Hon Minister, according to the Equal Education organisation, the norms and standards for infrastructure must include, inter alia, the building of libraries to promote the idea of a reading nation.
This will call for a multipronged strategy, including Adult Basic Education and Training, Abet, and also life-long learning. The question is: What plans does the Minister have to train more librarians to promote this idea?
Also, when we visited the provinces, those involved in adult centres complained that they have never received their Occupation Specific Dispensation, OSD, to encourage them to promote this idea. Is the Minister going to interact with her colleagues in the provinces to see to it that teachers in these centres are paid the OSD which is owed to them? UNGQONGQOSHE WEZEMFUNDO EYISISEKELO: Sihlalo, uBab'uMpontshane, ngokuzayo ngicela abuze uNgqongqoshe wezeMfundo ePhakeme ngeMfundo yabaDala. Sengizoyishutheka nje kodwa empeleni sikhuluma ngengqalasizinda. I-OSD izophendulwa nguNgqongqoshe wezeMfundo ePhakeme ngoba ayingeni kulesi sihloko esikhuluma ngaso.
Lesi sihloko esikhuluma ngaso simayelana nokuthi kunemali yengqalasizinda esithe abayibeke eceleni, ngoba phela enye imali kuMnyango wezobuCiko namaSiko ukuze basilekelele ngodaba lwemitapoyolwazi. Lokhu uzokwenza ngokuqeqesha abasebenzi bakhona. Okunye esikushoyo ngawo lama-norms and standards, ngoba phela akusho ukuthi isikole ngesikole kufanele sibe nomtapowolwazi egcekeni laso. Isibonelo nje, eGoli banalokhu abakubiza nge- "education precinct". Lokhu kusho izikole ezahlukene zihlanganyele umtapowolwazi owodwa omkhulu kanye nomphakathi. Mhlawumbe kanye nabo o-OSD uma izikole zivaliwe nangemiGqibelo kulabo abazifundela ngabodwana. Okusemqoka wukuthi izingane zikwazi ukufinyelela ezincwadini, lokhu akusho ukuthi izincwadi zibe sezikoleni zonke. Inqobo nje uma bekwazi ukuzithola kalula. Angithi siyafundisa ngehora lesishiyagalombili ekuseni kuya kwelesibili ntambama, emva kwalokho-ke izingane ziye kumtapowolwazi womphakathi. Kwenele lokho. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[The MINISTER OF BASIC EDUCATION: Chairperson, next time hon Mpontshane must direct questions about adult education to the Minister of Higher Education and Training. I will squeeze it in, but we are talking about the infrastructure. The Minister of Higher Education and Training is going to respond regarding the OSD because it does not fall under the topic of discussion.
We are talking about the funds that we asked to be put aside for the infrastructure, because some of the money came from the Department of Arts and Culture so they can assist us with regard to libraries. They will do this by training the staff who work there. Furthermore, what we are saying about these norms and standards is that it does not mean that every school must have a library within its precinct. For example, in Johannesburg they have what they call the "education precinct". This means that various schools share one big library with the community and maybe the OSDs use the library during school holidays and those who study individually can use the library on Saturdays. What is important is for the children to have access to books. This does not mean that the books have to be in all the schools - as long as they can be easily accessible. We teach from eight in the morning until two in the afternoon; after that the children go to the community library. That is enough.]
That is how most countries, like Finland, run their library services. Their libraries are not necessarily in the schoolyards, but they are accessible to schools. That is what we are working on with the Department of Arts and Culture in terms of creating accessibility to library services for our children.
Injalo nje, kodwa i-OSD ekaNzimande. Ngiyabonga. [It's like that, but the OSD is Mr Nzimande's issue. Thank you.]
Particulars regarding services provided at health care clinic at refurbished presidential residence at Nkandla
465. Mrs D Robinson (DA) asked the Minister of Health:
(1) Whether the health care clinic built at the refurbished presidential residence at Nkandla complies with norms and standards prescribed by his department; if not, which levels of services are not provided at the specified clinic; if so, what are the relevant details;
2) whether the clinic provides services to (a) the staff of the extended residence and (b) surrounding villages; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?