Zuma hails progress in EC education

Friday, March 16, 2012

Port Elizabeth - President Jacob Zuma says he is satisfied with the progress being made by authorities to turn around the Eastern Cape Education Department.

"We are happy with the progress and the changes that we see. I am certain that with time, we will be able to see the results we want," Zuma said during the New Age Business Briefing in Port Elizabeth on Friday.

Last year government instituted a Section 100 (1) (b) intervention in the province in an effort to assist the Department of Education to improve the delivery of education. Problems included the non-delivery of textbooks, non-payment of scholar transport, excess teachers and a general poor culture of learning and teaching.

Zuma said other plans included the hastening of the government programme to deal with mud schools in the province -- something that has been partly blamed for the high dropout rate and declining matric results.

"Working together with teachers and unions, we will be able to reverse the decline recorded in the pass rate last year," he said.