Question NW1117 to the Minister of Basic Education
13 June 2017 - NW1117
Davis, Mr GR to ask the Minister of Basic Education
With reference to the note of the Auditor-General in his review of the 2017-18 Annual Performance Plan of her department, that her department is presently negotiating with unions on the implementation of performance agreements of principals, (a) why is there a delay in the implementation of the performance contracts, (b) which unions are currently opposed to the implementation of performance contracts and (c) what plans does she have to resolve the impasse over the implementation of performance contracts?
Reply:
(a) The signing of work plans is a new service condition for principals and is embedded in the Quality Management System (QMS) for school-based educators. The QMS instrument requires all principals to develop work plans with clear targets and deliverables for their respective schools. The work plan will serve as a performance agreement that will be signed by both the principal and his/her immediate supervisor (i.e. the circuit manager). The Combined Trade Union- Autonomous Teachers Union (CTU-ATU) and the Department of Basic Education (DBE) have already signed the QMS collective agreement while SADTU still has to sign the agreement.
(b) The agreement has not been signed by SADTU. SADTU will only sign if the annual salary progression based on satisfactory performance increases from 1% to 1.5%. SADTU is using the 0.5% salary progression as a bargaining tool.
(c) The Minister of Basic Education has promulgated the revised Personnel Administrative Measures (PAM), dated 12 February 2016. The revised PAM includes the job descriptions of all educators from post level 1-4 and requires that a work-plan must be signed off between the educators and their immediate supervisors. The promulgation of the revised PAM has overtaken the impasse between the SADTU and the DBE with respect to the QMS as the job descriptions and requirement to develop work-plans are now regulated as policy and must be implemented by all principals and circuit managers in Provincial Departments of Education as part of the compliance measures as regulated in PAM. The DBE has further informed HEDCOM and CEM about the need to ensure that all school principals and circuit managers are informed about this and implement this as a compliance measure. The ELRC has also conducted training of all provinces on the revised PAM so that all principals and PED officials understand the amendments. This training has further assisted to ensure that all levels in the education system are informed of the revised measures and are able to implement it as part of compliance.