South Africa-India Co-Operation Plan and Role of Inspectors in Education: briefings

Meeting report

PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
29 March 2006
SOUTH AFRICA-INDIA CO-OPERATION PLAN AND ROLE OF INSPECTORS IN EDUCATION: BRIEFINGS

Chairperson: Mr P Gomomo (ANC)

Documents handed out:
Department of Public Service and Administration presentation
Department of Education presentation

SUMMARY
The Departments of Public Service and Administration and Education presented information on the South Africa- India Co-operation plan and the role of inspectors in education. Foreign nationals would be used to address skills shortages and engage in mentorship programmes. A memorandum of understanding had been signed with India. Needs within the local education sector would be identified. Principles and criteria in the use of foreign nationals were outlined. Various statistics in education were presented. Detail was provided on how to improve input from school Inspectors. A development appraisal system would be implemented. The Integrated Quality Management System would govern the evaluation process.

Members asked numerous questions including which provinces would benefit from foreign nationals, the danger of dependence on foreign nationals, the need to use local qualified individuals first, the need to identify key reasons for poor service delivery, whether plans would adhere to specific timeframes, potential benefits for India from the interaction, the envisaged role of external school evaluators, whether an appeal system existed for the evaluation process, the presence of standard evaluation documentation and the need for enhanced capacity levels to achieve stated objectives.

MINUTES
The Chairperson declared that the Committee had to play a role in monitoring the implementation of government policy. Success could be achieved through a co-ordinated approach to the many challenges.

Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) presentation
Mr K Govender (Chief Director:Human Resource Development Strategy) provided detail on joint India-South Africa activities with regard to education. The aim was to address the skills gap by means of the utilisation of foreign nationals. A high-ranking delegation had recently visited India to discuss practicalities. Various methods had been explored to achieve objectives. He stated that a guide to mentorship programmes had been established and joint training programmes were in place involving the South African Management Development Institute (SAMDI). Outcomes of the visit were elucidated including the signing of a memorandum of understanding that would facilitate the transfer of skills between the two public sectors. An evaluation of the local education sector would be undertaken to identify needs. Joint senior management training programmes would be conducted. A survey of local government needs would also be performed. Principles in the use of foreign nationals were outlined. Statistics were provided on the education sector including the ratio of support staff to educators. Cabinet had approved the recommendations. Progress on the co-operation with India was outlined.

Discussion
Ms Mokgalong (Public Service Commission (PSC)) noted the absence of the Department of Labour (DOL) and employee representatives. She asked whether an educator appraisal system was in place. Other provinces should also benefit from the programme.

Dr U Roopnarain (IFP) voiced concern on the danger of dependence on foreign skills and the possible neglect of local graduates and skilled individuals. The public sector should harness local skills to address capacity shortfalls such as in the health sector.

Ms L Maloney (ANC) sought clarity on reasons for ineffectiveness in service delivery as various mentorship programmes were already in place. She asked whether specific weaknesses had been identified prior to initiating the India plan.

Mr M Msoki (Public Service Commission) asked whether the stipulated timelines would remain in place and for the extent of awareness of the programme by all stakeholders. Performance management systems tended to be applied in an uneven manner between administrators and educators. He asked what benefits would accrue to India in return for bearing accommodation costs for trainees.

Mr Govender responded that the project deadlines were regarded as serious and joint teams were in place to drive the process in accordance with set timeframes. The Department of Labour was part of the process and some discussion had been held with the labour movement. The Deputy President had recently launched a joint labour, business and government initiative that would assist. Vital skills had to be identified for the country as a whole to ensure that the 2014 objectives and macro-economic goals were met. The use of Indian nationals would not create dependency as the intervention was intended to be short-term. A skills transfer was part of the initiative. Other more technical skills such as engineering and town planning would be tackled in the long-term. Initiatives were in place to make use of local graduates in the public sector. A national human resource development strategy had been created to meet demand. DOL was involved in reskilling youth. Further education and training programmes existed for grades 10,11 and 12. Focused short-term interventions were required to address capacity shortages. Research would be conducted at the district level to identify needs. All role-players were aware of the stipulated timelines. The proposed India plan would initially be approached in a focused manner before an extension would be contemplated. The training of managers would be a joint operation with benefits for both sides.

Mr F Patel (Acting Director-General: Department of Education) stated that capacity assessments in the education sector had been completed and a task team had been established comprising national and provincial education departments to drive the process. The first evaluation of educators had taken place in 2005 on a system-wide basis. One provincial result was outstanding due to various problems. Urban provinces would also be included in the process in due course. Capacity was needed to conduct adequate assessment programmes. He acknowledged that the performance management system was applied in varying degrees in different regions and in different schools. New district management systems were needed to improve delivery. 2000 temporary educators would be appointed in the Eastern Cape. Capacity needs had to be clearly defined within specific areas. The Department was engaged in a recapitalisation programme that would provide approximately R15 million to each training college to source equipment and necessary items. The education sector had a 2% vacancy rate in total if temporary teachers in schools were taken into account. Unfunded vacancies would be reduced.

The Chairperson indicated that lack of capacity existed at all levels of the sector including national and provincial departments. The commitment of management, educators and administrators had to be present. The education system had to make a positive contribution to national development. The capacity to render effective oversight also had to be considered.

