The Catholic Institute of Education mourns the loss of Professor Kader Asmal

June 23, 2011

I got to know Prof Asmal during his tenure as Minister of Education. He was a clever man; impatient for change. In one of my first engagements with him, I argued for the need for good textbooks in schools and he responded: “Do you mean to tell me that textbooks are better than teachers?” I responded: “Well, Minister, a good textbook is better than a bad teacher.”

He worked tirelessly as a minister, engaging with different people in the system. He recognised the backlogs and pitfalls in the system and really wanted to put things right. He was not afraid to call a spade a spade and sometimes did so sooner than he ought to, getting himself into trouble.

I particularly enjoyed his wit and his impatience at times. Well prepared for meetings and eager to debate, engagement with Prof Asmal was always robust. He was an advocate for Catholic schools on a number of occasions and we were always grateful for that.

In hindsight, many question some of the decisions of his day, such as the closing of teacher education colleges and so forth. Did people expect him to do nothing? The curriculum of the day was outdated and largely ineffective and teacher education was in a mess. Being a person of courage and conviction meant that he had to do something.

Prof Asmal recognised the importance of values formation in schools; his “Saamtrek” conference in Cape Town and his values in education documents introduced a new democratic discourse into the education landscape.

You either loved him or hated him, but you cannot deny that Prof Asmal made a valuable contribution to this country. He left us with a true example of selflessness and commitment to change.

We mourn his loss and celebrate his dedication to deepening democracy in his beloved country. Hamba kahle (go well/goodbye) Prof Kader Asmal.

Mark Potterton

National Director: Catholic Institute of Education