgelope jare in Suid-Afrika ‘n groot knou gekry. Die broosheid van hierdie sektor word weerspieël in die feit dat ons land besig is om ‘n groot agterstand op te bou in die verskaffing van gekwalifiseerde opvoeders om aan die groeiende behoeftes van skole te voldoen.
Ouers en belanghebbendes in openbare skoolonderwys maak grootliks staat op ‘n sigbare en wesenlike bydrae deur die staat om te verseker dat onderwys van gehalte aan alle leerders in klaskamers in Suid-Afrika se skole gegee word. Die nuwe bedeling in skoolonderwys is aanvanklik gekenmerk deur ‘n sosiale kontrak wat groot bydraes van ouers geverg het. Ouers en die private sektor het reeds geweldige opofferinge gemaak om die ideaal van gehalte opvoeding vir ons kinders te verwesenlik. Daar word beraam dat die bydraes deur ouergemeenskappe tot die bedryf van openbare skole so veel as R 10 miljard per jaar beloop. Wanneer ouers gekonfronteer word met kostestygings bo amptelike inflasiesyfers, het hulle geen keuse het as om hierdie kostes deur verhoogde skoolgelde te oorkom nie. Die Staat wil nou egter met relatiewe lae salarisverhogings, sy bydrae tot die sukses van onderwys beperk.
Uiteindelik is dit die toewyding, entoesiasme en gehalte van opvoeders in diens van die staat wat die werklike verskil in die klaskamer maak. Die verskaffing en veral die behoud van goed opgeleide en toegewyde opvoeders is primêr die verantwoordelikheid van die staat as hulle werkgewer.
Die huidige toedrag van sake in openbare skoolonderwys verg drastiese ingrepe om die toekoms van Suid-Afrika te verseker. Die staat kan sy eie verbintenis tot hierdie drastiese optrede bewys deur ‘n bedeling te skep waarbinne opvoeders sigbaar kan ervaar wat die werklike belangrike rol is wat hulle in die opvoeding van ons kinders speel.
Opvoeders se huidige salarisse en ander diensvoordele weerspieël nie die belangrikheid van hulle rol nie. FEDSAS het vantevore ook die standpunt ingeneem dat opvoeders se diensvoordele gestalte moet gee aan die feit dat opvoeders veronderstel is om professionele mense te wees. Solank dit nie die geval is nie sal die stelsel nie die duisende jongmense wat jaarliks benodig word om onderwys te verskaf kan lok nie. Vanweë die belangrikheid van die rol van ‘n opvoeder moet dit juis ons beste en briljantste jongmense wees wat deur die onderwys as professie gelok word. Dit gebeur nie. Trouens, die werklike goeie en toegewyde opvoeders word vanuit die professie na ander beroepe gelok.
FEDSAS doen ‘n ernstige beroep op die staat om terug te keer na die onderhandelingstafel en om gevolg te gee aan die verwagtinge wat geskep is deur die Minister van Finansies se aankondiging tydens sy begrotingsrede dat bykomende geld bewillig is om opvoeders se diensvoordele te verbeter.
Opvoeders se situasie moet ook afsonderlik van dié van die res van die staatsdiens oorweeg te word.
Dit bly FEDSAS se oortuiging dat verswakkende onderwys ‘n seker resep vir ‘n land se ondergang is maar dat goeie onderwys en opleiding uiteindelik die land van ondergang en anargie sal red. Om hierdie rede word ‘n beroep op die regering gedoen om die situasie van opvoeders in die onderwysbestel afsonderlik van die res van die staatsdiens te oorweeg en die vergoeding van onderwysers te bepaal volgens hulle oorhoofse strategiese belang vir die toekoms van Suid-Afrika.

