ATC110830: Report on Engagement with the Department of Basic Education in Pretoria

Basic Education

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on its engagement with the Department of Basic Education in Pretoria, dated 30 August 2011

 

The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, having undertaken an oversight visit to and workshop with the Department of Basic Education from 28 – 29 June 2011, reports as follows:

 

1. Background

 

1.1               During the last week of the second term of Parliament, time was allocated for Portfolio Committees to focus on their mandate and that of the Department and entities that the Committees oversee. In pursuit of this goal, the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education travelled to Pretoria and conducted working sessions with the various units of the Department of Basic Education at the Head Office of the Department of Basic Education, 222 Struben Street, Pretoria.

 

1.2               The visit allowed the Portfolio Committee to engage and interact extensively with the Department at its head office, on its planned activities for delivery under its programmes and sub-programmes. This included a reflection on the Department’s annual performance plan which had not been finalised during the presentation of the Department’s strategic plan and budget. Through this engagement, the Committee was afforded an opportunity to determine the link between the Department’s plans, budget and performance. The visit also created the opportunity for the Committee to meet officials from the Department whom it would otherwise not have met.

 

1.3               The workshop with the Department was conducted by way of presentations by senior officials from four branches of the Department of Basic Education. At the introductory session the Director-General, Mr B Soobrayan provided a brief overview of the work of the Department. He further confirmed the significance of the visit by the Portfolio Committee indicating that it was important that officials from the Department had the opportunity to engage with the Members of the Portfolio Committee.

 

1.4               The presentations by the representatives of the Department were followed by deliberations from Members of the Portfolio Committee. The Portfolio Committee was also invited to attend the official announcement of the Annual National Assessment Results released by the Minister of Basic Education at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. During the course of the two days, an input was also received from the Deputy Minister, Hon E Surty.

 

1.5               This report provides a brief summary of the presentations made by the Department to the Portfolio Committee, which focused mainly on key activities of the various branches, their achievements and challenges in the previous financial year as well as their current priorities.

 

 

 

2. Composition of the delegation

 

2.1 Parliamentary Delegation

 

2.1.1     The delegation from the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education    comprised of Hon H Malgas MP (Chairperson), Hon N Gina MP (ANC), Hon Z Makhubele MP (ANC), Hon C Moni MP (ANC), Hon F Mushwana MP, Hon J Skosana MP (ANC), Hon D Smile MP (DA), Hon A M Mpontshane MP (IFP), Hon N Kganyago MP (UDM), Hon C Dudley MP (ACDP) and Hon K Dikobo MP (AZAPO).

 

2.1.2     Administrative support for the visit included Mr L Brown (Committee           Secretary), Mr D Bandi (Content             Advisor), Mr L Mahada (Parliamentary      Researcher) and Ms S Goba (Committee Assistant).

 

2.2 Department of Basic Education representation

 

The Department of Basic Education was represented by Mr B Soobrayan – Director-General, Dr S Mannah – Director: Race and Values in Education, Ms H Mabunda – Director: Gender Equality, Mr P Njobe – Director: Office of the Director-General, Ms N Xulu-Mabumo – Director: Safety, Enrichment and Sport in Education, Mr T Nkomo – Project Manager: Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign, Mr L Taylor – Project Manager: Partnerships and Mobilisation, Mr T Kojana – Chief Director: Social Inclusion and Mobilisation, Mr N Rakwena – Director: National School Nutrition Programme, Ms F Kumalo – Chief Director: Care and Support in Schools, Ms G Ndebele – Deputy Director-General: Social Mobilisation and Support Services, Mr V Jacobs – Office Manager, Ms K Mohoebi – Parliamentary Liaison Officer (Office of the Director-General), Ms J Kinnear – Director: General Education and Training Schools, Dr N Nduna-Watson – Director: FET Schools, Mr PMnisi – Director: Curriculum Innovation, Mr M Simelane – Director: Inclusive Education, Dr J Joshua – Director: Learning and Teaching Support Material, Mr A Subban – Director: Enhancement of Programmes and Evaluation of School Performance, Ms M.L Samuels – Acting Chief Director, Prof V McKay – Chief Executive Officer: Kha Ri Gude, Mr E Rabotapi – Director: Educator Performance Management and Development, Mr K Vilankulu – Assistant Director: Initial Teacher Education, Mr H Mohamed – Director, Ms L Munday – Director, Mrs P Tyobeka – Deputy Director-General, Ms S Geyer, Chief Director: Education Human Resources Management, Mr J Ndlebe – Director: Education Management and Governance Development and Dr F Nzama – Chief Director: Education Human Resources Development.

