About 700 delegates will consider the future of education in the Western Cape at a major conference taking place at the College of Cape Town in Crawford tomorrow (Wednesday, 23 March 2005).

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has organised the conference to highlight the issues facing education in the province and to assist in developing long-term strategies for meeting these challenges.

The two-day conference will start at 08h00 for 08h30 in the sports hall of the College of Cape Town campus.

Key speakers will include the MEC for Education in the Western Cape Cameron Dugmore; Premier Ebrahim Rasool; and Deputy Minister of Education Enver Surty.

Professor Simon Bekker, Professor of Sociology at Stellenbosch University, will speak on demographic trends and prospects for social development. Peter Present, the WCED's Research Director, will speak on education statistics and trends.

Ron Swartz, the Head of Education in the Western Cape, will speak on the province's draft Human Capital Development Strategy. The conference will provide a major opportunity for key role players to comment on the document. The WCED must complete the strategy by June 2005.

Panelists from a range of interest groups will respond to the presentations. The conference will break into seven commissions to consider key aspects of the human capital development strategy.

MEC Dugmore said: "Our vision for the province is a Home for All. We can only achieve this if we build human and social capital we need to grow and share the Western Cape. This conference will focus specifically on how we plan to do this."

Mr Swartz said the conference marked the culmination of two processes: a 12-month consultation process to develop a long-term vision for education in the Western Cape, and the work of a provincial task team to develop a Human Resource Development strategy for the province.

These two processes have culminated in the development of the draft Human Capital Development Strategy, which will guide long-term planning and will assist the province in its efforts to transform education in the Western Cape.

Inquiries:

Paddy Attwell
Director of Communication
Western Cape Education Department

Tel: 021 467 2531
Fax: 021 461 3694
Cell: 083 261 7699
Email: pattwell@pgwc.gov.za

Gert Witbooi
Media Secretary
Office of the MEC for Education, Western Cape

Tel: 021 467 2523
Fax: 021 425 5689
Cell: 082 550 3938
Email: gwitbooi@pgwc.gov.za.

Visit our website: http://wced.wcape.gov.za

The Western Cape - A Home for All
INtshona Koloni - iKhaya loMntu wonke
Die Wes-Kaap - 'n Tuiste vir Almal