Umalusi?s Role in Public Schools; Forum of African Parliamentarians for Education in the Southern Region Report
Basic Education
27 March 2007
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Meeting report
EDUCATION PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
27 March 2007
UMALUSI’S ROLE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS; FORUM OF AFRICAN PARLIAMENTARIANS FOR
EDUCATION IN THE SOUTHERN REGION REPORT
Chairperson: Mr S Mayatula (ANC)
Documents handed out:
UMALUSI Powerpoint Presentation
Umalusi’s
Site Visits to Independent Schools in 2006 booklet
Draft Report
on 4th Meeting of Forum of Southern African Community
of Forum of African Parliamentarians for Education (SACFAPED)
Committee Draft Report on 4th meeting of Forum of African
Parliamentarians for Education (FAPED)
Committee Draft Report on Study Tour to Mauritius, November 2006
[Available at Tabled
Committee Reports once adopted]
SUMMARY
The incoming CEO of Umalusi presented an overview on Umalusi’s objectives and its role in public schools. The
objectives included quality assurance in the General and Further Education and
Training sectors and regulating the relationship between the Department of
Education, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), other Education
and Training Quality Assurance (ETQA) providers and Umalusi.
The Committee deduced that Umalusi was unable to
carry out its mandate adequately, perhaps mostly because of difficulties in
accessing national and provincial education departments (PEDs)
and schools and because of inadequate resources.
The report on the meeting of the Forum of African Parliamentarians for
Education in the Southern region was adopted.
MINUTES
Umalusi presentation
Ms E Rabie (incoming CEO of Umalusi)
gave an overview of the aims and processes of Umalusi,
the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training
(GENFET). Umalusi focuses on institutional
accreditation and monitoring and quality assurance of qualifications and
curricula and their assessment. They are supposed to set standards and monitor PEDs, Further Education and Training (FET) colleges,
private providers of education and training and assessment bodies, Adult Basic
Education and Training (ABET) centres and public assessment bodies.
Umalusi had completed a full evaluation of the nine PEDs and the national Department but their monitoring of PEDs regarding public schools, FET colleges and ABET
centres was limited. In response, they had submitted a proposal to the Minister
in July 2006. They defined the following as a conceptual challenge: PEDs are defined as the ‘provider’ in the General and
Further Education and Training Quality Assurance Act and ‘deemed accredited’ by
Umalusi. Umalusi said that
it was problematic to accredit a body that had a constitutional duty to provide
quality education. Practical challenges were that all education departments had
an ‘evaluation overload’ as they had to undergo procedures by the auditor
general and the Public Service Commission. Umalusi’s
mandate is duplicated by the Department, collaboration is difficult and
resources are inadequate.
Umalusi would like to promote quality in the
management of standards and sites, in curriculum, teaching, learning,
assessment, learner support and governance. Their aim would be to assess the
extent to which schools meet educational outcomes such as learner attainment,
transitions, participation rates and values. To do this would require financial
and professional support and engagement with the Department.
Umalusi’s monitoring of independent schools would be
completed in 2007/8. The findings could be used to inform future initiatives in
the public system.
Discussion
Mr A Gaum (ANC) said that the Committee’s theme
for 2007 was quality. Monitoring PEDs was crucial,
especially in public schools.
Mr G Boinamo (DA) said that Early Childhood
Development (ECD) was important but in some communities one saw ECD educators
‘herding kids like cattle’. These children learnt nothing because the educators
were unqualified.
Mr B Mthembu (ANC) agreed with Mr Gaum.
Umalusi was not playing its role in public ordinary
schools (POS). He asked for more information on ‘internal assessment’. Why did
state institutions not cooperate in the interest of the public? Umalusi could promote quality. He pointed to the irony of
private schools being monitored when public schools were not. Why was Umalusi’s constitutional mandate not realisable? The reason
could not be financial because there were funds to visit private schools.
Dr Peliwe Lolwana (outgoing
CEO of Umalusi) said that it was necessary to
contextualise the questions in terms of other government activities. Whole
School Evaluation (WSE) had not been put in place completely The Integrated
Quality Management System (IQMS) included WSE but this ‘had not taken off’.