MEDIA RELEASE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF FEDSAS, MIKE RANDELL - 4 MAY 2007

It is with a sense of dismay that FEDSAS has taken note of the failure of the conciliation process regarding the salaries and other benefits of educators.
The image of public schooling in South Africa has been dealt severe blows over the past number of years. The vulnerability of this sector is reflected in the fact that our country is busy developing a huge backlog in the recruitment of qualified educators to fulfil in the growing demands of schools.
Parents and other stakeholders in public schooling rely on the state to make a visible and substantial contribution to ensure that all learners in classrooms in South Africa receive quality education. The new dispensation in education was introduced with a social contract which required a significant contribution by parents and other stakeholders. Parents have made that contribution. It is estimated that the contribution of parents to the public school sector in South Africa is in the region of R10 billion. When parents are confronted with increases in the costs in excess of the official inflation rate, they do not have an option but to increase their contribution through increased school fees. The onus is now on the state. It cannot simply limit its contribution to relatively insignificant salary increases.
At the end of the day it is the commitment, enthusiasm and quality of educators employed by the state that determine the difference that is made in the classroom. The provision and retention of well qualified and committed educators is primarily the responsibility of the state.
The present situation in school education requires drastic measures to ensure a future for South Africa. The state can prove its commitment to such measures by creating an environment in which educators can experience that their valuable contribution to the education of our children is appreciated.
The present salaries and benefits of educators do not reflect the importance of their role. FEDSAS has previously maintained that the service benefits of educators should reflect the fact that they are professional people. That remains our position. As long as this is not the state of affairs the system will fail to attract the thousands of young people who are required annually to provide education to our children. The importance of proper education and training for our children requires the best and brightest of our young people to be attracted to a career in education. This is not happening. In fact the truly committed and good educators are lured to other sectors.
FEDSAS calls on the state to return to the negotiation table and to give effect to the expectations created by the announcement by the Minister of Finance during his budget speech that additional funds have been provided for the improvement of service benefits of educators.
The salaries and service benefits of educators should also be separated from the rest of the public sector.
In FEDSAS we believe that a deteriorating education system is a certain recipe for a country’s downfall but that good education and training will eventually save our country from anarchy. It is for this reason that we call upon the government to treat the position of educators separately from the rest of the public sector and in accordance with their strategic importance for the future of South Africa.

20 November 2006

FEDSAS kondig met genoë aan dat een van Suid-Afrika se top regslui in onderwys- en konstitusionele reg, Mike Randell van Port Elizabeth, aangewys is as die nuwe nasionale voorsitter van die organisasie. Hy volg Paul Colditz op wat as nasionale uitvoerende beampte van FEDSAS aangestel is. Die ander verkose lede van die dagbestuur is Hannes Jansen, boer en sakeman van Limpopo wat as ondervoorsitter herkies is, Niel Pienaar, rekenmeester van Bloemfontein (tesourier) en Chris Viljoen (sekretaris). Anré Koegelenberg ( sakeman van Paarl) en Justin Heunis (prokureur van Ladysmith) is as bykomende lede verkies.

FEDSAS is pleased to announce that one of South Africa’s leading education and constitutional lawyers, Mike Randell, has been appointed as its national chairperson. He succeeds Paul Colditz who has been appointed as national CEO of the organisation. The other members elected to the executive committee are Hannes Jansen, farmer and business man of Limpopo who was re-elected as deputy chairperson, Niel Pienaar, accountant of Bloemfontein (treasurer), and Chris Viljoen (secretary). Anré Koegelenberg (business man from Paarl) and Justin Heunis (attorney from Ladysmith) were elected as additional members.

FEDSAS Nasionaal is ’n beheerliggaamorganisasie wat al twaalf jaar bestaan met die hoofdoel om die spesifieke belange van beheerliggame en die belange van ouers in die algemeen te verteenwoordig. Dit word gedoen (onder andere) by wyse van deurlopende skakeling met die Nasionale en Provinsiale Onderwysdepartemente, insette op wetswysigings, verteenwoordiging in nasionale en provinsiale liggame, opleiding van en advies aan beheerliggame oor allerlei aspekte van skoolbeheer, ens.

FEDSAS National is an organization of SGB’s that has been in existence for twelve years with the primary aim to represent the interests of SGB’s in particular and those of parents in general. This is achieved (inter alia) by continuous engagement with the National and Provincial Departments of Education, inputs regarding amendments to education legislation, representation in national and provincial bodies, training of and advice to SGB’s on all aspects of school governance, etc.