 

3.  Branch: Social Mobilisation and Support Services

 

The purpose of this branch is to mobilize all sectors of society in support of basic education and facilitate provision of enrichment programmes for holistic development and well being of all learners.

 

The Branch has the following Chief Directorates:

 

 3.1         Chief Directorate: Care and Support in Schools

 

The main purpose of the Chief Directorate was to develop and guide the implementation of policies and programmes to:

·     Coordinate and monitor the implementation of the National School

    Nutrition Programme (NSNP)

·     Promote health and healthy lifestyles

·     Coordinate the development and implementation of an integrated comprehensive HIV response

The chief directorate also dealt with addressing barriers to learning which included:

·     Societal barriers – poverty, child-headed households, children living on the streets, children affected by HIV and Aids

·     Intrinsic barriers – physical, psychosocial and health related problems

·     Pedagogy barriers – inappropriate teaching methods, learning and teaching material, inappropriate assessment procedures

·     Systemic barriers – inadequate facilities, overcrowded classrooms, lack of basic learning material

                       

                        The following Directorates formed part of this Chief Directorate:

 

                        3.1.1     Directorate: Health Promotion and Psychosocial Support - to create a healthy school environment by promoting the general health and wellbeing of learners and educators. This was achieved by addressing key health and social barriers to learning in order to promote effective teaching and learning. Some achievements of the directorate for 2010/11 included

·        The development of the first draft of the DBE Integrated Strategy on HIV and AIDS

·       The screening of Grade 1 learners in quintile 1 primary schools in 18 priority health districts through the School Health Screening Programme

·       The strengthening of partnerships with stakeholder organisations to add value to the core outcomes.

 

Challenges identified included the need for effective intersectoral collaboration with the Department of Health, Department of Social Development and NGOs in the implementation of plans. There was also a need for sustainable funding.

 

3.1.2          Directorate: National School Nutrition Programme – to address learner’s ability to learn by providing them with nutritious meals. The directorate also aimed to enhance the educational experience of the neediest learners through the promotion of punctual attendance, improving concentration and general health and development. Noticeable achievements for 2010/11 included

·     8 125 695 learners in 20 520 schools reached nationally every day

·     Successful extension to Quintile 2 Secondary Schools

·     42 306 volunteer food handlers engaged

·     Funds transferred to provincial departments to procure equipment.

           

Challenges faced included the lack of storage space, a backlog in cooking equipment and utensils and inadequate human resource capacity at provincial and district levels.

 

3.1.3          Directorate: Race and Values in Education – to ensure education institutions promote human rights and dignity for all. The directorate also helps to ensure teacher development programmes prepare teachers to teach in a manner that promotes anti-discrimination and the dignity for all. Noticeable achievements included

·         the development of a training manual for SGBs and RCLs to infuse Human Rights and Values in school governance and ethos

·         Learners from all 9 provinces participated in the Moot Court Competition in partnership with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, University of Pretoria and the Foundation for Human Rights (FHR).

 

3.1.4          Directorate: Gender Equality in Education – key programmes for this directorate for 2011/12 include

 

·     Defining a policy framework for gender equality and equity

·     Putting in place regulations to ensure uniformity in respect of learner pregnancies

·     Conducting research on sexual violence in schools

·     Implementing the Speak Out Campaign.

                                   

                        3.2        Chief Directorate: Social Inclusion and Mobilisation in Education

           

                        This Chief Directorate ensures access and participation by all learners in                            school enrichment programmes and promotes a sense of shared                                           responsibility across society in educational matters. Key deliverables include                        the following:

·         implementation protocol on school safety signed by the Minister of Basic Education and SAPS

·         linking 9000 schools to local police stations and establishing safe school committees

·         Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign structures launched in all provinces

·         Integrated School Sports Plan approved by the Ministers of Basic Education and Sport and Recreation

 

The Chief Directorate has the following Directorates:

 

3.2.1          Directorate: Partnerships in Education – the focus of this directorate was to develop strategies for public-private partnerships in education and action plans to implement the strategy. The directorate also monitors, evaluates and reports on public-private partnership programmes. Some of the achievements include the 53 businesses that pledged support towards certain key areas (infrastructure, curriculum support, teacher development, school sport and nutrition). 

