MAXWELL Fuzani, Chief Director of Ministeral Services in the Ministry of Education, officially launched the UCT Faculty of Health Sciences' new state-of-the art Learning Centre at a ceremony last week.

Fuzani, a UCT graduate, was standing in for the Minister of Education, Professor Kader Asmal, who was in Pretoria announcing Cabinet's approval of the Government's much talked about proposals for the transformation and restructuring of higher education.

Fuzani said that Cabinet's approval marked an exciting turning- point for higher education that heralded the way for a system that is, "equitable in its distribution of resources and opportunities, academically and financially sustainable and productive so that it can more effectively meet the teaching, skills development and research needs of our country".

In his address Fuzani said that the new Learning Centre added impetus to the Education Ministry's endeavours for the creation of a better teaching system in South Africa that involved hands-on theoretical and practical training.

He added that Minister had been delighted with the Faculty's new curriculum, which emphasised small-group learning, communication, self-directed learning and the use of information technology.

"The new curriculum is a revolutionary articulation at higher education level of the reforms the Government is introducing in the schooling system. Your unremitting endeavours are highly commendable and in line with the vision we cherish for a post-apartheid education system.

"Instead of studying subjects in isolation, students will benefit from integrated learning, and continuous assessment used in respect of examinations. This is precisely what we mean when we talk of out-come based education," he said.

Professor Nicky Padayachee, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, said that the Learning Centre was the effort of numerous people whose vision and hard work would benefit UCT Health Science students for years to come.

Padayachee singled out Professor Trevor Gibbs, Director of the Education Development Unit in the Health Sciences Faculty, for his enormous input into the project.

---

---