DBE, Umalusi & SACE 2022/23 Annual Reports; with Deputy Minister

Meeting report

The Chairperson began the meeting by welcoming the Deputy Minister, the Director-General, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) officials, and representatives from the South African Council for Educators (SACE). She commented that the meeting would be lengthy and proceeded to initiate a roll call to confirm the presence of all participants.

The Committee Secretariat conducted a roll call and reported that Mr B Yabo (ANC) and Mr T Letsie (ANC) had submitted apologies for not being present at the meeting. An apology on behalf of the Minister was also received, as the Minister was attending a Cabinet meeting and could not be in attendance.

The Chairperson presented the agenda for the day, which included a presentation from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) on their annual report and the fourth quarterly performance report. She said the schedule for the day included presentations from Umalusi and the South African Council for Educators (SACE) later in the afternoon.

Mr P Moroatshehla (ANC) moved the adoption of the agenda, and Ms N Adoons (ANC) seconded the motion. The agenda was adopted.

Deputy Minister's opening remarks

Dr Reginah Mhaule, Deputy Minister of Basic Education, began her address by thanking the Committee for the opportunity to present the Department's activities for the year 2022/23. She noted that they were just 11 days away from the commencement of the final school examinations, which were scheduled to begin on 30 October. While she acknowledged that the computer application technology (CAT) subject had a smaller number of learners, she expressed her hope that electricity challenges would not affect the writing of CAT exams in the country.

She conveyed her greetings to the officials from the SACE who were attending the meeting.

Deputy Minister Mhaule emphasised that the Department had achieved 100% of its targets in the fourth quarter, which indicated considerable progress. She attributed this success to the support and accountability provided by the Portfolio Committee, expressing appreciation for the Committee's efforts in ensuring the Department's progress.

DBE's 2022/23 performance report

Mr Mathanzima Mweli, Director-General (DG), DBE, began his presentation by providing a four-year comparison of the Department's performance, focusing on the years since 2019/20. The highest performance was recorded in 2019/20 at 86%, with the most recent year, 2022/23, surpassing that by reaching 90%. He noted that the Department had faced a slight dip in performance in the years between, but the recent achievement of 90% was a significant milestone.

He also emphasised the Department's consistent unqualified audit opinions over the last three years, after moving from qualified opinions in previous years.

The presentation was divided into three main parts. Part A provided an overview of the Department's performance and the context in which it operates, Part B focused on performance indicators, and Part C covered the financial aspects.

The Director-General acknowledged that the Department's performance on infrastructure had improved significantly over the years. Infrastructure was a major challenge, but it was no longer the primary concern. He highlighted that the Department had achieved 90% or more on most performance indicators, with only a small margin remaining for improvement.

However, he expressed dissatisfaction with the Department's audit performance, noting that some own goals had been scored in terms of not applying formulas correctly, and the use of funds returned by North West, amounting to R65 million. They were working on addressing material irregularities (MIs) and were committed to achieving a clean audit report.

Ms Nosipho Mbonambi, Director: Strategic Planning and Reporting, DBE, provided an overview of the Department's performance for the 2022/23 financial year. She began by noting the Department's five programmes, which covered Administration; Curriculum Policy Support and Monitoring; Teachers Education, Human Resources and Institutional Development; Planning Information and Assessment; and Educational Enrichment Services.

She said the Department had made improvements in various areas compared to the previous year. For instance, the number of candidates who wrote the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations had increased in 2022, and the pass rate had improved by 3.7%.

The number of workbooks delivered to schools had been reduced due to the closure of schools. The Funza Lushaka placements had decreased from 76% to 68%. However, the number of young educators (30 years and below) who were appointed had increased from 18 800 to 19 408.

Ms Mbonambi also highlighted improvements in monitoring school feeding programmes, where 51 more schools were monitored compared to the previous year.

She gave a detailed presentation of performance indicators for each programme, highlighting areas where targets were partially achieved or not achieved.

Programme 1 (Administration)

She said that 20 quarterly performance reports had been submitted instead of the target of 28 due to late submissions related to the Education Infrastructure Grant (EIG) and Early Childhood Development (ECD).

In other areas, such as employee development, intern appointments, labour relations, and legal services, she provided a summary of activities and their outcomes.

(See attached for full figures)

Ms Mbonambi referred to the progress of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill, mentioning that public hearings had just started when the presentation was being formed. However, the process had been completed by the time of the presentation.

In the area of financial services, she focused on the estimation of national expenditure, monthly expenditure reports, and the Department's network infrastructure upgrade. She also highlighted the training of officials in occupational health and safety, the issuance of Departmental inventories, and supply chain activities, including procurement plans for 33 projects.

Lastly, she mentioned the annual performance evaluation of conditional grants across provincial education departments and the submission of reports and plans to Parliament. She also touched on the general household survey and school monitoring data analysis and reporting.

(See attached document)

Programme 2 (Curriculum Policy Support and Monitoring)

Three indicators were partially achieved. The first one related to a report on screening, identification, assessment and support (SIAS). This indicator was not fully achieved because the report was approved after 31 March 2023, and there were various levels of verification and validation required. As a result, the report was not completed within the set timeframe.

The next indicator was about workbooks. While the target was almost fully met at 99.73%, it was not completely achieved due to the closure of some schools after orders were placed, making it impossible to deliver the remaining workbooks.

The third partially achieved indicator dealt with the number of special schools with access to electronic devices. The target was 70, but the actual achievement was 49, resulting in a deviation of 21. The Department relied on external partners for funding in this area, including mobile network operators, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and support from the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA). Despite budget constraints, this indicator was crucial due to its alignment with the medium term strategic framework (MTSF).

Ms Mbonambi moved on to curriculum implementation and quality improvement under education and training:

• The Reading Champions curriculum training had benefited 62 000 potential teacher assistants. A total of 78% of users had completed the training and received certificates.
• The project-based learning course had 12 979 users who had started the course, with 2 639 successfully completing it.
• In the realm of inclusive education, 760 full-service schools were established, with 656 of them assessed. Additionally, 186 support programmes were provided to these schools, and 6 267 outreach programmes were introduced to neighbouring ordinary schools.
• The screening, identification, assessment, and support (SIAS) initiative had screened 184 623 learners, of which 85 000 were identified as experiencing barriers to learning. Schools had resolved 45 924 cases, with 22 826 referrals made to district-based support teams.
• Various teacher training programmes included 61 teachers trained in Braille, 305 in South African Sign Language, 855 in autism, and 52 702 in inclusive programmes, such as psychosocial support, accommodation, concessions, and reading and intervention strategies.
• In the Further Education and Training (FET) phase, the Second Chance matric programme assisted learners who had not passed their matric. Of the 460 100 learners who registered to rewrite exams in October, 151 000 had achieved subject passes.
• The Department offered face-to-face classes through teacher centres, where 4 000 teachers and 230 centre managers facilitated learning for over 50 000 learners.
• The Department had achieved extensive distribution of learning materials in the Learning and Teaching Support Material (LTSM) category.
• The Math, Science, and Technology (MST) programme saw collaborations in coding and robotics, awarding prizes to schools for their achievements. Notably, marine sciences were introduced, with an increase in student enrolment from 12 to 121 in five provinces.
• Early childhood development (ECD) programmes reached over 11 000 ECD practitioners trained to implement the national curriculum framework. Monitoring and support were extended to 730 ECD centres across different provinces.
• The ECD "Play SA Online" training had benefited 7 139 ECD practitioners.
• The training of ECD practitioners on National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 4 had seen 1 345 practitioners participating in accredited programmes.
• The distribution of reading storybooks had reached 8 842 primary schools and 444 secondary schools. These books were sourced from universities and distributed to schools, making a total of 57 725 books distributed.

Programme 3 (Teachers Education, Human Resources and Institutional Development)

Only one indicator out of 11 was partially achieved, which was due to the report's approval occurring after 31 March.

Programmes highlighted were:

1. Educator performance management and development:

The programme focuses on home-school evaluation and training for school-based therapists. The training covered quality management systems (QMSs), counsellors and psychologists, as informed by the collective agreement. This programme also ensures the appointment of young educators, 19 408 of whom were appointed, and also addresses education labour relations and conditions of service.

1. Vetting of educators:

The Department had amended the criminal law regarding sexual offences and related matters. Meetings were held to vet educators and ensure all employees working with children were vetted against the National Child Protection Register.

1. Initial Teacher Education:

Over 11 971 individuals received Funza Lushaka bursaries for initial teacher education, and 511 promissory notes were signed and issued to higher education institutions to support this.

1. Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD):

The Teacher Union Collaboration for Skills for the Changing World project had trained 23 967 teachers, covering coding, robotics and digital skills. Additionally, 7 249 grade R practitioners (37% of 19 502) had upgraded their qualifications to at least NQF level 6 and above.

1. Teacher Development Implementation (TDI):

In collaboration with the National Computer-based Test (NCT), the Department developed and distributed recovery planners and trackers to assist mathematics, science and technology (MST) teachers in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, the North West and others.

The subsequent slides provided detailed information about the Presidential Youth Employment initiative, with figures showing job opportunities allocated and appointed across separate phases. The initiative aimed to place youths in schools, and the Department had achieved placements of 115 000 by the end of August 2022, with an additional 127 000 placements from May 2023. This added up to 242 574 youths placed by the end of September 2023. Information on accredited training was provided to the youth through the initiative.

Under Curriculum Research and Connectivity, the Department had distributed Wi-Fi routers to 31 e-learning labs in teacher centres across the provinces, partnering with SchoolNet to train 11 000 teachers.

Regarding Education Management, Governance and Development, the programme ensured the availability of management documents in schools, with a survey showing 100% achievement. Further, it involved training departmental heads and newly appointed principals, with 3 572 principals participating in workshops conducted in collaboration with the provincial education departments (PEDs).