 

3.2.2          Directorate: Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign (QLTC) – the main objective is the establishment and empowerment of all inclusive functional QLTC structures at all levels. The directorate further monitors and supports the rollout of QLTC principles and programmes. The campaign also honours and recognises pockets of excellence and good performance in education.    

 

3.2.3          Directorate: School Safety and Enrichment Programme – The programme aims to create a safe learning environment for schools. A key objective is to improve the quality of arts, culture and music education and training in schools. The programme also strives to promote mass participation in school sport and facilitate the implementation of physical education in schools.

 

4. Branch: Curriculum Policy Support and Monitoring

 

The purpose of the programme was to develop policies and programmes to support and monitor the implementation of the national curriculum policy and support programmes that enhance curriculum outcomes in the basic education system from Grades R to 12. The programme relates specifically to Goals 1 to 13, 18 to 20 and 26 of the Action Plan which deal with outputs in relation to learning and enrolments. Sub-Programmes include:

           

·         Curriculum Implementation and Monitoring of Grades R to 12;

·         Curriculum and Quality Enhancement Programmes; and

·         Kha Ri Gude Literacy Project.

 

The strategic objectives of the programme were:

·         To incentivise teacher adoption of e-Education by means of a substantial increase in the availability of learning and teaching resources, including through the internet

·         To bring about stability and coherence with respect to the national school curriculum

·         To pay special attention to improvements in mathematics, physical science and technical subjects at the FET band in schools through national programmes such as Dinaledi and the Technical Secondary Schools Recapitalisation Grant

·         To promote adequate access to quality learning materials by means of better national specifications on learner requirements and a more proactive approach towards the cost-effective development, reproduction and distribution of materials such as workbooks and textbooks

·         To establish national norms for school libraries

·         To create a sound basis for quality pre-Grade 1 education through the promotion of quality learning and teaching materials at this level

·         To finalise and promote national screening guidelines that provide for an equitable system of access to special needs support amongst learners.

 

4.1               Curriculum

 

            The Department was tasked with the ddevelopment of a single comprehensive        Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) to enhance learning and teaching.       On the orientation of Subject Advisors, 336 Foundation Phase and 2480     FET      Phase subject advisors have been trained to date. Implementation for 2011/12        included the       preparation of textbooks, orientation of teachers, managers and         subject advisors and printing and distribution of CAPS to schools.

 

      The National and Provincial Departments of Education have           analysed samples of      learner scripts - 270 per subject: high, middle and low            performance across provinces     in the 2010 NSC examination. The scripts have indicated problematic areas for          learners and these have been used for planning interventions in 2011. The   Department has generated reports on item analysis and distributed these to schools.          Provinces have set performance targets for subjects for 2011 and have generated            interventions per subjects.

 

4.2               Literacy and Numeracy

 

            4.2.1     Strengthening the Curriculum

                        The focus of the strategy was on developing an effective reading, writing and                       calculating strategy for all schools to promote and support the development of              Basic    competences especially in the Foundation and Intermediate Phases.

 

            4.2.2     Teacher Training and Support

                  The development of these basic skills was a critical component of the                                Foundation       Phase Languages and Mathematics curricula. In the short-term,                the focus of teacher training and support would be on in-service teacher                                  training courses.

 

4.2.3          District Development and Support

 

                        This included the following:

·     Training of district officials on CAPS, FP Curriculum Specialists

·     Training on the Implementation of English FAL

·     Training Mother tongue languages(African languages)

·     Providing support to School Management Teams on CAPS

·     Providing School and Classroom Support

 

4.3        Maths, Science and Technology

 

      The DBE has developed a Maths, Science and Technology Improvement Strategy. The purpose of the strategy was to use evidence based interventions to improve   participation and performance in mathematics, science and technology.

 

      Interventions in Maths and Science included:

·         A comprehensive FAQ on the maths/science CAPS would be produced to manage and address curriculum-related concerns.

·         Plans to extract from existing materials and develop new materials (where necessary) and produce a pack that teacher trainers at district level could use to address widespread gaps in maths/science.

·         The Department would facilitate a process with key stakeholders whereby required standards for Mathematics and Science were developed.

·         The Department would conduct an investigation into how a few currently existing teacher centres in typical contexts added value to Mathematics and Science teaching in surrounding schools.  Departmental officials should be involved in the investigation process and should visit centres and communicate their findings widely, e.g. to districts.

·         A comprehensive survey on existing levels of access to textbooks and workbooks in maths/science will occur.  This is already planned with respect to all subjects.

