Committee Oversight Visit Reports to Schools; follow up on Committee resolutions & Committee Programme

Meeting report

The Chairperson warmly welcomed all attendees to the meeting. She explained that the meeting was for the Committee to engage in a workshop. The Committee has been striving to achieve this objective for some time, to reflect on the resolutions made regarding the queries sent by the Committee to the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). The Committee would be assessing the rate resolutions were responded to.

The matters the Committee wished to include in the agenda today were the programme, the available time slots, and the Committee's priorities. The arrangement of the respective programme was under discussion, which the Committee typically aimed to finalise earlier in the year. Regrettably, pressing urgent matters had arisen that the Committee needed to prioritise on the parliamentary schedule.

The Committee had intended to propose strategic themes and prioritise specific items, moving away from focusing solely on the ad hoc programme.

She proceeded to read out the meeting agenda for that day and she requested the Committee Members to introduce themselves before delving into the programme.

Apologies

Mr F Christians (ACDP) conveyed his apologies as he was outside of the country due to prior commitments.

Committee Programme

The programme was displayed on the screen, and the Chairperson went through the programme details. She highlighted three crucial aspects that the Committee needed to keep in mind for the remainder of the year:

1. Annual Report Season
2. Adjustment Budget Period
3. Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill (along with other related legislation in the social clusters)

These points were to be considered as the Members reviewed the various time slots that needed to be filled.

The Chairperson said there were three available slots before the constituency period. The parliamentary schedule would then transition directly to the adjustment budget and annual report season.

There were five outstanding briefings and requests in line with the Committee's objectives. Additionally, an external organisation had submitted a request, bringing the total to six. Three time slots were open in the third quarter. The fourth quarter was anticipated to be a busy period, and could result in fewer available slots.

Briefings:

1. Briefing with the Department of Higher Education, higher education institutions in the Western Cape and WCED on Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioner qualifications.

• The Committee had planned to have this briefing, but the Department of Higher Education did not respond.

1. Briefing with the Western Cape Education Department on Learners with severe disabilities and inclusive education.

• The Committee has made this request more than once.

1. Briefing with the WCED on the button complaints

• The investigation was ongoing and had not been concluded.

1. Briefing with municipalities to engage on common ground and suitable solutions for the challenges mentioned around the costly and complicated process of obtaining a rezoning certificate which varies amongst different municipalities. This relates to red tape in terms of starting and registering an ECD. The Committee had focused on this matter quite a bit in 2023, when the ECD came over to the WCED.
2. Oversight to the District Offices to engage them on food procurement, particularly as an outside request that the Committee previously received from Equal Education on school safety in the Western Cape. This was postponed.

The Chairperson asked the Committee to provide guidance on which briefings to prioritise and matters that can be done in writing.

Discussion

Mr C Fry (DA) proposed that the Committee address the challenges faced by Education District Offices in procuring food, given the significant issue of food security in nearby schools where children primarily rely on school meals.

The Chairperson acknowledged Mr Fry's suggestion and then turned to Mr K Sayed (ANC).

Mr K Sayed (ANC) concurred with Mr Fry's proposal and emphasised the importance of engaging with municipalities to find practical solutions regarding the complicated and costly process related to ECD. He also emphasised the significance of prioritising the Button Complaint, which seemed to have concluded its investigation. Mr Sayed highlighted the necessity of allocating time for the Equal Education Law Centre, particularly focusing on school safety concerns.

The Chairperson checked with Ms Wasiema Hassen-Moosa, the Committee’s Procedural Officer, regarding the status of the Button Complaint investigation, considering the sensitive nature of personal details and the need to comply with POPIA regulations, resulting in the meeting likely being a closed one.

Ms Hassen-Moosa informed the Chairperson that the engagement with the WCED had occurred three weeks prior, and she suggested following up via email and subsequently updating the Committee Members through email.

The Chairperson sought the Committee's consensus on waiting for the investigation report before scheduling a meeting.

Members agreed.

Concerning the meeting's privacy in accordance with POPIA compliance, Mr Sayed proposed a step-by-step approach based on the results of the follow-up, determining whether the meeting should be private or public.

The Chairperson agreed with Mr Sayed’s approach, stating that the investigation's outcomes might lead to a resolution that does not require a meeting. She reassured the Committee that proper planning would occur once the results were available. Additionally, the Chairperson inquired about previous meetings related to disabilities and inclusive education.

Ms Hassen-Moosa confirmed a request from Mr D Plato (DA) during an initial briefing on learners with disabilities and inclusive education.

The Chairperson emphasised the importance of qualifications for ECD practitioners. She noted that this aspect aligned with the Committee's focus on ECD themes for the year.

Acknowledging that some parents view ECD more as an "aftercare" service than an educational programme, the Chairperson stressed the significance of outlining the qualifications of ECD practitioners.

A Committee Member expressed agreement with this perspective.

The Chairperson then discussed the need to address the Button Complaint feedback before potentially pairing ECD matters in a session. She suggested extending the session if needed to cover all relevant topics. The specific oversight related to food procurement could potentially consume an entire afternoon and might limit the Committee to conducting one District visit per afternoon. The Chairperson requested Ms Hassen-Moosa to present the list of districts for the Committee's consideration and further discussion.

Ms Moosa inquired whether the Members could pinpoint the initial meeting scheduled for September 2023 from the provided dates:

• 12 September 2023
• 19 September 2023
• 26 September 2023

The Chairperson concurred and requested input from the colleagues.

Mr Fry expressed his contentment with the Chairperson making the proposal.