Programme 4 (Planning Information and Assessment)

There were two partially achieved indicators. The first one aimed to build and complete 30 new schools, but only 27 schools were built and completed. The deviation was due to community disputes about the location of one school, and contractor defaults in the other two. These delayed projects would be completed in the 2023/24 financial year.

The second partially achieved indicator had aimed for a 97% achievement, but the Department had achieved 75%. The reason for the deviation was that the appointed official had not attended the competency test timeously due to an administrative error, linked to capacity challenges in the PED's human resources (HR) unit. This official had acted for an extended period before the post was advertised.

Several improvements were noted in the administration of exams, including reducing replacement and verification to a maximum of two weeks and streamlining certification turnaround times for learners who write multiple subjects to improve their matric results.

Under national assessments, there was an early learning national assessment (ELNA), with a report compiled, and 2022 training was provided for 76 early learning national assessment assessors. The systemic evaluation covered analysis on 3 400 sample schools in grades 3, 6 and 9 for language and mathematics. As part of this, diagnostic assessments saw 500 test items developed for grades 3, 6, and 9 in language and mathematics.

The Teacher and Learning International Survey (TALIS) pilot study involved 500 teachers in 29 samples in South Africa. The Progress in International Literacy Study (PIRLS) for 2021 resulted in a national report being completed and results communicated.

Provincial budget analysis, planning and monitoring had been undertaken, providing updates to the provincial education departments. The presidential hotline resolved 1 348 cases, with only seven cases remaining unresolved.

School readiness monitoring was conducted at 323 schools in 20 districts across all the provinces. The National Education Evaluation and Development Unit (NEEDU) researched the use of DBE home language workbooks to improve numeracy and literacy in the foundation phase, with a report documenting best practices for teachers. They had conducted 249 sharing sessions in 34 districts.

The Educational and Management Information System (EMIS) update showed 25 149 schools uploaded on the system, along with 12.8 million learners and over 438 000 educators. The Assist Schools and Districts (ASAD) programme supported about 6 650 databases. SA-SAMS was used by 99.4% of public schools, except for Western Cape, which uses a different system.

The South African School Administration and Management System (SA-SAMS) modernisation was tested and rolled out to the PEDs. There were downloads of the 2020 and 2021 master lists and school realities.

Under education infrastructure, the presentation highlighted allocations for sanitation, water and electricity. Key statistics indicated the types of facilities used by schools in each category. Basic services reported that 457 schools had received sanitation.

Programme 5 (Educational Enrichment Services)

All six indicators were successfully achieved. This programme focused on the National School Nutrition Programme, and various support services for students.

Under the National School Nutrition Programme, 185 schools were monitored, ensuring students received proper nutrition.

Training on psychosocial support was provided to three provinces, 26 learner support agents, and 27 district officials. Resilience training was also conducted in the Northern Cape for 10 district officials and 22 learner support agents. Additionally, an online psychosocial support training course had been developed for care and support agents and allocated to schools through the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI).

Health promotion efforts were observed in 44 targeted schools, focusing on various aspects, including HIV and AIDS life skills.

The programme addressed social cohesion and equity through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) educational assistance programme, where the Department worked with the Department of Justice to process and pay out 1 800 applications from the 2 600 received.

Ms Mbonambi concluded her section with an overview of the audit outcomes from the past several years, highlighting the transition from qualified audits to unqualified audits, with no matters of emphasis, in recent years. She also touched upon findings related to infrastructure documentation, with explanations for sectional completion included in the audit action plan. Finally, she mentioned the inclusion of certain indicators in the annual performance plan (APP), as they may not be included if they were part of interventions like the PYEI, which did not have continuous reporting over 12 months, but was still reported through the MTSF.

2022/23 financial report

The financial report highlighted various financial aspects of the Department's performance, including irregular expenditure, material irregularities, and a breakdown of programme and economic classification expenditures.

The irregular expenditures identified were primarily due to the utilisation and spending of conditional grant amounts received from provinces. To address this, the Department had applied for condoning this irregular expenditure to National Treasury, and the request had been approved. The irregular expenditure issue was further complicated by the fact that it took time to locate the source of this financial anomaly, resulting in an investigation.

Non-compliance with the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) requirements was another concern, where the Department failed to submit the required B-BBEE certificate to the relevant commission. An appointed company was supposed to issue this certificate, and the certificate was eventually submitted to the commission.

1. Irregular Expenditure:

The Department had experienced irregular expenditure, mainly related to conditional grants received from the provinces. A submission had been approved to request the condonation of this irregular expenditure, and a letter had been submitted to National Treasury for this purpose.

1. Non-compliance with B-BBEE requirements:

The Department had failed to submit the B-BBEE certificate to the relevant commission. A company responsible for issuing the certificate had been appointed, and the certificate has since been issued and submitted.

1. Material Irregularity 1:

Interest was paid on payments not made within 30 days to TC Architects. While this had been an issue in the previous financial year, an investigation was conducted, and disciplinary processes were completed. The Department was following a legal process to recover the financial loss from the responsible official.

1. Material Irregularity 2:

Feedback on the campaign learner materials distributed to learners who did not qualify to be on the curriculum programme, had been ineffective. The Department received a progress report indicating no prospect of success based on evidence. Further discussions with prosecutors were needed to determine if further investigation was required.

1. Material Irregularity 3:

This involved pre-payment for goods not delivered and bulk purchasing of materials. The accounting officer had recovered the financial losses, and effective internal controls were established to prevent pre-payments without agreements. Disciplinary processes could not be pursued, as the Department no longer employed the responsible official.

1. Material Irregularity 4:

Payments were not made within 30 days, resulting in the withdrawal of the contractor. Disciplinary processes had been completed, and consequence management had been implemented. The Department was pursuing a legal process to recover financial losses.

1. Material Irregularity 5:

Payments were not made within 30 days, resulting in the withdrawal of the contractor. The dispute with the contractor had been resolved, and the particulars of the claim had been submitted to the state attorney.

The financial report also included details on expenditure by programme and economic classification, with explanations for lower spending in certain categories due to the late receipt of invoices. It was noted that the accounting officer was pursuing legal processes to recover financial losses, and that the irregular expenditure had been submitted for condonation.

The DBE had received an unqualified audit opinion with no matters of emphasis for the 2022/23 financial year. This marked an improvement from the previous years' audit outcomes. The report provided a summary of historical audit outcomes, and highlighted the Department's commitment to addressing the findings and improving internal controls.

The presentation indicated progress in addressing the identified irregularities and material irregularities, including disciplinary actions and legal processes to recover losses where applicable.

The financial expenditure report outlined the spending in different areas. Expenditure by programme showed that all programmes, except for Curriculum and Policy Support, had exceeded 99% in expenditure, with Curriculum and Policy Support reaching 97.08%. Expenditure by economic classification revealed that transfers and subsidies had reached 100%, while other economic classifications were above 90%.

The School Infrastructure Backlogs grant was also covered, with compensation of employees (CoE) recording an overspend of 134%. Goods and services and the building of other fixed structures were underspent due to the late receipt of invoices. The expenditure on the School Infrastructure Backlogs grant was at 92.52%, ensuring that spending did not exceed the allocated budget for this grant.

Transfers to provinces for various conditional grants were explained, and while the Department had transferred 100% of the allocated funds to the provinces, the slide did not show the expenditure within the provinces. The presentation concluded with a summary of the Department's financial performance during the financial year.

The DBE CFO, Mr Patrick Khunou's detailed presentation provided a comprehensive overview of the financial aspects of the Department of Basic Education's operations for the 2022/23 financial year, highlighting achievements, challenges, and actions taken to address irregularities.

(See attached for full presentation)

Discussion

Ms M van Zyl (DA) intended to revisit some of the questions she had asked in the past, which she felt had not been adequately addressed. She said these questions pertained to the Department's responsibilities.

She raised the issue of Funza Lushaka, highlighting the looming crisis caused by the impending retirement of 49% of educators in the next ten years. She referred to a statement made by the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) the previous day, indicating that provincial education departments had not achieved their targets for the percentage of bursary holders placed in schools within six months upon completion. She pointed out that only 68% of Funza Lushaka graduates were eligible for placement, which translated to 2 954 out of 4 348 graduates, and she inquired about the reasons behind the decrease in placements.

Ms Van Zyl also drew attention to persistent infrastructure challenges, despite statements to the contrary. She referred to overcrowded classrooms, with one school reportedly having up to 80 children in a single classroom, emphasising the pressing need for infrastructure improvements. She recounted her visit to a school in Mpumalanga, which had experienced vandalism and fires due to protests five years ago. The school still lacked proper facilities, and students were forced to learn under trees or in classrooms without roofs. She stressed that no assistance had been provided to the school in those five years.

She moved on to pages 59 and 60 of the actual report, discussing standardised outputs and output indicators for sectors with concurrent functions, specifically referring to indicators 101 to 705. She highlighted the percentage of grade 12 learners achieving 60% and above in mathematics and physical sciences and the national certificate, setting the targets for each province as an example. She noted that many targets appeared to be quite low, and specifically mentioned the Free State as having no set targets. She questioned whether these targets were indeed too low and inquired about the efforts to uplift the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects and the reasons behind the Free State's lack of set targets.

Ms Van Zyl also raised concerns about learner transport failures, questioning whether there were any consequences for the misuse of National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) funds. She brought up the AGSA's observation that the DBE had failed to meet its target for the number of special schools with access to electronic devices. She sought reasons for these failures and information about the percentage of grade R teachers whose qualifications had been assessed. Finally, she inquired about the DBE's actions regarding underqualified or unqualified teachers.

Mr B Nodada (DA) began by commending the DBE team for their thorough presentation. He noted that the presentation addressed some of his initial questions indirectly. He proceeded to ask a series of questions based on information from presentations by the Financial and Fiscal Commission (FFC), the Auditor General, and the DBE itself.