·         The DBE should produce an easy-to-read summary of known problems in the classroom with regard to the effective teaching of Mathematics and Science. This summary is largely intended to guide teachers and their trainers.

 

4.4        Early Childhood Development

 

            4.4.1     Planned activities for universal access to Grade R include the finalisation of a policy on Grade R provisioning and resource packs being provided to all schools with Grade R - aligned to the Curriculum and Assessment Policy  Statement (CAPS).There was a need to establish a common monitoring system to report adequately on delivery.

           

4.4.2          Regarding the improvement of the quality of Early Childhood Development the Department had the following planned:

·         To develop the ECD national curriculum and programmes in line with the National Early Learning and Development Standards (NELDS) to improve the quality of provisioning in ECD sites.

·         To coordinate the training of ECD practitioners for skills development through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).

·         To establish a joint monitoring system with the Department of Social Development.

 

            Challenges and risks identified included:

·         The non-compulsory status of Grade R

·         Poor conditions of service for Grade R and ECD practitioners

·         Poor quality of ECD programmes in ECD sites

·         Lack of credible data on ECD

 

4.5        Inclusive Education

 

Policy statements for accommodating diversity through curriculum delivery and assessment were developed and approved for incorporation into CAPS.        The accommodation of diversity through the curriculum was included in the CAPS Orientation Programme for provincial and district officials. Workbooks 1 for grades 1-4 were adapted for Brailing and orders for grades 10-12 textbooks had been placed to Pioneer Printers for the 22 schools for the Blind. In total,  200 provincial, district and school management team (SMT) officials from 66 schools (22 for the Blind and 44 for the Deaf) were trained in specialised areas of visual and hearing impairment in March 2011.

 

The main priorities for inclusive education over the MTEF include:

 

§         Increasing the number of full service schools to at least one for every district by 2014 while ensuring their access to specialist services

§         Increasing the percentage of schools which effectively implement the inclusive education policy

§         Progressively strengthening the capacity of district offices enabling them  to provide support to schools in the identification of special needs and provision of appropriate support by 2014

§         Providing appropriate and accessible textbooks, workbooks and other LTSM  and assistive devices - prioritising  22 schools for the Blind in 2011/12 and other disabilities thereafter.

           

            According to the Department, the main challenges for inclusive education were:

·         the lack of capacity to implement the programme at all levels of the system

·         the need for a multi-disciplinary approach in addressing barriers to learning

·         the lack of a coordinating framework for providing access to specialised services

·         inclusive education not being seen as cross-cutting in the system

           

 4.6       Libraries

 

      A National Guideline for School Library and Information Services (2010) was developed in line with the Department’s strategy for providing school libraries and information services. This guideline complements the National Policy for an Equitable Provision of an Enabling School Physical Teaching and Learning Environment - since they give guidance on the provisioning of school library and information services.Templates have been developed to cost the different areas of library provisioning. The National Guideline together with the costing plan will be distributed to all levels of library and information services which will include the provinces, district offices and schools. The Department would thereafter provide orientation for its implementation to key officials.

 

5.         Branch: Teacher, Education Human Resources and Institutional Development

 

      The main purpose of the programme is to promote quality teaching and institutional             performance through the effective supply, development and utilisation of human             resources. The Sub-programmes are Education Human Resources Management       and Education Human Resources Development.

 

      The strategic objectives of the Branch can be summed up as follows:

·         To ensure that the new teacher development plan is translated into a wide range of teacher training materials, collaborative professional development activities within the schooling system and agreements with relevant service providers

·         To establish the National Institute for Curriculum and Professional Development (NICPD) in order to promote best practices in classroom teaching and teacher development

·         To establish an ongoing national campaign for choosing teaching as a career, based on research into who becomes a good teacher and focusing on imparting  information and bursaries to interested youths

·         To bring about a set of planning, management and accountability tools at the school level that cater for South African needs and make quality education more realisable

·         To develop training strategies and materials aimed at parents that integrate them  into new accountability mechanisms being established for schools

·         To establish better and evidence-based practices and procedures for the country’s 82 education district offices, including models for school interventions designed to tackle specific school shortcomings.

 

5.1  Funza Lushaka

     

      Current data showed that there could be shortages of teachers in the foreseeable future. A profile of teachers in 2009 drawn from Persal indicated that 1.9 per cent of          the teaching force (±7,220 teachers) in public schools was in the age range of 60 years and above, 22 per cent (±83,000 teachers) were in the age range of 50-59       years and 43.5 per cent (±163,590 teachers) were in the age range of 40-49 years.      In 10-15 years, up to 90,000 teachers could exit the system through retirement.

