To share in the renewal of its fabric, is an inspiring one. Our children are the rock on which our future will be built, our greatest asset as a nation. They will be the leaders of our country, the creators of our national wealth, those who care for and protect our people. But if they are to take on this great responsibility, the rich potential in every child must be developed into the skills and the knowledge that our society needs.
Education is the key to that process.
It is also a door which opens from every village and city onto our larger society and indeed onto the whole world. That lesson is spelt out with shocking clarity in the legacy of apartheid. This system also gained its notoriety for marginalising the majority of children as far as educational resources are concerned. Poverty, unemployment and illiteracy combine with lack of education to draw the same broad lines through our society as the divisions created by apartheid. And this Eastern Cape Province is amongst the worst affected.