His first question concerned whether the DBE, at the national level, had engaged with the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga regarding their funding of quintiles below the national threshold. He sought to understand the outcomes of these engagements, and how the DBE supported the provinces to ensure that schools were funded within the required quintile thresholds.

He raised concerns about the failure to meet deadlines for providing libraries, sporting facilities, and laboratories in schools. He emphasised that these facilities were essential for improving literacy levels. He wanted to know if the DBE had plans to address this failure, especially considering the budget cuts implemented by National Treasury. He also questioned how these budget cuts might affect the programme to eradicate pit toilets and improve overall school infrastructure.

Mr Nodada then turned his attention to the issue of school maintenance, which he viewed as a growing problem. He pointed out that newly installed facilities often lacked maintenance plans, leading to deterioration and misuse. He inquired about the DBE's strategy for school maintenance and how it ensured that the provinces responsibly spent maintenance budgets.

He also questioned the completion rate of schools built through the Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI) programme, noting that only 27 out of 50 had been achieved. He sought reasons for the uncompleted projects, and whether the Department had engaged with the Western Cape Education Department regarding its rapid-build school programme, which could expedite school construction.

He asked if the Department had considered merging the Education Infrastructure Grant and the School Infrastructure Backlogs Grant, as suggested by the FFC, and what process was being followed in this regard.

He highlighted the AG's concerns about consequence management failures within the DBE, and inquired about the Department's actions to address this issue. Given its current trajectory, he also questioned its ability to meet its target of having 90% of schools connected to teaching and learning by 2024.

Regarding irregular expenditure, he sought information on why certain cases were not investigated and when they would be. He wanted to know the amount of irregular expenditure and the delays in collecting accrued Department revenue.

He raised questions about the failures in the DBE's information communication technology (ICT) system and the impact on budgeting for various programmes. He requested details about the Department's efforts to address these failures, and how much budget allocation was dedicated to these areas.

Mr Nodada inquired about consequence management related to fruitless and wasteful expenditure in the Sanitation Appropriate for Education (SAFE) initiative, and whether any measures had been put in place to recover misspent funds. He questioned the progress of the Education Management Information System (EMIS) in the provinces, and its cost.

He asked about investigations into special remuneration for teachers working in rural areas and those with specialised skills, particularly in STEM subjects. He sought clarification regarding the timeframe for invoice payment, an update on food parcel donations in KwaZulu-Natal after the floods, and any potential curriculum remodelling considering the fourth industrial revolution.

He inquired about the DBE's engagement with higher education institutions to refine teacher qualifications and ensure that teachers received comprehensive training. He expressed concern about individuals pursuing a Post-graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) without a relevant background, and highlighted the importance of a solid foundation in teacher training.

He also mentioned that several countries, including the Western Cape province, had added extra hours for reading, writing and language policies within the classroom. He asked if the DBE had considered implementing a similar approach, involving an additional two or three hours per week to improve education outcomes, particularly in literacy.

Ms M Moroane (ANC) commended the Department for improving its performance from 81% to 90%. She asked what measures were needed to address the inequalities in national norms of student funding in provinces like KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, to ensure sufficient funding.

Ms N Adoons (ANC) also acknowledged the commendation from the AG for the Department's performance improvement from 81% to 90%. However, she expressed concern about major financial management issues within the Department and its PEDs, especially non-compliance with legislation in supply chain management. This non-compliance resulted in an increase in irregular expenditure of R5.12 billion in the 2022/23 fiscal year.

She raised questions about the measures needed for consequence management at the provincial level and what steps the ministry and the national DBE had taken to improve project management, considering the observations that the national Department performed better than PEDs in relation to infrastructure.

Ms Adoons inquired about the impact of the population increase on infrastructure provision, and its implications for attaining minimum norms and standards targets. She also wanted to know the Department's proposed mechanism for financing the infrastructure backlog, and whether it had received funding from the Infrastructure Fund to cover some of these backlog projects.

She asked for reflections on the performance of direct conditional grants compared to indirect grants, and whether the Department would recommend more direct grants. Lastly, she mentioned the 242 delayed projects and 271 cancelled projects, leading to fruitless and wasteful expenditure of R50 million. She questioned the Department's technical capabilities for managing infrastructure project development.

Ms Adoons reiterated that while some of the questions were like those that had been raised yesterday, she felt they were still relevant and required more detailed responses.

Mr P Moroatshehla (ANC) began by commending the Department for its performance in the 2022 National Senior Certificate (NSC) results. He highlighted that 752 003 full-time candidates and 162 631 part-time candidates had written the NSC in 2022, with an overall pass rate of 81.1%. This represented an improvement of 3.7% compared to the 2021 matric results. He also mentioned that the Department had provided 11 971 Funza Lushaka bursaries, which he considered a positive achievement.

However, he expressed concern about the lack of prioritisation for laboratories and computer centres in schools, as highlighted by the Auditor General's report.

He posed several questions. What was the extent of access to ICT services in schools? What was the experience gained from piloting robotics and coding, and were there plans for expansion? What progress has been made in improving the provision of Early Childhood Development? What lessons did the Department learn from ECD provision, and what opportunities were identified?

He also put forward seven recommendations for the DBE:

1. The DBE must develop a comprehensive ICT strategy and funding model to address inequalities.
2. It must implement all the recommendations from the AG and provide quarterly updates to the Portfolio Committee.
3. Prioritise non-infrastructure grants.
4. Develop a plan to expand coding and robotics for the Seventh Administration.
5. Prioritise the implementation of the remaining implementable MTSF targets for the Sixth Administration.
6. National Treasury should significantly increase funding for ECD and ICT development.
7. Prioritising ECD and primary schooling, as the foundation phase was of great and critical importance.

He stressed the importance of implementing these recommendations to ensure forward movement and improvements in the education sector.

The Chairperson asked about the achievement of targets and indicators in the annual performance plan for the implementation of early childhood development (ECD) and grade R, as well as the professional development of ECD practitioners for the 2022/23 period.

She inquired about the alignment of targets between the national Department and the PEDs for ECD grade R implementation, with a particular focus on addressing literacy and numeracy challenges. She emphasised the need to improve reading, literacy and numeracy.

The Chairperson asked about implementing ICT in education, particularly in three provinces. She wanted to know the budget allocation for each of these provinces, which districts were beneficiaries, and the number of schools and classrooms equipped with ICT equipment. She also expressed interest in coding and robotics for mathematics, science and technology, and asked for more information on this topic.

She mentioned that there were schools in rural areas, specifically in the Northwest, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, the Northern Cape and Mpumalanga, which were struggling with mathematics, science and technology. She inquired about the progress made in teaching coding and robotics for rural learners.

Regarding accountability and consequence management for non-performance and non-delivery, she said the internal audit report had outlined issues with project managers not performing. She asked what measures were being taken to mitigate this, and what consequence management actions had been taken for non-performance and non-delivery.

What progress has been made in strengthening the National Schools Nutrition Programme and the review of the quintile system? Some schools had shown they were in the incorrect quintile during oversight visits, and Chairperson sought information on progress in addressing this issue.

On the topic of learner transport, she noted that the Portfolio Committee had recommended a review of the learner transport system, and asked about the progress made in benefiting deserving learners.

Lastly, referred to a court order related to the failure to deliver textbooks and stationery to learners, particularly in the Eastern Cape. She inquired about the Department's actions to ensure compliance with the court order, and the delivery of textbooks and stationery.

She also asked about the DBE's plans to avoid irregular expenditure in the future and the status of investigations into financial irregularities. She concluded by commending the Department for reaching its targets, and handed over to the Deputy Minister and the team to respond to the questions and recommendations.

DHET's responses

Deputy Minister Mhaule asked the Director-General and his team to respond to the questions.

Mr Mweli acknowledged that the Department had made mistakes, including using funds without knowing their source, and incorrect calculations in their financial statements. He said these errors would have consequences, and action was being taken to address them.

Regarding irregular expenditure, he clarified that the increase had not been due to money being stolen, but was related to issues such as non-compliance with local content requirements and the accumulation of irregular expenditure over time. He noted that the figures showed a decline in irregular expenditure compared to previous years.

He also emphasised that the Department was committed to addressing these challenges and improving its performance.

Regarding the court order in the Eastern Cape and the delivery of Learning and Teaching Support Materials (LTSM), the Eastern Cape Department of Basic Education is currently appealing a court decision. The Department was concerned that this court ruling might reverse the progress made in the localised procurement of LTSM. Some school principals had insisted on procuring LTSM themselves, which had not been in the best interest of the education system, and had failed to achieve economies of scale.

The delay in LTSM delivery in 2022 was due to the late release of funds by the National Treasury, and the Eastern Cape DBE had had little control over this issue. Despite the delay, the Department expressed its commitment to ensuring prompt deliveries.

The DBE had already taken action and recovered funds from implementing agents to address irregular and wasteful expenditure and implement consequence management. Consequence management was also being applied to officials who contributed to irregular and wasteful expenditure findings. It was worth noting that the AG and the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) had acknowledged that investigations were ongoing, and internal audit's ability had been increased to handle these cases.

Coding and robotics were currently in a pilot phase, and the results of this pilot would decide how these programmes would be scaled up to other schools, including those in rural areas.

The issue of connectivity has been addressed, particularly for schools catering to learners with special education needs. The Department had prioritised 444 such schools, with more 80% to 90% of them already having established connectivity.

Regarding the reading strategy, the Department had identified four key areas to focus on, informed by sector-wide input. These areas include the quality of teachers and the need for appropriate and culturally relevant LTSM.

Mr Mweli discussed various aspects in his responses, particularly focusing on managing MTSF targets and grants. He clarified that there may be a misunderstanding regarding MTSF targets, as some provinces were reluctant to take on certain indicators that could lead to audit queries. Provinces had expressed concerns about the inclusion of these indicators and whether they had the capacity to implement them without causing audit issues. This had been the subject of extensive discussions and negotiations.

