WSDC 2001: Johannesburg, South Africa
Speech by Prof. Kader Asmal MP, Minister of Education

Director of Ceremonies, delegates from the 32 countries represented here this evening, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I greet you all.

I am sorry that the Championship President and former President of our country, Mr Nelson Mandela, cannot be here but as you know he is absorbed by the ongoing peace initiative for Burundi.

It is my honour and privilege to have been invited to address this very special event.

This is a special event indeed for me because, as the Minister of Education in South Africa, it is my responsibility to ensure that the young minds of our nation are developed to their full potential in a productive and nurturing environment and to this end we share the same vision as the South African National Debating Council, whom I must congratulate for championing the Telkom World Schools Debating Championships. For 12 years the Championships have strived for the promotion of logical rational exchange of views among the world youth. This is a significant contribution to the global socio-political development because economic growth can only be achieved if the world is at peace with itself.

For too long organised and purposeful debate has been relegated to the periphery of academic pursuit in many parts of the world, South Africa included. Our recent past as a nation in South Africa has been characterised by a deliberate and calculated oppression of open-mindedness and debate on crucial issues affecting society. Those most affected by this injustice were the youth of our country, through the oppression of black people and the brainwashing of whites. The Apartheid government sought to crush out any dissent and any alternative viewpoints in schooling system. Even the most of the privileged learners under that system were fed a strict diet of lies and propaganda in the course of their education. Questioning the system was forbidden. While black children were made to believe that they were inferior their white counterparts were led to believe they were superior, the concept of equality was foreign. Yet such issues could not be debated openly and even rationally. The rippling effects of such oppression are a still there and are haunting us as a nation.

This was seen particularly in the area of history where we were fed a mixed diet of facts and fiction to suit the apartheid interpretation of the world. I am sure many of you remember or have seen the history books of the time - the machinations of the minds at work were quite extraordinary. For this reason I had a panel look at history and archaeology education and give me a report on how best to strengthen the teaching of history in South African schools. Arising out of their report together with an earlier report on Values in Education I will be establishing the South African History Project to assist with promotion of history in our educational system including the rewriting of history textbooks. So that real debate can take place.

For reasons such as this, debating is more than a diversion or an idle pursuit one engages in to meet and socialise with one's peers, it is a life skill that allows its participants to succeed in a wide range of fields. It encourages research, and creates an awareness of the nature of the world's problems. Those involved in rational debates are often able to solve problems amicably or at least reasonably peacefully. These are necessary skills to build a sound society in which people are not only free to express their opinions but also are actually encouraged to do so. Debating is important to any country that seeks to promote an open society, able to criticise important issues in a public forum. It provides a mechanism to arrive at decisions that reflect the views of a wide range of role-players who can each present their viewpoints. Such public expression and the criticism of these viewpoints are vital to a democratic consensus to guide public policy in a country. It is for this reason that events such as this should be encouraged, especially among the youth to whom we will hand over the baton of leadership of our society.

One of the most heartening spin-offs of this event is the co-operation that is evident in the South African debating community between secondary schools and tertiary institutions. South Africa's tragic and now triumphant past has seen examples of how universities and schools influence each other. In the early seventies, under the Apartheid regime, the University of The North (Turfloop) was a hotbed for young black intellectuals who were working actively at undermining the government. Their activities on campus resulted in their exclusion from that institution and some of them moved into teaching at community schools. Morris Issacson High School, which some of you visited; in Soweto was one of the schools to benefit from this influx of activism. One of the first things these young intellectuals did on the commencement of their teaching careers was to start debating societies. These societies fulfilled many aims. They provided platforms for the views of strengthening student formations, which took the struggle for liberation to new heights.

The societies facilitated communication between schools in Soweto, disseminating the ideas and arguments of the struggle further afield. By law, topics for debate had to be completely depoliticised. Fortunately, like all good debaters they knew that the definition of the topic is flexible and steered the debate towards the real issues facing them and their country. These hard times called for secrecy and ingenuity on the part of activists, and debating societies, church groups and choirs provided the only locations available for the planning of organised resistance at school level. The learners' tolerance levels finally reached a breaking point with the governments introduction of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in their schools.

The youth rose against government and that uprising was centred at Morris Issacson High School. This year marks the 25th anniversary of June 16, which is now an official public holiday, Youth Day. It is therefore fitting that the anniversary should be marked by an international tournament devoted entirely to the practice rational debate, which provoked the activism in the first place.

The Education Ministry is unwavering in its commitment to promote the culture of analysis, argument and discussion. This is exactly what debates achieve. Although there is still a lot of work to be done the road that we have travelled so far would not have been possible without a culture of debate. From the early days of the struggle to the CODESA era and the 1994 elections and beyond, debate has been core. Rational debate has seen us succeed in all our effort to build a peaceful and stable society.

I would like to thank the sponsors of this tournament. It is heartening to observe the commitment of companies like Telkom to the course of education in general and debating championships, in particular. South Africa, like all other countries will succeed only if such partnerships are nurtured.

To the delegates from around the world, I must say thank you. In South Africa, the promotion of debates in public schools is an explicit policy set forth by my department. By being here and providing inspiration for the hundreds of young people who have seen you debate, you have made a vital contribution to this cause. I know that your high standard of debate has spread much excitement among the schools that have seen you, and we hope that the culture of debate in South Africa will be stronger because of it. Thank you and have a safe journey home.

Congratulations to all the finalists and my best wishes for the finals tonight.

I thank you

Issued by Ministry of Education
6 February 2001