 

      The challenge of potential shortages is addressed in a range of strategies. The Delivery Agreement and Action Plan to 2014 need to improve the provision of the education system with quality, young teachers through:

·         Rigorous recruitment of young people into teaching, to be measured by the number of newly qualified teachers 30 years and younger joining the education system  each year (Goal 14)

·         The Funza Lushaka bursary scheme is seen as one of the mechanisms to enhance access for high achieving students to qualify as teachers. The scheme needs to be aligned to Provincial Departments of Education (PDE) bursaries.

 

      The tracking of Funza Lushaka bursars involved three broad areas:

 

·         Monitoring academic progress

                              Every year, institutions were required to submit academic results of                                         bursars. This was used as a basis to confirm the re-award of bursaries.

     

·         Monitoring of placement in provincial teaching posts

                              Persal download information was used to determine the number of Funza   Lushaka bursars employed in public funded posts. This needed to be supplemented by SARS data to identify bursars employed in private schools and other sectors.

 

·         Defaulter management

                  Students who opt to defer their service obligation due to reasons such as taking a gap year, travelling overseas or taking up further study, were handed over to NSFAS who financially administers the programme to recover bursary funds with interest.

 

      The Funza Lushaka (FL) Fund currently faces the following challenges:

 

·         FL only funded 25% of students enrolled for ITE, and only nationally identified priority areas

·         Inadequate information on teacher demand – this often resulted in a mismatch between output and demand

·         Provincial-District-School systems and processes to enable the uptake of qualifying bursars were inadequate

·         Delays in University administrative support for the scheme

 

      There was a focus on enhanced bursary funding schemes for initial teacher education which would involve alignment with provincial bursaries. Treasury had allocated an additional R200m in 2012/13 and R396m in 2013/14 - hence more students would be funded. To support the increased allocations and challenges in placement, a dedicated unit would be established to help strengthen placement.   Creative ways for recruitment to ensure appropriate targeting would also be implemented.

 

5.2   Educator Performance Management and Development

     

      The strategic objectives of the programme were to monitor the implementation of the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS), develop a revised Teacher Performance Appraisal System (TPAS) and to implement a performance based contract and Performance Appraisal System (PAS) for school principals or deputy        principals.

 

      IQMS was currently used as a mechanism to assess teacher performance. The      result from the IQMS processes was used as a basis to determine teacher            development needs, as well as forming a basis for the payment of incentives e.g. salary progression. Unfortunately, the implementation of IQMS had not brought      about a significant improvement in the quality of teaching and learning in the majority            of schools. This was due to lack of proper preparation by the system to implement and a lack of accountability from the school management.

 

      The following attempts to improve this included:

·         Provinces allocated budgets and personnel for IQMS monitoring and support

·         The department appointed external moderators to visit schools and provide support

·         Schools were supplied with IQMS DVDs in order to improve their understanding of IQMS processes.

 

      Moderators will play a significant role in:

 

·         providing the necessary training and support to schools;

·         improving the levels of accountability in schools with a view to improve the quality of teaching and learning, in line with the minister’s service delivery agreement, and

·         working closely with districts to check the levels of compliance with IQMS processes and  how districts are supporting schools that are experiencing difficulties.

     

      External moderators will be expected to target underperforming secondary schools in terms of grade 12 results, together with their feeder schools. A total of 2000        schools and 10 district/circuit offices will be targeted per quarter. External moderators will dedicate one quarter of the year to conduct follow-up visits with a view to monitor progress on the implementation of recommendations made during the first visit. Moderators will work with district IQMS coordinators to convene district intervention teams. The follow-up visits will also check on the extent to which the intervention teams have provided support to schools.

 

 

      The following challenges were still being faced:

·     Gaining consensus on what constitutes a basic evaluation instrument that will replace the IQMS;

·     Postponements of some of the scheduled ELRC task team meetings to finalise evaluation instruments;

·     Some of the schools still fail to comply with IQMS provisions despite visits and support by external moderators;

·     Some teachers still allocating high scores without the necessary evidence, and

·     Some districts still failing to make follow-ups to moderator’s reports due to the lack of capacity.

 

 

6.       Statement on the Release of the Annual National Assessment Results for 2011

 

            The Portfolio Committee, during its engagement with the Department of Basic Education was formally requested to attend the official announcement, by the Hon Minister A Motshekga, of the Release of the Annual National Assessment (ANA) Results for 2011 at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on 28 July 2011.