Addressing the challenges around fragmentation, Mr Mweli explained that there was no fragmentation in the education sector. Instead, the issue revolved around MTSF targets and their potential impact on provincial audit findings. He emphasised the importance of considering capacity and audit implications when including specific indicators in the MTSF.

He acknowledged the prioritisation of ECD and primary schools, and highlighted the opportunities in these areas for creating jobs for young people. He also mentioned the ongoing focus on improving the delivery model for ECD.

On the topic of connectivity in schools, he reported that over 80% of schools had achieved connectivity for administration purposes. However, the progress for teaching and learning purposes may differ, and would require further details.

Regarding research and planning for libraries and laboratories, he suggested that some researchers may be unaware of the evolving nature of education and that newer, more flexible concepts like library corners had been introduced to accommodate primary schools.

Mr Mweli responded to concerns about project cancellations and wasteful expenditure. He expressed frustration with projects being allocated to different implementing agents after planning and design had taken place. He was also considering recovering funds from provinces to address wasteful expenditure.

He said direct and indirect grants did not necessarily show a performance discrepancy in the basic education sector. The report may not accurately represent the situation in the sector.

He discussed the challenges of budget cuts affecting infrastructure and the importance of addressing the funding gap in KZN. He also acknowledged discussions about increasing teaching hours and potential strategies to help learners catch up in numeracy and literacy.

Regarding ECD and primary schools, Mr Mweli affirmed that the DBE had prioritised these institutions. The MTSF indicators and targets were aimed at improving the sector's performance.

He also discussed non-infrastructure grant spending, stating that he had been closely monitoring provinces' grant performance and encouraging them to improve on it. He expressed the need to revisit the claim that only 50 recommendations had been implemented, suggesting there may be some misunderstanding or misinformation.

He touched on the cooperation with the AG, emphasising the collaborative relationship with the AG's office. He mentioned the changes and improvements made in implementing the AG's recommendations over the years.

Mr Mweli expressed concerns about outdated research and planning for libraries and laboratories, noting that some researchers might not be aware of the evolving needs of schools. He emphasised the importance of adapting to new methods, such as using mobile libraries or laboratory corners, to overcome issues like theft and vandalism in traditional libraries and laboratories.

Concerning direct and indirect grants, he expressed doubt about the claim that direct grants performed better than indirect grants in the basic education sector, suggesting that such comparisons may not be accurate.

He shared insights into the proposed funding models for infrastructure, indicating that government-public-private partnerships were under consideration. He discussed the impact of budget cuts on addressing infrastructure backlogs, norms, and standards, emphasising the need to address the budget constraints affecting the education sector, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal and the Northern Cape.

He referred to the idea of additional hours for catching up, and said that teachers were trained to help learners catch up and reach their grade's required competencies. Discussions were ongoing, including the consideration of focusing on numeracy and literacy as fundamental elements of teaching and learning. Further deliberations were planned on the topic of increasing teaching hours.

He provided a comprehensive overview of the challenges and strategies related to these education matters, stressing the importance of ongoing discussions and improvements within the sector.

There was an ongoing effort to strengthen the skills and competencies required for a changing world. The curriculum, according to the Brookings Institute, was considered world-class, but the focus was on improving teacher capacity to extract and deliver the skills embedded in the curriculum to students.

Regarding food parcels distributed in flood-affected areas, he suggested that other members of the meeting might provide more detailed information, as he was not directly involved in such arrangements, except from the NSNP perspective.

He clarified that the 30-day payment issue, where invoices were paid late, was typically not within the DBE itself, but may involve implementing agents. Penalties were imposed on these agents for their failures, and he was actively addressing such issues.

He said efforts were being made to modernise the SA-SAMS system, and discussions were ongoing, including challenges related to funding.

The delay in collecting accrual funds was attributed to disputes between entities, but efforts had been made to reach agreement through mediation.

Mr Mweli also discussed school connectivity and the consequences of management failure, highlighting efforts to address these challenges.

He argued that there were no longer underqualified or unqualified teachers in the system, as measures had been put in place to address this issue. The provinces were not allowed to hire unqualified teachers.

The DBE was working with the Western Cape to find solutions to the challenges of delivering infrastructure.

Mr Mweli mentioned that learner transport coverage was over 80%, but suggested providing the Committee with the latest data for more informed discussion.

He addressed the issue of standardised indicators and the achievement of learners above the 60% level, emphasising improvements and the possibility of providing additional data.

Concerning overcrowding, Mr Mweli clarified that although challenges remained, the ability to deliver schools and sanitation infrastructure had improved significantly.

Regarding retiring educators, he pointed out that younger educators were entering the system, and the demand and supply of teachers were being managed effectively. He commented that Funza Lushaka graduates were not being placed speedily because of financial constraints.

Ms Simone Geyer, Deputy Director-General (DDG): Planning and Delivery Oversight, DBE, provided information on various aspects.

Early Childhood Development:

She provided insights into the state of ECD in South Africa, stressing that the DBE had made this a significant priority since the responsibility for ECD was transferred to the Department in April 2022. She referred to two key reports that had been pivotal in shaping their approach. The first was the Census Report, which revealed that while South Africa had 42 000 ECD centres, they provided access to only 1.6 million learners. This highlighted a massive gap in ECD access.

The second report from the Department of Social Development (DSD) provided crucial information on the ECD landscape. It presented a profile of ECD in South Africa.

Based on these findings, the DBE devised a service delivery model to expand access to ECD. This model utilises a hybrid approach, encompassing various access points. Firstly, the DBE planned to enhance traditional ECD centres, making them more accessible and capable of accommodating a greater number of children. Secondly, it was introducing peer groups -- community-based networks that focus on ECD. The idea was to involve communities more deeply in ECD initiatives. Finally, the inclusion of home kits containing learning materials and resources would extend access to children who might not be able to attend formal ECD centres.

The DBE's overarching strategy was to progressively provide access to 60% of the poorest children in South Africa, and to integrate them into the schooling system. It was simultaneously addressing policy, infrastructure, curriculum, funding and data monitoring to ensure the success of the DBE ECD initiatives.

Reading Programmes:

Ms Geyer shed light on the essential role of reading programmes in education. She stressed several key elements that underpinned their approach. Firstly, there was a need for an explicit and enabling policy framework dedicated to reading programmes to guide their efforts effectively. Secondly, there must be a focus on age-appropriate teaching, implying that the teaching methods used should be tailored to the age and developmental stage of the learners. Thirdly, culturally relevant content was important to resonate with the learners' cultural backgrounds. Lastly, she emphasised the involvement of parents and communities in reading initiatives to create a supportive environment for literacy development. The ultimate objective was to enhance learners' reading skills, equipping them to read for deeper meaning and comprehension.

Mr Seliki Tlhabane, Chief Director: MST Curriculum & Quality Enhancement Programmes, began by acknowledging the progress made in connecting schools to information communication technology (ICT). He said they had successfully connected 83% of South African schools, primarily in collaboration with the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) and the country's mobile network operators. However, it was important to clarify that this connectivity was mainly suitable for administrative purposes, and not all of it had been optimised for teaching and learning.

Regarding suitable connectivity for teaching and learning, Mr Tlhabane indicated that the percentage had dropped significantly, standing at approximately 10% to 15% of schools across the country. These were the schools equipped with the type of internet speeds required for effective educational delivery. They were working closely with the DCDT and implementing an approved plan to address this issue. The plan aimed to connect 18 000 schools at a slightly improved speed of 10 megabits per second. However, it was emphasised that this speed was not yet at the desired level, especially for the demands of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR).

He elaborated on government's stance, explaining that the DCDT was committed to providing ten megabits per second, and had challenged the DBE to demonstrate that this capacity was insufficient for their educational needs. Furthermore, they were collaborating with other partners, such as Telkom's entity OpenServe, to bring broadband connectivity to 1 500 schools at vastly improved speeds of 500 megabits per second.

Mr Tlhabane revealed that the DBE had worked closely with the nine provinces, at the directive of the Minister and Deputy Minister, to enhance ICT implementation and expenditure. It aimed to raise R1 billion annually across all provinces for ICT. However, in 2022-2023, they had exceeded this target, managing to raise R2.2 billion, which was double the original goal. The aspiration was for each province to allocate at least R100 million annually, and five out of nine provinces had identified budgets exceeding this threshold. Even smaller and economically disadvantaged provinces, such as Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Northern Cape, had contributed significantly. As a result, ICT initiatives were being actively implemented across all provinces, and rigorous monitoring processes were in place to ensure their success.

Finally, he pointed out that the DBE had made substantial progress in achieving their MTSF targets. They had already reached the target for learners achieving 60% or more in physical sciences, and for mathematics, they were on the verge of reaching the set target for 2024, an entire year ahead of the specified date. This demonstrated their cautious optimism for achieving their educational goals.

Closing remarks

DM Mhaule began by acknowledging the multitude of issues raised during the session and the importance of addressing them. She highlighted that some questions were repetitive, and they aimed to ensure comprehensive coverage.

Regarding learner transport, she emphasised that the DBE was not working alone on this matter. They collaborated with the Department of Transport and other relevant stakeholders. The Department of Transport was responsible for road infrastructure and vehicles used for learner transport. However, there were unique challenges in regions like the Eastern Cape and KZN due to the absence of proper roads and population settlements. The situations were extremely complex in these areas, making it a challenge to provide learner transport. The DBE was working closely with the Department of Transport, and municipalities had committed to fixing roads leading to schools. While acknowledging that challenges remained, she expressed optimism for continued improvements in learner transport, much like how school nutrition programmes had evolved over time.

