ATC120515: Report: Budget Vote 15: Basic Education, dated 15 May 2012

Basic Education

The following Report replaces the previous Report of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on Budget Vote 15: Basic Education as published in ATC No 60 2012, dated Wednesday, 16 May 2012, page 1542)

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on Budget Vote 15: Basic Education, dated 15 May 2012 .

The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education having considered Budget Vote 15: Basic Education, together with the Annual Performance Plan and Strategic Plan of the Department of Basic Education and its Statutory Bodies, reports as follows:

1. Introduction

1.1 The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education considered the Strategic Plan, Annual Performance Plan and Budget 2012/13 of the Department of Basic Education and its three Statutory Bodies, namely, the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC), the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training (Umalusi) and the South African Council for Educators (SACE). The budget review process was undertaken on the following dates:

· The Ministry and Department of Basic Education - 20 March 2012 and 17 April 2012

· The Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) 13 March 2012

· The Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training (Umalusi) 18 April 2012

· The South African Council for Educators 19 April 2012

1.2 The budget briefings also served to acquaint the Portfolio Committee with the mandates and programmes of each unit in the Department and the named statutory bodies.

1.3 Those that appeared before the Portfolio Committee included a delegation from the Department of Basic Education: Deputy Minister: Hon E Surty, Director-General: Mr B Soobrayan, Deputy Director- General: Mrs P Tyobeka, Deputy Director-General: Ms V Carelse, Deputy Director-General: Ms G Ndebele, Acting Deputy Director-General: Mr P Padayachee, Acting Deputy Director-General: Mr A Schoeman, Acting Deputy Director-General: Mr T Kojana, Acting Deputy Director-General: Mr M Mweli, Director: G Coetzee, Chief Director: Mr P Lusufi, Parliamentary Liaison Officer (Office of the Minister): Mr R van den Heever, Office of the Deputy Minister: Ms C van Wyk and Office of the Director-General: Ms K Mohoebi.

1.4 The Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training (Umalusi) was represented by the Chief Executive Officer: Dr M S Rakometsi and the Chief Financial Officer: Mr J Thomas. The South African Council for Educators (SACE) was represented by the Chief Executive Officer: Mr R Brijraj, the Chief Financial Officer: Mr M Mapindani, the Chief Operations Officer: Ms M E Dipholo and Councillor: Mr G Bengell. The Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) was represented by the General Secretary: Mr M Govender and the Chief Financial Officer: Mr F Moshakga.

1.5 The Committee also received an oral submission from the Right to Education for Children with Disabilities Campaign. The submission responded to the Departments plans and budget in relation to education for children with disabilities. The Right to Education for Children with Disabilities Campaign was represented by Mr L Wakefield, Ms R Bath and Ms B Raymond .

1.6 This report gives a brief summary of the presentations made by the Department and its statutory bodies to the Committee, focusing mainly on the Departments 2011 2014 Strategic Plan , the 2012 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (METF) allocations and an overview of allocations per programme. The report also reflects the main themes emerging from the submission by the Right to Education for Children with Disabilities Campaign and provides the Committees deliberations and recommendations.

2. Overview of the Strategic Plan

2.1 Address by the Deputy Minister Hon E Surty

Hon Surty gave a strategic policy overview of the Departments plans. He noted that the 2012 State of the Nation Address (SONA) provided the strategic focus for these plans for the 2012/13 financial year. Significantly, SONA did not introduce new strategic priorities for the basic education system but rather called for the consolidation of strategic inputs and the resolution of blockages to service delivery. The long-term sector plan entitled the Action Plan to 2014: Towards the Realisation of Schooling 2025 and the Delivery Agreement for Outcome 1 Improved quality of basic education had set out measurable outcomes and outputs for the basic education system.

The Strategic Plan sets out the key priorities of the Department. For each strategic priority, a set of strategies, outcomes and deliverables had been developed for the period 2011-2014. Since there had not been major shifts in the key priorities of the Department, the Strategic Plan remained largely unchanged. The Annual Performance Plan provided specific performance targets and interventions that the Department intended to employ in order to entrench and consolidate the direction and approaches to improving learner performance in the basic education sector in the 2012/13 financial year.

Hon Surty indicated that the Department would intensify all efforts geared to strengthening the delivery of quality education in all provinces, districts, schools and classrooms. They intended to implement relevant proposals from the recommendations of the National Planning Commission, particularly those on improving learner performance and accountability. A renewed focus on the integration of initiatives to improve learner performance at all levels would include:

· improving access to high quality learning materials;

· enhancing the quality of teaching and learning;

· establishing a credible outcomes-focused planning and accountability system;

· expanding Early Childhood Development (ECD); and

· undertaking regular assessment to track progress and to inform school improvement.

The above would require the Department to work with and through provinces in sustained and clearly identified ways on eradicating blockages in the provision of quality education, especially in schools facing serious challenges around curriculum implementation.

Key interventions prioritised for 2012/13 as contained in the Annual Performance Plan included the following:

· Interventions to deal with literacy and numeracy decisively in order to improve the gaps identified in the system in terms of learners performance in Mathematics, Science and Technology and gateway subjects at all levels.

