MINISTER of Basic Education Angie Motshekga has defended her delivery record amid accusations by opposition parties that she is failing South African learners.
Delivering her department's combined R191-billion budget, of which R175-billion is transferred to provinces, Motshekga accused opposition parties of behaving like parrots who merely celebrate problems within her department.
She conceded setbacks such as the non-delivery and late delivery of textbooks as well as the reality of poor school infrastructure, among others.
However, she said, government was given little credit for improvements in the education system.
"It is quite sad and very disappointing that organisations that are serious don't take themselves serious. [They say] here are the challenges minus the progress.
"It's quite sad because you are [the opposition]... parrots. All South Africans should take pride... and point to the fact that we are on the upward improvement path," said Motshekga.
She told MPs that she had now made up with teacher union Sadtu
"I need to tell the opposition that we have made progress, and we've made peace with Sadtu - they are back in class," she said, to cheers from the ANC benches.
In a joint announcement, she undertook to support an urgent initiative to achieve parity in the public service, and to appoint a task team to deal with the union's complaint about a failure to increase the salaries of matric exam markers.
DA MP Annette Lovemore said government should not pat itself on the back for making strides when it set its targets too low.
Lovemore said Motshekga should realise assessing targets was not a "tick box" exercise but a tool to highlight why education was important.
Motshekga retorted: "The targets are contained in your delivery agreement. Where you will not be able to recognise [them, is] because we have reached them and surpassed them." - Additional reporting by Sapa
Motshekga defends delivery record
MINISTER of Basic Education Angie Motshekga has defended her delivery record amid accusations by opposition parties that she is failing South African learners.
Delivering her department's combined R191-billion budget, of which R175-billion is transferred to provinces, Motshekga accused opposition parties of behaving like parrots who merely celebrate problems within her department.
She conceded setbacks such as the non-delivery and late delivery of textbooks as well as the reality of poor school infrastructure, among others.
However, she said, government was given little credit for improvements in the education system.
"It is quite sad and very disappointing that organisations that are serious don't take themselves serious. [They say] here are the challenges minus the progress.
"It's quite sad because you are [the opposition]... parrots. All South Africans should take pride... and point to the fact that we are on the upward improvement path," said Motshekga.
She told MPs that she had now made up with teacher union Sadtu
"I need to tell the opposition that we have made progress, and we've made peace with Sadtu - they are back in class," she said, to cheers from the ANC benches.
In a joint announcement, she undertook to support an urgent initiative to achieve parity in the public service, and to appoint a task team to deal with the union's complaint about a failure to increase the salaries of matric exam markers.
DA MP Annette Lovemore said government should not pat itself on the back for making strides when it set its targets too low.
Lovemore said Motshekga should realise assessing targets was not a "tick box" exercise but a tool to highlight why education was important.
Motshekga retorted: "The targets are contained in your delivery agreement. Where you will not be able to recognise [them, is] because we have reached them and surpassed them." - Additional reporting by Sapa
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