Referring to the issue of quintiles raised during the session, Dr Mhaule shared a personal example, explaining that she planned to discuss this matter with the Minister of Education in the Western Cape. She recounted that she was from a rural school situated in a more affluent area, which had resulted in an incorrect quintile classification. While the school was mistakenly quintile four, all the learners came from disadvantaged backgrounds and informal settlements just across the road. This situation created an inequity in the treatment of learners. She emphasised that the DBE planned to revisit quintile classifications, as economic disparities had changed significantly in the country.

She acknowledged that DBE had recently taken over the ECD function, and was currently working on maintaining the existing system which had previously been under the Department of Social Development (DSD), while simultaneously developing a new ECD model that addressed issues of redress, equity, inequality and access. She stressed that the ECD sector involved numerous stakeholders, including private providers, the private sector, municipalities, the Department of Health, and the DSD, among others.

She stressed the need for collaboration across sectors. She noted the complexity of ECD development, indicating that they were actively working to bring about change and training for teachers in this area.

In conclusion, DM Mhaule thanked the Committee for their engagement and welcomed further questions or topics that may not have been adequately addressed during the session. She expressed gratitude for the opportunity to provide insights and updates on various educational matters.

The Chairperson thanked the Deputy Minister and her team for their presentation, and opened the floor for follow-up questions from the Members. However, since there were no follow-up questions, the Chairperson concluded the session and indicated that the Committee would continue its proceedings in the afternoon.

Afternoon session

The second session began with the Committee Secretariat announcing the attendees, which included Members of the Committee, officials from SACE and Umalusi, and the DBE.

Umalusi's 2022/23 Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report

Prof Yunus Ballim, Chairperson, Umalusi, reported that Umalusi had received an unqualified audit report for the 2022/23 fiscal year. He credited the management team and staff for their excellent work, and mentioned a media briefing held on 13 October. He commended the DBE on their readiness for the upcoming national examinations. The briefing would cover measures to curb unaccredited institutions and safeguard the authenticity of Umalusi certificates.

Dr Mafu Rakometsi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Umalusi, outlined the entity's mandate derived from the South African Constitution, the National Qualifications Framework Act, and the General and Further Education and Training Quality Assurance Act. He explained Umalusi's role in developing and managing the qualifications sub-framework and implementing quality assurance policies. He also discussed Umalusi's vision, mission and values.

He highlighted Umalusi's achievements during the 2022/23 financial year, including celebrating their 30th anniversary, developing an online certificate replacement system, welcoming the Sixth Umalusi Council, and making progress on refurbishing the Thuto-Mfundo building. However, he also acknowledged challenges, such as a high staff turnover rate and delays in developing an alternative funding model and implementing an IT solution.

Regarding strategic priorities, he mentioned the review of the quality assurance of assessment approach, by revising directives for the quality assurance of curricula sent to different assessment bodies.

In the performance overview for the 2022/23 financial year, several key points were emphasised:

• Umalusi achieved an overall performance level of 93%, meeting 14 of 15 indicators.
• Performance was detailed by programme, with Programmes 1 and 2 achieving 100% and Programme 3 achieving six out of seven indicators.
• Performance had shown fluctuations over the past eight years, with a slight drop in the most recent year.

Programme 1 covered various sub-programmes, including strategy and governance, public relations, information technology, human capital management, and finance. Key achievements included inducting council members, conducting media briefings, advocacy efforts, and developing an online certification system. All targets for Programme 1 were successfully met.

Programme 2, focusing on qualifications and research, achieved a gap analysis, research on Adult Education and Training (AET) centres, and implemented an online certificate replacement system. All targets for Programme 2 were also met.

Programme 3 dealt with quality assurance of assessments and monitoring. It encompassed three sub-programmes related to school qualifications, post-school qualifications, and evaluation and accreditation. Notably, the programme had succeeded in moderating question papers, monitoring exam administration, and accrediting independent schools and private colleges. However, one target related to producing reports for quality assurance assessments was not met.

The presentation also included remedial actions taken to confirm the number of examinations with assessment bodies for the next financial year, and to address the shortfall in targets.

It also delved into human capital statistics, highlighting employment and vacancy rate information across the three programmes. Programme 1 had 59 staff members, with four vacancies, Programme 2 had one vacancy (3.3%), and Programme 3 had five vacancies (11.1%). Overall, the organisation had maintained a vacancy rate of less than 10%.

The presentation discussed personnel costs per programme. Collectively, personnel expenditures constituted 46.1% of the total expenditure for the year, amounting to approximately R188.7 million.

The financial report, spanning pages 82 to 128 of the annual report, emphasised the unqualified audit report received. The financial position of Umalusi remained strong, with total assets of approximately R123.7 million and total liabilities of approximately R41.8 million. The organisation had applied to retain a cash surplus of approximately R18.6 million from the 2022/23 financial year, which National Treasury approved on 12 September. This surplus would be allocated to various areas, including completing the Thuto-Mfundo refurbishment, creating an investment account for post-retirement medical aid liability, and funding for ICT projects, including the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution.

(See attached for full presentation)

The CEO concluded by thanking the Chairperson of Umalusi, the Members of the Portfolio Committee as well as the Ministry of Education.

Discussion

Ms Van Zyl referred to Dr Rakometsi's comments about distinguishing genuine certificates from fraudulent ones, and brought up a recent incident where 14 certificates were uncovered, and these fake certificates appeared indistinguishable from authentic ones. She inquired about the actions taken to prevent such fraudulent certificate issuances, and if any investigations had been initiated to address this matter. She also sought clarification regarding the consequences for the management team in light of these incidents.

She raised concerns about the leakage of question papers involving educators and learners in the previous year, and sought information regarding the steps taken in response to this issue. Specifically, she wanted to know what actions were taken regarding the educators and learners involved in the question paper leaks. She also questioned whether any preventative measures had been put in place to ensure that similar incidents did not recur in the current year.

Mr Moroatshehla emphasised the importance of distinguishing and appreciating the work carried out by Umalusi as an entity that played a crucial role in elevating the country and the DBE. He especially commended Dr Mafu Rakometsi and the Umalusi team for their diligent work in quality assurance.

He pointed out that the report had highlighted a missed target in Programme 3, specifically concerning the number of quality assurance assessment reports published for qualifications registered on the General and Further Education and Training Qualifications Sub-Framework.

His first question revolved around the causal factors for the cancellation of the National Accredited Technical Education Diploma, and the potential impact on learning opportunities. He was keen to understand the implications of this decision.

His second question addressed the ongoing challenge of high staff turnover within Umalusi, with the report indicating the loss of ten employees, eight of whom were at the professional level. He wanted to learn more about Umalusi's strategy to attract and retain skilled workers, given the persistent issue of staff turnover, in order to ensure the continuity of their commendable work.

Ms L Moroane (ANC) posed two specific questions. Her first question revolved around the delayed development of an alternative funding model. She asked about the underlying causes of this delay and the revenue resources that Umalusi could potentially generate to address this matter.

Her second question concerned the delayed implementation of the ERP solution. She wanted to know when this programme would be concluded and the ways in which its completion would enhance the overall functioning of Umalusi.

Mr T Letsie (ANC) emphasised the significance of Umalusi's good governance practices, highlighting that not all entities could consistently attain such positive audit outcomes.

Regarding Umalusi's finances, he noted that their assets had slightly decreased from approximately R126 million in the previous year to around R123 million in the current year. He asked how the entity's functions had been impacted by budget cuts, especially in light of their expanded mandate, including two additional responsibilities.

He then addressed the matter of Umalusi surpassing their targets in most cases, suggesting that the question of whether they had set realistic targets or intentionally set lower ones needed to be explored. He inquired if Umalusi's targets were too conservative, possibly due to their human resources capacity limitations.

His final question revolved around Umalusi's efforts to fill vacancies, considering their ongoing challenge of losing critical staff members, which he speculated could be linked to salary competitiveness.

Mr Nodada acknowledged the concerns about the declining General School Assessment (GSA) outcomes. He addressed his initial question about the budget and the increase in the mandate, indicating that it had been partially covered, so he would set it aside.

His first question pertained to Umalusi's reconceptualisation of quality assurance and how it would be different in the future. He sought insights into how this change would elevate basic education standards and improve reading comprehension for more Grade Four learners.

The second inquiry revolved around the finalisation of the robotics and coding curriculum and other pilot curriculum streams like maritime, entrepreneurship and others. He sought an approximate timeline for these developments.

He asked about the recognition of qualifications for learners with special educational needs (LSEN) who complete programmes in schools of skills. He sought information on the steps Umalusi was taking to ensure that these qualifications were acknowledged and could be utilised by the learners to access relevant industries.

Mr Nodada wrapped up his questions with a thought-provoking question regarding the educational system's current emphasis on testing versus continuous learning and assessment. He inquired if Umalusi intended to conduct research to explore the practicality and ramifications of transitioning from a test-centred system to one rooted in continuous learning and assessment. He was eager to understand if Umalusi would incorporate this shift in focus from testing to learning into both their present report and their future planning. He presented a novel concept, suggesting a shift towards a model that promotes ongoing learning and assessment, thereby reducing the frequency of examinations. In his proposed system, the sole examination would occur at the culmination of a student's educational journey, akin to the matric examination.

His concern lay in the predominant focus on testing in South Africa's education system, which he believed might not be conducive to holistic learning. He recommended placing significant emphasis on learning throughout the foundation phase, commencing with ECD and extending until students needed to specialise, which could materialise at grades 9, 10 or 12. By adopting this approach, he anticipated a deeper comprehension of subjects without subjecting learners to a competitive atmosphere.

Mr B Madlingozi (EFF) expressed concern about the quality of education in South African schools and the readiness of matriculants. He found it unbelievable that Professor Balim claimed that multitudes of matriculants were ready. He questioned the progress made by educators when the pass rate appeared to be regressing. He inquired about the location and timing of leaks related to the examination papers and whether any individuals in top positions had been arrested or questioned in connection with these leaks. He also asked about the measures being taken to address the issue of exam paper leaks and prevent them from affecting the education system and the future of students.

