Durban — There were mixed reactions to the hosting of the Department of Basic Education (DBE) 2023 National Senior Certificate (NSC) provincial district award ceremony in Durban on Monday.
According to the DBE, the ceremony followed the stellar performance by KwaZulu-Natal in the 2023 NSC exams, which saw the province obtaining 86.4% and taking the second position to the Free State.
KZN Basic Education MEC Mbali Frazer said they were excited to finally have this opportunity to celebrate all those who contributed to the excellent performance as a province. Frazer said the ceremony was a culmination of many award ceremonies that have been taking place in all 12 districts.
The National Teachers’ Union (Natu) Durban region chairperson Phindile Mnabe said that the excellence of the KZN Class of 2023 has to be celebrated. But Mnabe highlighted that teachers still faced challenges.
“Natu will not be doing justice if we do not express our disappointment in the failure of the department to pay the subsistence and travel allowance SNT for markers. They left their homes at their own expenses, and not being reimbursed is a slap in the face,” Mnabe said.
DA spokesperson on education in KZN, Dr Imran Keeka, said the ceremony was nothing short of blatant ANC electioneering using government resources. Keeka said Monday’s ceremony comes four months after the NSC results were released.
“The MEC and her department held an NSC results event immediately after results were released in January. To host yet another event – using much-needed funding to ensure our schools function properly, pay their bills, and improve the quality of education – is a political stunt aimed at garnering votes, inside and around the sector, which must be condemned,” Keeka said.
In response to Keeka, Frazer said: “As we are celebrating the hard work of teachers and learners, there is an article out there that says that we are wasting money. I will not be campaigning, but I will say that this is very sad because it means that they think we do not deserve to celebrate our hard work.”
National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of SA (Naptosa) KZN CEO, Thirona Moodley, said that the results bear testament to the hard work put in by teachers and learners during another year of trying circumstances. Moodley said among the challenges faced by learners was the impact of Eskom’s load shedding, which played havoc on homework and study time.
“However, it is pleasing to note that these obstacles were overcome through the assistance of all stakeholders. Eighty-four percent of a literate nation is a big victory because we have come so far in investing in education,” Moodley said.
The top-performing districts included Harry Gwala, Pinetown, uMkhanyakude and King Cetshwayo.
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