Mr Speaker, Cope would like to commend and congratulate the Minister on her speedy response to the curriculum crisis and discomfort in the country. I must also say that the Minister has pulled the carpet from under people, because she has covered every track. It is also hoped that the recommendations of the review committee will eventually stabilise the education environment.
Just so we do not forget, since the dawn of democracy, education has gone through many facelifts, from slogan to slogan, from one curriculum to the next, and I'm happy that the Minister has alluded to that.
Throughout these many changes, one must bear in mind that we have been producing tomorrow's leaders who cannot, even among themselves, agree on what curriculum they learned. It is also not difficult to imagine what kind of a learner these changes have produced, especially when you read reports that suggest the difficulties learners have had in reading, writing and calculating. There is nothing that is as dangerous as a country whose education is in a state of perpetual repair. That is why today we are happy that you have undertaken to walk this path together with us.
Let me re-emphasise the obvious, because you have already alluded to the fact that the curriculum is not an end in itself, but a means to an end, and for it to work, an environmental alignment also needs to happen, so that the environment itself is relevant to the new ways of doing things.
Minister, you must remember that habits take a long time to die, and of course, words themselves are not deeds. So, because you've covered so many tracks, we would just like you please to bear in mind that, as you go on together with us in executing your duties, you must demarcate the role of a teacher between a teacher as a trade unionist and a teacher as a professional. We must also inculcate a sense of respect across the supply chain, and teachers, as you say, must teach ... [Interjections.]