These new systems made it difficult for Umalusi to
carry out its mandate. Umalusi could not visit a PED
without prior arrangements with the national Department. The national
Department also had some difficulty in visiting PED offices. Umalusi had made presentations on its activities and aims
to various stakeholders – the Council of Education Ministers (CEM), PEDs and others. The discussion always conflated Umalusi activities with similar activities undertaken by
other bodies. Also a budget of R7m was insufficient for monitoring all
examinations. Anecdotes about ‘rogue’ private schools had prompted Umalusi to investigate the sector but the allegations were
generally unfounded. These schools had paid for the visits.
The Chair said that once Umalusi was carrying out its
mandate, further funding would follow.
Dr Lolwana replied that Umalusi
had engaged with the Department about its difficulties without sufficient
response. The Act stipulated that Umalusi was to
‘progressively’ carry out its mandate.
The Chair responded that the Department had assured the Committee that they
were not stopping Umalusi. He asked for concrete
requests from the presenters.
Ms Rabie said that public FET colleges could pay for Umalusi monitoring but it was difficult to monitor POS,
except for assessment at the various points where learners exited the system.
Dr Lolwana said that the national Department was
responsible for (ECD and other) teacher provision and the PEDs
were responsible for teacher deployment.
The Chair said that the presentation focused on the obstacles to Umalusi carrying out its mandate. He wanted the delegation
to suggest solutions (but not funding).
Mr R Ntuli (ANC) said that ‘we kid ourselves’ with
the good (matric) pass rate even though it did not
offer access to work. Grade 9 was also an exit point but only theoretically. We
should maximise the chances for learners to leave school to enter the world of
work or FET college.
The Chair said that tests showed that learners could not read or write in Grade
7. The education system was not a quality one.
Mr A Mpontshane (IFP) was
frustrated that Umalusi could not carry out its
mandate. Why were there perceived tensions between itself and the Department?
The Department denied these tensions. There was no effective teaching in
primary schools because there were no exams.
Mr B Mosala (ANC) said that the Committee should
rigorously investigate the real reasons for Umalusi’s
non-performance. The Department had implied that Umalusi
was ‘a spoilt brat’ but the delegation implied that there was a problem between
itself and the Department.
Dr Lolwana said that it enjoyed a collegial
relationship with the Department. The difficulty was in knowing their roles. Umalusi was a very ‘well-liked’ public body. The monitoring
of private education institutions was unproblematic. In public education, roles
were not clear, not even between the national and provincial education
departments with the result that Umalusi was not
supported. There were problems with agreeing on definitions of basic education,
exit qualifications, ABET qualification and English as a second language. She
asked the Committee to facilitate a better working relationship.
Ms M Matsomela (ANC) said that if there was
duplication of the mandates of Umalusi and the
Department, roles should be clarified, especially when it came to PEDs. Had the problem of duplication been addressed at all?
Mr Gaum said that Dr Lolwana
stated that the relationship was not in conflict but that was not the main
issue anyway. Umalusi was not carrying out its
mandate. The Committee’s duty was to ensure that Umalusi
was capacitated. It was natural that PEDs would not
want Umalusi to monitor and evaluate them but Umalusi nevertheless had to fulfil its mandate. Why did the
PED being defined as a provider of education in the Act pose a conceptual
challenge? The SA Human Rights Commission could investigate any public service
and Umalusi should similarly be able to investigate
its area. The fact that PEDs had to undergo
monitoring by other bodies should not be an excuse for them not to be monitored
by Umalusi.
The Chair urged the Committee not to take the matter lightly. He was not sure
that the ‘conceptual challenges’ mentioned in the presentation implied
duplication. Umalusi should conduct objective
external evaluation. He proposed taking the presentation to the Department.
Dr Lolwana said that it would be helpful to discuss
the matter with Umalusi and the Department together.
All agreed on this step and that it should be taken before Dr Lolwana left Umalusi at the end
of June.
Draft Report on the Forum of African Parliamentarians for Education in the
Southern Region
Mr Mthembu provided a brief report back on the 4th
meeting of the Forum of the African Parliamentarians for Education (FAPED),
held in Mangochi, Malawi on November 8-10, 2006. The
report was adopted with minor amendments. The next FAPED meeting is scheduled
to take place in South Africa.
The Mauritius Study Tour Report was not discussed as members had to leave to
attend the launch of the new Parliamentary emblem.
The meeting was adjourned.
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