Ms Adoons inquired about the reasons behind the delayed development of an alternative funding model within Umalusi. She sought clarification on the revenue resources that Umalusi was actively generating to address this issue. Her second question pertained to the delayed implementation of the ERP solution -- when this particular programme would be concluded and how its execution would enhance Umalusi's overall functionality.

The Chairperson was concerned about a regression in the audit status of Umalusi, specifically focusing on the financial statements. She indicated the need to understand the contributing factors behind this regression. She requested details about the corrective actions Umalusi intended to implement to address these material adjustments and strengthen its financial reporting.

Umalusi's responses

Prof Balim acknowledged the Members' appreciation for Umalusi's unqualified audit and emphasised that this achievement would not lead to complacency. Management was continually held accountable for Umalusi's performance. While the organisation had achieved an unqualified audit, concerns about the credibility of certificates, especially in light of reports on questionable certificates, remained a top priority. He highlighted Umalusi's ongoing initiatives to combat exam paper leaks and ensure the integrity of certificates.

Regarding concerns about staff turnover, he noted that Umalusi's turnover rates, in a global context, were not unusually high. However, they were particularly concerned about the departures at the higher levels. Management actively worked on strategies to address this issue and retain critical staff members. Negotiations were underway to set more ambitious targets.

In response to concerns about regression, Professor Balim clarified that Umalusi had not regressed, but had rather maintained their performance. While the organisation strived for better achievement, its governance remained sound, and Umalusi continued to be held accountable for its performance. There was ongoing discussion about whether the organisation should aim for higher targets.

Prof Balim emphasised that Umalusi's primary focus was on assessment and ensuring the quality of assessments. He distinguished between summative assessment, which evaluates learners' performance at the end of a programme, and formative assessment, which was intended to enhance learning. He recognised the challenges posed by the changing landscape of assessments, including the emergence of online assessments.

He addressed concerns about readiness and the state of learners' preparation for examinations, particularly in subjects like robotics, coding and mathematics. Umalusi's role was to assess the readiness of examining authorities to conduct examinations. He highlighted the active engagement between Umalusi and the DBE in addressing these concerns.

Mr Rakometsi addressed the eNCA documentary which had insinuated the involvement of Umalusi and DBE officials in the production of fraudulent certificates. In response to these allegations, he emphasised that Umalusi was unable to investigate the matter independently and had sought assistance from the South African Police Service (SAPS) detection and forensic service. This investigation included both internal and external aspects to scrutinise the issue of fake certificate production.

He acknowledged that the documentary had raised concerns across South Africa, even among prominent individuals and ordinary citizens. Many people, including South Africans living abroad, had shared video clips of the documentary via WhatsApp. This widespread concern prompted action and necessitated an investigation to address these issues.

He said the outcome of the investigation conducted by the SAPS detection and forensic service had provided a sense of relief. This investigation found no evidence of Umalusi or DBE officials' involvement in the alleged production and sale of fraudulent certificates. Instead, the culprits behind these activities were identified as scammers who swindled individuals by either taking their money and disappearing, or delivering fake certificates that had no validity and were absent from the official certificate database. He conveyed this information to address the concerns raised in the documentary and assure members of the Portfolio Committee that Umalusi was fully committed to preserving the credibility of the certification process.

Mr Rakometsi emphasised that South Africans needed to be vigilant regarding the fraudulent certificates in circulation. He referred to a recent media briefing, where it was warned that people purchasing these fraudulent certificates were essentially buying documents with no credibility. The President had also signed the NQF Amendment Act into law, and under this Act, anyone found in possession of a fraudulent certificate would face arrest. Employers and higher education institutions were obligated to verify qualifications through relevant channels.

He explained that employers and institutions used data for verification, checking whether individuals possessed valid certificates. When fraudulent certificates were identified, the NQF Amendment Act required reporting to both the South African Qualifications Authority and the SAPS. Those involved in fraudulent activities would face legal consequences, potentially resulting in jail time.

However, Mr Rakometsi mentioned a challenge with online meetings, as he could not physically show the security features of authentic certificates. He highlighted specific characteristics, like the weight and texture of the paper, as well as certain details visible under UV light, all of which made genuine certificates difficult to replicate. He noted that these security features were known to the SAPS, and urged them to inform police stations to help identify authentic certificates when they were presented for certification.

He also mentioned that the serial number and other elements on the certificate served as additional security features. He described the positioning of the serial number at the bottom right-hand corner and the presence of red colour perforations on the back of the certificate. All these measures contributed to the authenticity and credibility of certificates issued by Umalusi.

He touched upon several important points during his response. Firstly, he expressed his desire to demonstrate Umalusi's security features directly when an in-person meeting was possible. He emphasised the security features of Umalusi certificates, including the presence of the Coat of Arms of the Republic of South Africa and various other elements not easily reproducible. He explained that it was possible to distinguish genuine certificates from fraudulent ones using UV light and various other measures. He said that the sale of fraudulent certificates was a significant issue, and an advanced investigation was underway to arrest those involved.

Regarding the leaked examination papers from the previous year, he clarified that the DBE had conducted an investigation to identify the students who were involved. The Department had provided detailed reports, and those found guilty faced sanctions, while the results of students cleared of any wrongdoing had been released with the permission of Umalusi's executive committee.

He addressed the underachievement issue, explaining it was due to the Department of Education's decision to cancel one examination to make up for lost teaching and learning time during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was beyond Umalusi's control, and stemmed from a decision to optimise teaching time.

Mr Rakometsi discussed the challenge of staff turnover, citing several factors, including better remuneration and improved benefits offered by other institutions. He mentioned steps taken to mitigate this, such as Umalusi staff now being allowed to join the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) and the potential for staff to migrate to the Government Employees Pensions Fund (GEPF).

In his final remarks, Mr Rakometsi emphasised that Umalusi's target setting was careful and realistic, considering several factors, including available resources and the context in which they operate. While the organisation aimed for more extensive quality assurance, they were limited by human and financial resources constraints.

He discussed the ongoing evolution of quality assurance at Umalusi, highlighting their commitment to research and their role in advising the Minister and Council on matters related to qualifications and standards.

He noted that the introduction of robotics and other curriculum changes were within the purview of the DBE to implement. In response to concerns about continuous assessment, he stressed the need to address challenges related to educator competence in assessing students. He mentioned ongoing work in progress, including on the issue of LSEN School of Skills qualifications.

Regarding the leaks in examination papers, he said the SAPS had the authority to question anyone involved in the production of written papers, including senior individuals within both Umalusi and the DBE. He assured the Committee that Umalusi was actively monitoring and working to prevent leaks.

Mr Rakometsi was surprised at the audit issues raised by the RAiN auditing firm, and referred to the challenges faced during the financial year's closing due to a staff shortage. He attributed the regression issue to these internal challenges, and asked the CFO to provide more detailed information.

Mr Hendrik van der Walt, CFO, Umalusi, began by addressing the matter of audit regression. He confirmed that Umalusi had received a clean audit the previous year, but had encountered challenges to restate certain prior-year figures impacting the opening balances of the current year, requiring amendments to the financial statements. These adjustments were due to technical reporting requirements, rather than any intention to mislead the public. The organisation had learned from this experience and would ensure that it properly consulted with the Accounting Standards Board of South Africa to meet all the reporting requirements in the future.

Regarding the challenges related to the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, he said that Umalusi had initially advertised a tender with certain specifications. However, the tenders received were financially unfeasible, with some proposals exceeding R20 million, which was a significant portion of Umalusi's total expenditure. Consequently, they had had to rework the specifications, recompile the tender, and re-advertise it to ensure affordability so that accredited service providers could deliver a cost-effective solution.

He touched on the manual claim process used for professionals temporarily hired for monitoring and evaluation, emphasising the need to transition to an electronic system to enhance efficiency.

He described the organisation's efforts to acquire an ERP solution, stressing that this would help streamline various internal processes, reduce human errors, and improve efficiency in areas such as payroll and financial interfacing.

In response to questions about Umalusi's funding model, he said that Umalusi currently received around 80% of its income from the DBE, with the remainder generated through fees for services. The challenge lay in balancing affordable fees while complying with the constitutional requirement that education be accessible and affordable to all South Africans. Umalusi was developing a revised funding model and would engage with relevant stakeholders, including private institutions, to ensure that changes in the funding structure did not negatively impact them.

He expressed concern about potential budget cuts of 3% to 10% over the next MTEF cycle, as communicated by the DBE through National Treasury. Given the increasing demand for services, these cuts could significantly affect Umalusi's ability to deliver its mandate.

He also discussed Umalusi's achievement in exceeding its projected revenue income in the previous budget year due to higher demand for certification, verification and organisational activities. This additional income allowed Umalusi to expand some of its services and overachieve on certain targets. He said Umalusi's targets were based on realistic projections, and they continued to expand and achieve beyond these targets when possible.

Regarding the decrease in total assets, from R126 million to R123 million, he explained that it was mainly due to using reserves to fund the refurbishment project of their building. As the project concluded, they had had to settle contractual obligations, which had reduced their short-term deposits. However, they had been able to generate more revenue from interest income on their investment account, partially offsetting the expenses.

The Chairperson thanked the Umalusi CEO, the CFO and their team for their responses and participation in the meeting. The Umalusi representatives were then released from the meeting.

SACE's BRRR for 2022/23

Ms Ella Mokgalane, CEO, SA Council for Educators (SACE), presented the annual report for 2022/23. The presentation was divided into three parts -- an introduction focusing on legislative mandates and related matters, a section on performance information, and the final part concerning finances and the audit report.

