Government is set to spend at least R1,2-billion in the next two years to increase its resources for literacy and adult education.

Speaking at Parliament in Cape Town education minister Kader Asmal said his department had created opportunities for the illiterateand under qualified to participate fully in the education system.

Adult education centres have formal recognition, said Asmal, adding that their programmes were relevant as they focused on issues such as technology, hospitality and agriculture.

On equitable access to schooling, Asmal sent a strong warning to schools that turned children away as they could not afford school fees and uniforms, saying it was regrettable.

“School authorities are duty bound to protect the best interest of the child. By denying them access to schools, they deny them hope,” he said.

In line with President Thabo Mbeki’s injunction that no child should learn under a tree, Prof Asmal said he would intensify efforts to end the conditions of physical degradation in schools.

“Such conditions threaten the health of students and teachers alike, and radically restrict the social teaching activities of the school,” he said.

To put an end to this, provinces had been requested to submit in the next Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) cycle, their business plans indicating how they would deal decisively with this matter.

Asmal said though there were achievements made in redressing the inequalities in the education system, HIV/Aids and indiscipline were emerging as enormous threats.

“There is a need for serious debate about the whole matter of discipline and accountability in education. Discipline must be a central component of all we do,” he said, referring to the recent strikes by students in Gauteng and Limpopo.

Three weeks ago, members of the Congress of South African Students went on the rampage in the Johannesburg city centre, looting hawkers stalls and breaking cars’ windows during an illegal march against school fees.

Meting out discipline, the Gauteng education department obtained a court interdict to ban some of them from any school in the province.

Regarding this, Asmal said students should be reminded not to shut their eyes but learn to learn.

On HIV/, Aids he said projections had been made to increase the capacity for teacher training.

“We are therefore looking to the universities and technikons to assist in recruiting and training many more teachers in the future,” he said. – BuaNews