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Programme Director
Minister of Education, Professor Asmal
MEC of Education, Mr Kganare
The Executive Mayor of Mangaung, Mr Mokoena
Director-General of Education, Mr Mseleku
Director-General of the Free State, Mr de Wee
Head of Education in the Free State, Dr Nwaila
Representatives of UNESCO, ELRC, SACE, Education International, WCT, SADTU, SAOU and OFSATA
Educators
Honoured Guests
Ladies and gentlemen

From ancient times, throughout human history, till present day, every society always had an education system relevant to its social and economic system. The role of education has always been to train the young people to play their part in the social, economic and cultural life of the society.

In societies characterised by division of labour according to gender, the education system would reflect such a differentiation. In our own recent past, skin colour determined the type and quality of education a person received. For the majority of blacks it was the education for the servitude, intended to render them servile forever.

In any country, rich or poor, education is an important investment; an investment to create organic capital. Yes, an investment in human capital to ensure efficient utilization of resources necessary for economic development for better life for all.

When parents send their children to school, they do so with the hope that the educators, in whose care they leave them, will nurture this investment with the main aim of maximising return on the investment. They do so hoping that their children will be exposed to diverse cultures and ways of thinking that could make them better people tomorrow. It is at school, where parents expect proper morals to be instilled in their children.

We have seen over the years, the majority of educators making it their business to create out of their learners, responsible citizens who are able to take charge of their lives and navigate the future. We have seen educators dedicating themselves to the profession in various contexts, at times being called upon to render professional services that they are not qualified to do.

It is these and many other reasons that make us celebrate days like the World Teachers Day with pride. Our pride comes from our deep understanding that indeed teachers create dialogue everyday. The truth is every aspect of our lives has an influence of teachings of one nature or the other. That is why it is critically important to uphold high standards all the time everywhere. Through dialogue we can reclaim the revered image of teaching, as it was known. We need to work hard to identify and isolate those among us who continue to give our beloved profession a bad name.

The needs of our society today are different from those of the time when I was a teacher. Programme Director, I am saying a teacher intentionally because that is how we were called then and we were really proud of it. However, despite the differing societal needs, today we still expect our educators to as we did then prepare our learners for the future. It is therefore not surprising that today many of the learners who went through the hands of the teachers of my generation, hold key positions in society.

I have no doubt that I would be speaking on behalf of the teachers of my time when I say we are proud of what we did for our country then. I am saying this as a way of saying that when days like these are celebrated; we should remember those who laid the foundation for the good that this noble calling can produce. I know that some of you have very bad stories to tell about their teachers. The important thing is what lessons have you learnt out of those bad experiences. We expect a man or woman worth his or her salt to have learnt valuable lessons out of such experiences - lessons that helped shape their lives today.

We are here today to salute all educators, past and present, for their contribution to human kind. Educators, I accept that at times we expect too much from you and show little appreciation in return. We are however proud that in many such instances, you rise to the occasion and put forward your best loyal and professional face. We thank you for doing it in the past, today and for willing to do it tomorrow. May God the Almighty, always put His holy hand above everything you do.

Ladies and gentlemen, I now would like to present to you, the man who has himself studied at a Teachers Training College and also studied through correspondence like many of you do today. This is the man who has travelled the world in his various capacities. He was once a Professor of Human Rights at the University of the Western Cape, something that could be telling us why he is so passionate about the rights of our learners.

He is a former Advocate of the Supreme Court of South Africa, who is today the advocate of education development in South Africa. Ladies and gentlemen, to you I present the Honourable Minister of Education in South Africa, Professor Kader Asmal.

Issued by the Office of the Premier, Free State