In her introduction, Ms Mokgalane highlighted the legislative and policy environment in which SACE operates. The National Development Plan gave the SACE a mandate to establish and maintain professional standards for the teaching profession. It defined ten professional teaching standards that educators and teacher professional development providers must adhere to. These standards ensure the quality and relevance of professional development programmes. The SACE Act was clear about its role in registering educators, upholding ethical and professional standards, and monitoring compliance with professional development requirements. It also received funding from the DBE to implement continuing professional teacher development programmes.

(See attached)

SACE placed significant emphasis on the legislative and policy frameworks that guided its activities. It had a pivotal role in managing and facilitating Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for teachers, ensuring their participation in pertinent, high-quality and fit-for-purpose professional development programmes. Central to SACE's role in upholding ethical and professional standards among educators was the legislative framework, prominently featuring the SACE Act.

The presentation underscored the collaborative endeavours between SACE and other institutions, including Umalusi and the Council on Higher Education (CHE). These collaborations aimed to ensure educator registration, professional standards' compliance, and the provision of suitable initial teacher education and CPD. Legislative acts, such as the Employment of Educators Act and the South African Schools Act, played crucial roles in addressing concerns like corporal punishment.

Within the global context, SACE aligned its procedures with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) to monitor progress towards universal quality education. It also strived for harmony with the African Union (AU) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) frameworks to bolster the professionalisation of the teaching profession.

The presentation highlighted the mission and vision of SACE, which was dedicated to inspiring a credible teaching profession by upholding ethical and professional standards. This mission was aligned with the national objective of nurturing a developmental and ethical state, a fundamental endeavour in addressing ethical and professional matters within the teaching sector, while safeguarding its integrity. The presentation further stressed the importance of reverting to the teaching profession's core values to tackle ethical and professional challenges in the sector.

It also detailed the existence of six programmes and sub-programmes within SACE's budget structure, meticulously designed to monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of executive and governance functions within the organisation. SACE collaborates closely with the DBE, National Treasury and other stakeholders to ensure adherence to performance information instruments, planning instruments, monitoring and evaluation policies, and financial management standards.

A critical aspect highlighted was the necessity for more efficient systems and processes to adapt to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the advancements of the 21st century, encompassing digitalisation, automation and improved performance information. The presentation mentioned they were actively working on a project to address these challenges, with the invaluable support of the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) and other service providers.

Ethical standards for teachers occupied a pivotal role in the sub-programme. This encompassed the investigation of ethical misconduct, the conduct of disciplinary hearings, and the application of sanctions when warranted. Teacher behaviour was governed by the Code of Professional Ethics, comprising seven relationships, with strict adherence being paramount.

SACE maintained a robust focus on the professional development of educators and the quality management of the education system. Their objective was to regulate the teaching profession while supporting members in comprehending SACE's mandate and the repercussions of failing to adhere to its requisites.

Ms Mokgalane also addressed the importance of managing professional relationships within schools. She detailed the member support programme, primarily designed to address unprofessional matters as opposed to curriculum-related or educational management and development issues. The programme also provided support for professional development.

She described various aspects of SACE's work, encompassing research, data management, continuing professional development, ethical standards, and data-driven decision-making. She highlighted the significance of maintaining data sets related to teacher registration, violations of the code of professional ethics, and professional development programmes.

Ms Mokgalane presented statistics regarding SACE's responsibility to ensure that all registrants were fit to practice, the number of investigations and disciplinary hearings conducted for ethical violations, and the outcomes of these cases. She acknowledged the commitment of SACE to address the challenges, and said the CFO would provide more details on the audit findings.

Regarding the provincial offices, Ms Mokgalane mentioned the ongoing investigation by the SIU into the Eastern Cape office and its potential impact on future office openings. The organisation was reassessing the provincial setup to better align with the needs of teachers, taking into account factors like geography and the digitisation of certification processes.

(See attached for figures)

Financial report

In the audit report, SACE noted that external auditors had expanded their review scope. Although there had been some improvement in audit outcomes, challenges persisted. Notably, five performance indicators were not achieved in areas like investigations, disciplinary hearings and ethical standards. Issues were also highlighted concerning educators not submitting evidence for professional development points.

Within Programme 1: Administration, most targets were met, except for the percentage of invoices paid within 30 days, which had a minor deviation due to communication issues with suppliers.

Programme 2: Professional Registration, referred to the provisional registration for student educators and its expansion to include first-year students to address police clearance issues. Registration encompassed professionally qualified educators, academically qualified and professionally experienced educators, and those subject to special legislation. One performance indicator underscored the percentage of educators fit for registered practice.

In summary, SACE presented an overview of its audit report for the financial year 2022-2023, highlighting programme achievements and challenges. The report emphasised the vital role of educator registration in South Africa.

The audit report indicated that SACE had received an unqualified audit opinion, with an emphasis of matter. This emphasis encompassed concerns regarding irrecoverable membership fees from unemployed educators, and the reclassification of a grant from the Department of Education. The report also identified misstatements in unreported performance information, particularly concerning the number of educators who had earned professional development points and were supported on professional matters. SACE outlined its remedial actions, focusing on reviewing organisational performance, enhancing systems and processes for reliable performance information, and aligning with Departmental and Treasury guidelines.

The report provided in-depth insights into each programme's performance, highlighting achievements and challenges. These areas included professional registration, investigations, disciplinary hearings, professional development and research.

The report underscored SACE's commitment to enhancing its systems and processes to address the audit findings and ensure the credibility of its performance information.

The financial section of the SACE report indicated a 2% increase in total assets on the balance sheet, primarily attributed to cash and cash equivalents, receivables from exchange transactions, and membership fees. Current liabilities remained stable, while the accumulated surplus increased by 2%, reaching approximately R3 million compared to the previous year's R2 million. This increase in surplus was due to unspent operating expenses, maintaining the Council's stable and favourable financial position.

Moving on to the income statement, revenue from exchange transactions saw a notable 16% increase, primarily driven by registration-related revenue, including fees for new member registrations and reinstatements. Interest received also contributed to the revenue increase. However, spending on Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) decreased due to a reduction in government transfers resulting from economic pressures.

In terms of financial performance, total revenue increased by 9%. On the expenditure side, personnel expenditure decreased by 3% due to unfilled vacancies, pending a job evaluation process, while operating expenditure increased by 19%, attributed to adjustments in business operations, the impact of inflation on services, and improved interaction with educators, enhancing service delivery.

In summary, the Council had operated within its approved budget, resulting in a surplus of R3 million. Approval had been obtained to retain this surplus for contingency purposes and to enhance the operating infrastructure. The cash flow statement revealed a 4% increase in cash inflow, primarily due to improved revenue collection. However, net cash flows from operations had decreased by 73% due to increased outflows in payments. Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the financial year had increased by 2%, primarily due to improved revenue collection.

See attached for full presentation

Discussion

Mr Moroatshehla focused his question and recommendation on Programme 4 (Professional Teacher Development). He emphasised the dynamism of education, likening it to a moving target, and the critical need for teachers to be adequately developed to meet future challenges. His question was centred on the small number of educators confirmed to have earned a minimum of 50 professional development points in a year, which was reported as being 758, which contrasted blatantly with the total target of 25 000. He sought clarification for this large gap and expressed his concern about the implications of such underperformance.

Drawing from his extensive experience of over 10 years within the entity, particularly in the realm of professional teaching and ethics, he questioned the alignment of this performance with professionalism. He found it challenging to accept that only 758 educators had achieved the required professional development points when the target was significantly higher. He emphasised the need for a comprehensive explanation to address any potential misunderstandings.

He posed a multi-faceted question, inquiring about the reasons behind the entity's poor performance and the measures management was taking during the financial year to rectify this challenge. He also asked if any interventions were looked for from the DBE to address this issue.

He recommended that the entity implement consequence management actions on the responsible programme managers for indicators underperforming below 50%. This recommendation was aimed to emphasise the importance of accountability and the necessity of consequences for underperformance to drive improvement.

Ms Van Zyl's first question revolved around the migration of ECD to the DBE. She inquired about the number of ECD and Grade R teacher qualifications assessed and registered with SACE following this migration. She also sought information on SACE's plans and actions concerning underqualified or unqualified teachers within this sector.

Moving on to the topic of Continuing Professional Teacher Development points for educators, she sought clarification on the achievement of these points. She highlighted the requirement of 50 points in a given year, amounting to 150 over a three-year period. She emphasised the importance of this system in improving teaching quality and the professionalisation of the education sector. She also noted concerns raised by the auditors about the regulation of this programme by SACE, and inquired about the steps being taken to rectify the programme's issues.

In her final question, Ms Van Zyl raised concerns about the removal of 51 educators from the register for offences such as sexual misconduct and gross bodily harm. She found it worrying that only 51 educators had been removed, despite reports of up to 18 cases of rape and assault. She commented on the need for a more comprehensive response to such cases.

Mr Nodada outlined a series of content-specific questions along with more general inquiries. His first question centred on the indefinite removal of educators from the SACE register and the circumstances under which they could apply for readmission. He sought information on the readmission process and whether SACE kept data on how often educators were readmitted after indefinite removal.

The second question related to recruiting staff to enhance capacity in the planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting functions at the management and assistant management levels within SACE. How many posts had been advertised, and what was the timeline for filling these positions?

The third set of questions pertained to the backlog of investigations and disciplinary cases within SACE. He wanted to know the current number of cases in the backlog, the average duration for concluding investigations and disciplinary cases, and SACE's plans for eradicating the backlog to ensure efficient handling of new cases. He also asked what resources or support would be needed to achieve this.

Addressing the reported lack of interest among educators in professional development, he asked about SACE's efforts to educate and motivate educators about the benefits of professional development. Did SACE collaborate with other education stakeholders to promote professional development? He also posed a hypothetical scenario of a legal requirement for teachers to hold a minimum qualification of a post-graduate qualification.

He asked whether there were any preliminary findings related to educators' areas of specialisation and areas of need within the teaching profession. He emphasised the importance of aligning skills and specialisation with the education system's requirements to ensure students had well-qualified teachers.