 

            The Director-General, Mr B Soobrayan, gave a comprehensive technical briefing on the ANA which included the purpose, design methodology, implementation and limitations.

 

            The Minister of Basic Education, Hon A Motshekga, then made the official statement

            on the release of the Annual National Assessment Results for 2011. In her statement she alluded to the results as follows:

 

                        In Grade 3, the national average performance in Literacy, stood at 35 per cent. In Numeracy learners were performing at an average of 28 per cent.Provincial performance in these two areas was between 19 per cent and 43 per cent, the highest being the Western Cape, and the lowest being                              Mpumalanga.

                        In Grade 6, the national average performance in Languages was 28 per cent.For Mathematics, the average performance was 30 per cent. Provincial performance in these two areas ranged between 20 per cent and 41 per cent, the highest being the Western Cape, and the lowest being Mpumalanga.

                        In terms of the different levels of performance, in Grade 3, 47 per cent of learners achieved above 35 per cent in Literacy, and 34 per cent of learners achieved above 35 per cent in numeracy.

                        In the case of Grade 6, 30 per cent of learners achieved above 35 per cent in Languages, and 31 per cent of learners achieved above 35 per cent in Mathematics.

The level of performance was expected given the poor performance of South African learners in recent international and local assessments. There now exist benchmarks against which targets could be set and the way forward established. .

            Of significance was that all learners whose Language of Learning and Teaching       would be English from Grade 4 onwards would be required to take English as a subject from Grade 1. This meant that the teaching of English would occur             alongside home language instruction for those learners who chose English as a      Language of Learning and Teaching in later grades. English would not replace the home language in the early grades. Each learner would be taught in his or her home language in the early grades where it was practically possible. The move to English in Grade 1 was intended for those schools whose home language was not English.

 

            7.         Deliberations

 

The Committee lauded the Department’s planned activities for their programmes and sub-programmes. The Committee was particularly encouraged by the major focus on improving the quality of basic education. There were however areas that needed attention. These are outlined below. 

 

7.1 Branch: Social Mobilisation and Support Services

 

            Members raised concern over the number of learners reached in respect of the School Health Screening Programme. The Committee reflected on the monitoring of the challenges and achievements with the National School Nutrition Programme. Furthermore, Members requested an explanation on the total collapse of this          programme in the Eastern Cape. Members questioned how the provinces could be    held accountable for funds earmarked specifically for NSNP. There was a need to capacitate the SGBs in respect of accountability of funds spent.

 

 

            On learner pregnancies, Members felt that there was a need for a uniform approach in handling this matter. There seemed to be different approaches in the various provinces – the responses were also not sustainable. The Department reassured             Members that regulations on learner pregnancy were being developed. These would define the actions to be taken by all role players.

 

7.2 Branch: Curriculum Policy Support and Monitoring

 

The Committee was encouraged by the primary emphasis that has emerged in e-Education. The focus for 2011/12 in providing access to ICT infrastructure for administrative, teaching and learning purposes in multigrade, underperforming schools was particularly laudable. The Committee recommended that schools without electricity should benefit from the provision of ICT infrastructure. Members were of the view that without the proper support, curriculum delivery would fail. Members were also concerned that the Department did not seem to have any primary focus on learners with barriers. It was questioned as to the reasons for the pilot project to be conducted only in one school in the Western Cape; and whether it benefitted the rest of the country, and the manner in which it was to be rolled out.

 

7.3 General

 

There was concern over the possible duplication of duties by the various directorates. Another area of concern was that many of the programmes seemed not to be budget for, and depended on various partnerships. This was not sustainable. 

           

Members also raised questions around the inter-sectoral collaboration and how this was coordinated and how it affected the work of the Department – including the roles played by the municipalities.

 

 

12.        Conclusion

 

12.1   The Committee requested that the Department supply the Committee with the following status reports as soon as possible:

· An Integrated Strategy on HIV and Aids

· The Proposed Decentralised Procurement Module

· Protocol on Safety in Schools

· Integrated Schools Sport Plan  

 

12.2   It was important that the Chief Directorate on Care and Support produce an exact budget to fulfill its mandate. The Committee is of the view that this is an              important chief directorate which should be allocated additional financial           resources to fulfill its mandate.

 

12.3   There was a need for a broader meeting on Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign (QLTC).

 

 

 

Report to be considered.