New schools pledge will not be imposed on learners - Pandor

By Chanel September
22 February 2008

Education Minister Naledi Pandor says that government has no intention of imposing a school pledge on learners.

Pandor addressed the National Assembly on the proposed pledge on Thursday, where she apologised for the impression created that the pledge was not up for public comment.

This comes after concerns were raised around the proposed implementation of the pledge.

Despite the new schools pledge receiving mixed reactions, teacher unions such as The South African Democratic Teacher Union and The National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa have come out in full support for the implementation of the pledge, but they have also raised some concerns.

“Loyalty towards the country won’t be achieved by a pledge alone. It may however be an indication that we are going into the right direction,” says SADTU provincial secretary Jonovan Rustin.

“We believe that it has an enormous amount of potential, but it can’t merely be something children are required to recite it has to be meaning full to the child, school and the parent,” says Naptosa spokesperson Dave Balt.

School principal at Queenspark High School in Woodstock, Paul Roman says that at Queenspark in particular there children are coming to school from different social and economic backgrounds. “Schools should create time to say the pledge every morning,” says Roman.

The pledge is based on the preamble of the South African Constitution. The pledge is open for public comment for a period of 30 days. The department hopes to formally introduce it in schools around the country on March 21, Human Rights Day.

The pledge reads as follows:

We the youth of South Africa,
recognising the injustices of our past,
honour those who suffered and
sacrificed for justice and freedom,
We will respect and protect
the dignity of each person, and stand up for justice
We sincerely declare that we shall uphold the rights and values of our constitution and promise to act in accordance with the duties and responsibilities that flow from these rights.

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