Lastly, he requested information on the qualification requirements for ECD practitioners. He mentioned concerns raised by experts in Finland about the patchwork nature of ECD laws, policies and requirements in South Africa. He stressed the significance of addressing this issue, as ECD played a crucial role in a child's development before entering basic education.

Ms Moroane stressed the importance of obtaining sufficient funds from the DBE and the National Treasury to ensure that SACE had the necessary ability to process investigations efficiently. She raised concerns about potential delays, suggesting that victims may be coerced in some cases, and their families may receive bribes, leading to cases not being handled as rigorously as they should. She stressed the importance of allocating funds to address cases effectively and ensure that all cases were managed appropriately.

Mr Letsie inquired about the impact of the SIU investigation concerning a building in the Eastern Cape, on SACE's acquisition of buildings in other provinces. He highlighted the significant performance gap in SACE's target to have a minimum of 25 000 educators confirmed to have earned 50 professional development points in a year. He requested explicit details about the exact problems that had led to the underachievement, along with any mitigating factors. He also asked about the target for educators earning the minimum of 50 professional development points in the 2023/24 financial year and whether a designated official was responsible for achieving this target.

He referred to the AGSA's findings of material misstatements in SACE's report on performance indicators. He asked whether SACE had an internal audit function and external auditors, what the auditors would have found, when these issues had been identified, and what steps would be taken to ensure accurate reporting in the future.

The Chairperson began by seeking clarity on how SACE empowered young educators to understand the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill, and how the organisation contributed to informing teachers about their participation in the public consultation on the bill. She also expressed concern about the vagueness of the statement that 42 823 teachers were supported on various professional matters, and requested details on the specific areas of support provided to teachers.

There had been a query about separating ECD teachers from special needs teachers. The Chairperson requested an explanation for this differentiation, highlighting the need for clarity.

She commented that SACE may not be doing enough in terms of teacher development. She expressed concern about the 14% decrease in the Continuing Professional Development for Teachers, despite a simultaneous 9% increase in revenue. She emphasised the need for professional development in reading, literacy and numeracy. She inquired about how SACE addressed professional development in mathematics, especially considering a recent research article indicating that 55% of grade six teachers read at the level of a grade four child.

The recruitment of teachers, both for initial training and in-service, was another area of concern. The Chairperson questioned how SACE ensured teachers were appointed based on their knowledge and curriculum delivery capabilities.

Concerns had been raised about the effectiveness of the teacher registration process. The Chairperson cited examples of public complaints found on 'Hello Peter,' such as long response times and difficulties with the application process. She sought specific data on the number of educators who had applied for letters of good standing and how many had received them in the years 2021/22 and 2022/23. She highlighted the importance of SACE effectively fulfilling its role as a teacher registration entity.

SACE's responses

Ms Mokgalane began by addressing issues related to teacher registration. She said that all registrations received in the financial year had been processed and that a large majority of issues or challenges in the registration process were often attributed to miscommunication or missing documentation.

She acknowledged the concerns about the responsiveness of the SACE call centre. She said that SACE continuously checked and assessed the call centre's performance, tracking statistics such as the number of calls received, calls not responded to, and reasons for dropped calls. She highlighted that SACE was in job evaluation and a review and repositioning of its operations, aiming to address these concerns and improve its processes.

She said specific figures and data would be provided in a written response regarding the letters of good standing. She explained that applicants overseas often demanded letters of good standing while lacking a comprehensive vetting process, leading to longer processing times. Some applicants who studied in South Africa and immediately moved abroad without teaching in the country posed challenges, as SACE could not issue a letter of good standing for teachers not known to them.

She said that currently, SACE did not play a direct role in deciding who could enter initial teacher education programmes at universities. There was no active involvement in the recruitment process of students into Bachelor of Education or PGCE programmes.

Ms Mokgalane said that SACE was working towards developing minimum requirements for entry into initial teacher education programmes. The aim was to ensure that entry was not based solely on academic performance or admission points scores, but by defining the type of teachers the education sector requires, focusing on both quality and quantity. She acknowledged that this shift may be challenging, as universities often prioritised enrolment numbers for funding purposes. However, it was necessary to enhance the quality of teachers and align their training with the needs of the sector and the country.

In addition, SACE had signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the Council on Higher Education (CHE), responsible for quality assurance of qualifications and programmes in initial teacher education. This joint accreditation process would assess qualifications based on both academic and professional aspects, to ensure they were responsive to the profession's needs. Teachers who did not meet these criteria may not qualify for registration.

Ms Mokgalane explained that SACE did not play a direct role in the recruitment and employment of teachers, as this fell under the jurisdiction of labour and employment, and the provincial education departments. SACE's focus was on quality assurance, ensuring that teachers who enter the profession had gone through programmes of high quality and met all necessary criteria, including vetting against the sexual offenders register and the child protection register.

Addressing teacher development, particularly in the context of reading literacy and mathematics, she outlined how SACE manages the quality of professional development for teachers, focusing on a quality management system that assesses needs and endorses programmes accordingly. SACE collaborates with various stakeholders, including provincial education departments, teachers' unions, higher education institutions and others, to ensure professional development is aligned with sector needs.

Ms Mokgalane emphasised the importance of distinguishing between the roles of providers and employers of professional development, as they play a significant role in reporting and provisioning. She acknowledged the challenges in obtaining participation data from provincial education departments. She said that their mandate was primarily focused on ensuring that all the necessary parties report on professional development participation. SACE holds these entities accountable for providing relevant and effective professional development.

Regarding SACE's role in supporting teachers, she clarified that they assist teachers referred to as "members," in professional matters such as the code of professional ethics and professional teaching standards. They provide support and guidance, particularly in the context of the code of conduct and similar issues.

Responding to the Chairperson's question about how SACE assists educators with the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill, she said that their programmes primarily address professional matters related to the SACE Act's mandate. While they touched on sections relevant to the BELA Bill, they were cautious about stepping into territories outside their jurisdiction. SACE focuses on fostering a conducive and collegial environment in schools, especially in response to emerging issues in professional relationships, particularly those involving women.

She reiterated that SACE's primary role was ensuring quality and managing the CPTD system. They work in collaboration with other stakeholders responsible for providing professional development programmes, as specified in the legislative mandate and the National Development Plan.

Ms Mokgalane continued by mentioning the need to strengthen SACE's internal audit processes to ensure that performance information was effectively managed. She also stated that SACE was not directly audited by the Auditor-General, but stressed the importance of maintaining credible and correct data.

She mentioned her reluctance to delve into specifics regarding the SIU investigation, as the matter was still under investigation. She mentioned seeking legal opinions on certain matters related to refurbishment, but preferred not to pre-empt the SIU's findings. The SIU's report was expected to be released officially at the end of December 2023, for the proceedings to begin in January 2024.

Regarding the 150 points required in the CPTD system, she said the minimum requirement was 150 points over a three-year cycle, which meant 50 points per year. Educators self-report their professional development activities, but they must also submit a professional development portfolio that demonstrates the impact of their activities on their teaching practices. However, many educators reported without providing portfolios, leading to a lower number of recognised participants.

She referred to the issue of consequence management, and stated that there were currently no consequences for educators who did not take part in the CPTD system. She acknowledged the need for external regulation and incentives to encourage participation, such as linking it to national teaching awards or promotional requirements.

She emphasised that SACE faces financial constraints and could not allocate significant resources to incentives. She also addressed the National Treasury's funding, which provides specific funding for SACE's mandates, and highlighted that additional funds would be beneficial.

Regarding qualifications for ECD teaching, she said they collaborate with the DBE to ensure that qualifications align with the human resource development strategy, professionalisation, and registration requirements. The qualifications for ECD teaching currently started at the NFQ level 4 and may require a Diploma in Grade R teaching, although this was being phased out. There were ongoing discussions with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) to ensure the appropriateness of ECD qualifications.

Ms Mokgalane responded to the idea of requiring a Master's degree for entry into the teaching profession, emphasising that South Africa may not be ready for this, given the country's context. She mentioned the need for more time to professionalise the teaching sector and the current lack of incentives and rewards for educators engaging in continued professional development.

Regarding the backlog of cases, she said the challenges related to financial constraints, legal complexities, and the need to protect witnesses. She also noted that provinces sometimes did not handle their cases, and SACE became a last resort for teachers seeking resolution.

She said job posts had not yet been advertised due to ongoing job evaluation and review processes. She clarified that indefinite removal from the profession meant a teacher could not return, and those with indefinite removal were listed in the child protection register if the case involved harm to a child under 18. Reinstatement was possible after a specified period, but it did not guarantee re-employment as individual employers may make their own decisions.

She discussed the SACE policy on sanctions, and the recourse for teachers dissatisfied with sanctions. The only body that could review sanctions was the courts. She also mentioned the importance of adhering to SACE policies to prevent numerous litigations.

Mr Morris Mapindane, CFO, SACE, responded to a question about the material misstatements in performance information. He explained that SACE had set up several internal control mechanisms, including an internal audit unit, a planning performance and monitoring division, and external auditors supervised by the Auditor-General. These functions were designed to ensure compliance with performance information and the maintenance of internal controls.

These control units had indeed performed their tasks. The internal auditors had identified discrepancies during the year, which had been presented to the risk and internal audit committee. The external auditors had also identified material misstatements in their year-end audit. These discrepancies existed, even though SACE had the proper internal control structures in place.

He stressed that the corrective measures were being implemented to address these issues and to improve SACE's internal controls.

Closing remarks

In her closing remarks, the Chairperson thanked SACE for their presentation, and appreciated the discipline shown by the Members during the lengthy meeting. She said the Committee would meet again next week for their regular meetings.

She then mentioned "hellopeter.com" as a platform for raising and discussing issues, and suggested that the CEO of SACE might want to investigate it.

The meeting was adjourned.