Op ’n vergadering van lede van FEDSAS Gauteng op 6 Augustus 2005 wat deur 53 persone bygewoon is, is daar besluit om te disaffilieer van FEDSAS Nasionaal en ’n onafhanklike organisasie te stig. Die besluit is klaarblyklik geneem weens deurlopende verskille tussen die onderskeie Besture van FEDSAS Nasionaal en FEDSAS Gauteng, veral oor die implementering van ’n unitêre organisasiestruktuur wat op nasionale vlak moet funksioneer en uiting moet gee aan bepaalde strategiese doelwitte.

FEDSAS Nasionaal betreur hierdie besluit en meen dat dit NIE in die beste belang van openbare skole en skoolbestuur is nie.

At a meeting of members of FEDSAS Gauteng on 6 August 2005 attended by 53 people it was decided to terminate membership of FEDSAS National and to establish an independent organization. The decision was presumably taken as a result of continuing differences between the leadership of FEDSAS National and that of FEDSAS Gauteng about the implementation of a unitary organizational structure which must operate on national level and is required for the furtherance of identified strategic objectives.

FEDSAS National regrets this decision and believes that it is NOT in the best interest of school governance and public schools in general.

In die belang van eenheid in die verteenwoordiging van beheerliggame, streef FEDSAS Nasionaal daarna om ’n nasionale kantoor tot stand te bring, met die beste kundigheid, vir die daaglikse funksionering en verteenwoordiging van openbare skole en beheerliggame. Provinsiale strukture sal in die bestuur opgeneem word en daar is geen bedoeling om provinsiale verteenwoordiging te verskraal nie. Inteendeel, ’n goed funksionerende nasionale kantoor sal die beste kundigheid op provinsiale vlak in diens neem vir absolute doeltreffende, professionele diens aan en verteenwoordiging van lede.

In the interest of solidarity in the representation of SGB’s FEDSAS National strives for the establishment of a national office with the best possible full time expertise, for the day to day functioning and representation of public schools and SGB’s. Provincial structures will be incorporated into the management and there is no intention whatsoever to attenuate provincial representation. On the contrary – a properly functioning national office will employ the best available expertise at provincial level to enhance effectiveness, professional service to and representation of members.

U beheerliggaam word hiermee vriendelik uitgenooi om direk by FEDSAS Nasionaal aan te sluit en te help met die uitbou van ’n dinamiese organisasie vir die behoud en beskerming van ons belange in openbare skole. ’n Eenmalige aansluitingsfooi van R250,00 en jaarlikse ledegelde van R2 per leerder is betaalbaar, laasgenoemde in Januarie 2006 (50 %) en Junie 2006 (50%). Ons sal so spoedig moontlik ook ’n vergadering belê waartydens lede in Gauteng ’n besluit kan neem oor ’n addisionele heffing vir befondsing van uitsluitlik provinsiale aktiwiteite. Die meeste ander provinsies hef ’n addisionele R3 per leerder per jaar en vir begrotingsdoeleindes kan u hierdie bedrag as riglyn neem – ’n total dus van R5 per leerder. (NB – u moet voorsiening hiervoor maak in u begroting vir 2006).

Your SGB is hereby invited to join FEDSAS National directly and to be part of a rapidly growing dynamic organization that seeks to maintain and protect our interests in public schools. A once-off joining fee of R250,00 and annual membership fees of R2 per learner are payable, the latter in January 2006 (50%) and June 2006 (50%). We shall convene a meeting as soon as possible where Gauteng SGB’s can decide on an additional levy for the funding of exclusively provincial activities. In most other provinces the additional levy is R3 per learner per annum and you can use this amount as a guideline for budgetary purposes – a total therefore of R5 per learner. (NB – you must make provision for these amounts in your school’s budget for 2006).

Lidmaatskap gee u ook toegang tot ons Webtuiste, opleiding van beheerliggame en ’n wye reeks dokumente oor die funksies van beheerliggame. Besoek gerus ons Webtuiste by www.fedsas.org.za.

Membership gives you access to our Web site, training of SGB members and a wide range of documents regarding the functions of SGB’s. Visit our Web site at www.fedsas.org.za

Voltooi asseblief die aansoekvorm wat hier beskikbaar is en stuur aan / Please complete the application form available here and return to:

Of faks aan: 086-654-7188 (of 051-430-8987) / Or fax to 086-654-7188 (or 051-430-1340)