Dr N Maharaj (PSC-Western Cape) added that the dependence on foreign nationals was a concern and mentioned the saga of the Cuban medical practitioners in the 1990s. Lessons learnt should be applied to the present education project. Service delivery in rural areas was a priority. The presence of foreign nationals had to contribute to enhanced education levels. The 2014 goals for education should be emphasised in plans. Initiatives were in place to address skills shortages amongst educators. 88% of matriculants were unable to continue tertiary education due to poor results. Such results had to be addressed urgently.

Mr S Mbokazi (Deputy Director-General: Kwazulu-Natal Department of Education) referred to the difficulty in identifying norms for the allocation of office staff and to acquire the optimal teacher-pupil ratio. Districts were of variable sizes with different numbers of schools. The District Education Management System would seek to create norms to be applied in provinces. A District had to be clearly defined and the appropriate cluster of schools at the ward level determined. Norms for the allocation of staff and equipment were very important.

Mr Msoki sought clarity on the recent appointment of 2000 temporary teachers and asked whether this was due to a change in the system or an agreement with the labour movement.

Department of Education presentation
Mr Patel provided detail on how to transform the system to ensure quality and sound input from school inspectors. A development appraisal system would be implemented and progress monitored at the school level. Evaluation would be designed to promote development. A quality control process would ensure the credibility of evaluation data. The Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) would provide assessment of teachers.

Discussion
Mr KK Khumalo (ANC) raised a concern that evaluation systems at the school level appeared confused. No criteria or standards seemed to be in place. He asked what qualifications were required of external evaluators. The inherited legacies of the past education system tended to contribute to the high levels of confusion.

Ms Mokgalong referred to recent oversight trips to the provinces that uncovered numerous problems in the education sector and asked provincial officials to be more transparent in debating issues. Many teachers complained of lack of support from district officials. The capacity of inspectors remained a concern.

Dr Roopnarain asked whether an appeal facility existed within the evaluation system.

Ms Maloney asked whether a student representative structure was in place in the Indian system as existed in the local education sector.

Mr Msoki sought clarity on the level of adherence to the IQMS and whether standard documents for evaluation had been formulated.

Ms S Mahlase (Deputy Director-General: SAMDI) asked whether the IQMS had been implemented at pilot schools. International research had indicated that maths results tended to vary between the rural and urban context. She asked whether baseline information on the standard of maths in South Africa was available.

Mr Patel responded that no confusion existed regarding the evaluation system and all role-players were aware of their responsibilities. Relevant policy had been published in the Government Gazette. A signed agreement was in place with educator parties and relevant documentation would be made available. External evaluators referred to individuals external to a particular school and not external to the education system. The education sector was inundated with numerous new policies. Checks and balances had been created to ensure that deadlines were met. An appeal process for the evaluation system was in place. Standard documents had been formulated to assist in the evaluation process. A school appraisal was conducted that was signed by the principal in question. The report was then sent to the district level and placed on a database. The results were linked to the salary system. Development programmes had been established to address shortcomings. Progress would be measured over time. A current proposal was to link learner performance to teacher input. Discussions with labour would be organised to formulate an appropriate model. Research was required on the optimal size of classes to render effective education. The IQMS would be implemented throughout the sector. Indian processes of delivery regarding maths teachers would be studied.

Mr E Fray (Acting Chief Director- Eastern Cape Department of Education) noted that stability between administration and teacher unions was required to ensure progress. Certain teachers were not adhering to acceptable standards. A culture of teaching had to be inculcated. Quality teaching and learning had to be entrenched. Education development officers would manage the evaluation process and ensure integrity. The ratio between inspectors and schools was unbalanced. Increased levels of human capacity were needed to achieve improved results.

The Chairperson added that the Eastern Cape Member of the Executive Council (MEC) had to include all stakeholders in a working group to identify key initiatives to improve the standard of education. Co-ordination and monitoring were important components of an effective response. Discussions within the Committee should be communicated down to the provincial and local government level. All relevant documentation related to policy developments had to be provided to Members and the provincial structures had to be more involved in oversight trips.

Mr Patel declared that processes were underway in the Eastern Cape to improve service delivery in the education sector. National leadership was included in a task team designed to address imperfections. Temporary teachers would help to alleviate backlogs but more permanent teachers would be employed to solidify advancements. Teachers would receive training on administrative skills. Enhanced capacity also depended on the restructuring of systems where necessary. The budgeting process had to be as accurate as possible.

Dr S Muthayan (Chief Director: Strategic Business Support, department of Education) stated that a proper interrogation of inherited systems still had to be undertaken. The present system continued to contain strong elements from the colonial and apartheid eras. All relevant institutions had to be carefully analysed to produce meaningful transformation plans.

Ms Mahlase stated that research had been conducted on the perceptions of teachers with regard to the evaluation process. The new evaluation procedure involved extensive paper work that could impact negatively on time devoted to teaching. A health and wellness programme for teachers would be introduced.

Mr Patel stated that the Education Labour Relations Council would address labour issues arising from the evaluation process. A workload study for teachers had been conducted and most educators spent 50% of their time on administration issues. The health of teachers would also be improved through wellness programmes.

The meeting was adjourned.