The Chairperson suggested that the first meeting be centred around ECD matters, followed by potentially combining safety and inclusive education/disabilities in the subsequent meeting, and concluding with the oversight visit.

Mr Fry expressed his agreement with this plan.

Mr Plato affirmed his agreement. With that, the programme on outstanding matters was concluded.

Committee resolutions follow up

The Chairperson mentioned that she had asked Ms Hassen-Moosa for the Committee’s resolution register regarding the queries sent to the WCED. An email had been shared with the Members, containing a full list not meant for distribution due to personal details. Ms Hassen-Moosa had created a version with personal details for Members to review during the meeting. The list was then displayed on the screen.

The Chairperson informed Members that the request list had been maintained since 2021, and there were a total of 107 requests that had been sent, with 11 still pending. This translated to approximately 89 requests that had been resolved or were in the process of resolution through contact with parents. The Chairperson congratulated the Members for achieving an 89.72% resolution rate. Ms Hassen-Moosa had updated the Chairperson that the WCED was continuing to address the remaining requests. The Chairperson reminded Members that a more detailed list was available, but for compliance with POPIA regulations, the current list was being used.

Mr M Kama (ANC) apologised for being late and inquired about the date on the right-hand side. He questioned whether it indicated the date the Committee submitted the issue to the WCED. He suggested that moving forward, the Committee should consider including a date when the request was submitted by the Committee, which could help assess challenges in the system that needed improvement.

The Chairperson responded, redirecting the discussion to clarify the representation of dates in block E, which indicated communication forwarded to the WCED. She offered an illustrative example: if a Member received a complaint or sign-off requiring Ms Hassen-Moosa’s involvement, and upon receiving approval, the matter was transmitted to the WCED. Therefore, the date in block E indicated the Committee's receipt rather than the matter's initial emergence. She acknowledged that some instances lacked a precise start date for certain matters. She proposed adding an extra column in the records to enhance tracking, potentially effective from March 2024.

The Chairperson highlighted an intriguing observation by Mr Kama, suggesting that more detailed insights might be available in emails sent to all Members, potentially offering nuanced specifics. She proposed that in cases of prolonged resolution periods, engagement with the Department could provide valuable insights into potential challenges faced.

Mr Kama highlighted the issue of unplaced learners, noting that some learners applied late, while citizens claimed to have applied on time but did not get placed. He emphasised the need for the document to indicate both the resolution status and the date of application to help identify challenges within the system.

The Chairperson understood the point and queried whether the document should include the date of application submission, distinguishing between early, late, or very late applications.

Mr Kama affirmed this proposal.

The Chairperson further mentioned a specific query she had submitted to Ms Hassen-Moosa involving a learner whose parent claimed the learner had not been placed, despite documentation from the WCED showing multiple emails attempting to place the learner. She emphasised the issue arising when communication could not reach parents. She suggested that the updated register indicate whether an application fell within the initial application period or was submitted later.

Ms Hassen-Moosa explained that she could document such information where available, but it required a different system that she lacked access to. The WCED used this particular system to contact relevant individuals. If the information was present in emails, she could include it, but confidential data might restrict her access. She explained her current access was limited to tracking whether resolution or contact had been established with parents and learners. Looking ahead, the Committee could potentially check for both resolution and placement outcomes.

The Chairperson asked if Mr Kama was pleased.

He agreed.

The Chairperson proposed that due to the absence of a register for general resolutions resulting from oversight observations, the Committee would compile a report and send it to the relevant stakeholders. She inquired whether creating a resolution list for the oversight visit recommendations made by the Committee would be feasible, serving accountability purposes. The intention was to determine the feasibility of these recommendations and the reasons if they were not deemed feasible. She sought confirmation from the Members if they agreed with this proposal.

Ms Hassen-Moosa responded that she could distribute a tracking document to all Members, encompassing all resolutions made since the start of the financial year. Alongside each resolution, there would be a commentary on the WCED's response. This comprehensive document would be updated and shared within the week. She sought confirmation if this approach aligned with the Committee's recommendation.

The Members expressed their contentment with the proposal.

Draft Committee Report on the oversight visit to Springdale Primary School and Summerdale High School

Mr Plato moved for the adoption of the report.

Mr Fry seconded the motion.

The report was adopted.

Draft Report on the oversight visits to Kuils River Technical High School and Northpine Technical High School

The Members fixed a minor typo.

Mr Plato moved for the adoption of the report.

Mr Fry seconded the motion.

The report was adopted.

Draft Report on the oversight visit to the Stellenzicht Secondary School

The Chairperson noted again the incorrect spelling of a surname.

Mr Plato moved for the adoption of the report.

Mr Fry moved for the adoption of the report.

The Chairperson inquired whether all topics had been addressed.

Ms Hassen-Moosa confirmed that every item on the agenda had been covered, except for the BELA Bill, which was still under consideration in Parliament.

The Chairperson mentioned that Ms Hassen-Moosa had communicated about Zwelethemba High School. The school is currently undergoing a transition process and had requested some time before a visit could be arranged. This information has been shared with all Members.

The Chairperson then asked if any Members had additional points to contribute, which was met with silence.

She informed the Members that once the programming authority provides a draft for the fourth quarter, it will be discussed in a future meeting. As previously discussed, the focus will remain on the BELA Bill and the Adjustment Budget Period. She expressed gratitude to the Members for their valuable input.

The Chairperson suggested that the Committee should aim to hold at least two similar meetings per year to align with the Committee's strategic themes.

The meeting was adjourned.