· The Department to expand the use of nationally developed workbooks which were aligned to the new Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPs) and which were designed to be used by each learner in the relevant subject areas. Through the National Textbook Catalogue, a reduction in the costs of textbooks had been achieved through economies of scale, enabling the easing of budget pressures countrywide.

· There would be a focus on strengthening Early Childhood Development in order to ensure that learners were given the foundations for learning before entering school. Significant progress towards universal access to Grade R was noted, where numbers had doubled during a period of eight years, from 300 000 in 2003 to 705 000 in 2011.

· The Department would continue to work with sister departments to ensure care and support of learners. Health promotion and the creation of safe school environments remained key concerns for the coming years which would be addressed through an integrated strategic health programme to be operationalised by the end of the 2012/13 financial year.

· The Department would continue to focus on the delivery of school infrastructure. Spending on infrastructure investments for the financial year 2011/12 amounted to R 26.9 billion and R 8.6 billion for the Accelerated School Infrastructure Development Initiative (ASIDI).

· In the context of the NEDLAC Basic Education Accord, the Department would continue to use the Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign (QLTC), the 2012 School Governing Body elections and other sectoral formations to mobilise communities of professionals, parents and practitioners in support of the delivery of education in schools. To date, the Adopt-A-School Campaign has gained momentum. The 2012/13 financial year would also see the introduction of an Adopt-A-District Campaign through which Cabinet Ministers would adopt Education Districts.

· Institutional mechanisms, such as the National Education Evaluation and Development Unit (NEEDU) and the Planning and Delivery Oversight Unit (PDOU), would be critical in promoting accountability and ensuring functionality and efficiency throughout the education system.

· To strengthen school management and accountability, the Department would introduce new processes to evaluate principals and deputy principals and performance agreements would be signed. Quarterly Ministerial meetings with district managers would play an important role to facilitate accountability and communication of best practices in turning around school performance.

· Provincial stability was fundamental in the implementation of programmes in basic education and the Department was committed to assisting in strengthening intra-provincial processes and structures to facilitate better management and support for the provision of quality basic education. This would include work on easing budget pressures experienced by provinces in respect of key cost drivers as well as providing detailed expenditure analysis in order to create space for interventions designed for quality education provisioning.

2.2 Overview by the Department of Basic Education

The Director-General (DG), Mr B Soobrayan, expanded on the Deputy Ministers overview of the Departments plans, He provided an overview of the 2012/13 Strategic Priorities and Interventions; the 2012/13 Sector Milestones as contained in the Action Plan to 2014; the Performance Indicators and Interventions; and the Budget and Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).

2.2.1 Overview of the Departments 2012/13 Strategic Priorities and Interventions

Key interventions to improve the basic education system for the 2012/13 financial year include the following:

· Deepening the focus on the 3Ts (Teachers, Texts and Time), including the provision and utilisation of workbooks and textbooks

· The implementation of a credible Literacy and Numeracy Strategy

· The implementation of a Maths, Science and Technology Strategy

· Strengthening the focus on the utilisation of the Annual National Assessments (ANA) and the National Senior Certificate (NSC) results to define interventions at school and district levels.

· Addressing resource challenges in the system, including the eradication of physical infrastructure backlogs and the provision of basic furniture to enable effective learning and teaching

· Strengthening initiatives to mitigate poverty and its impact in the basic education sector with a particular focus on School Nutrition; Scholar Transport; health matters (screening, HIV and AIDS mitigation) and reducing the effect of poverty related disadvantage due to models of curriculum delivery.

· Strengthening integrated Early Childhood Development approaches and multigrade interventions

· Attracting teachers through the Fundza Lushaka Bursary Programme.

Mr B Soobrayan also touched on interventions in the sector to improve system performance, focussing on improving learner performance. These included:

· Interventions to be based on an accurate analysis of specific patterns of poor performance per district and school

· Sound analysis of performance in Grade 12 and ANA per province, district and school.

· Basic functionality of schools to be reflected (leadership, resources, right number and utilisation of teachers, culture of teaching and learning etc)

· Basic functionality of districts ( leadership, resources, right number and utilisation of staff, culture of professionalism, support and service to schools)

· Intervention implemented per district based on a specific analysis of performance and contextual factors taken into account.

· Intervention implemented per school (or selected number of schools based on levels of performance)

· Intervention to indicate what is to be done- model (mentoring, itinerant teachers, substitute teachers, short, long courses, just in time courses etc), by whom ( trainers, facilitators, subject advisors, NGOs, HEIs etc), when, Monitoring and evaluation systems

· Explicit and compulsory focus on all districts in a country that performed below 30% in Grade 12 and/or under a determined performance in ANA

· For other districts, PEDs will implement specific improvement plans based on current performance

· Work with and through PEDs using existing plans as a basis upon which to build

· Deploy IQMS staff and explore using WSE people in PEDs to conduct a detailed evaluation of all schools in the affected districts

· Detailed School Improvement Plans to be ready by the end of March, with the necessary intersection with IDPs at local level

· Gear and capacitate Districts to implement a turnaround strategy

· Ensure efficacy of this value chain to be facilitated by the Planning and Delivery Oversight Unit working through districts to focus on underperforming schools

· Focus NEDLAC Accord mobilisation of stakeholders on these districts, with explicit guidance from the Education Sector

2.2.2 2012/2013 Sector Milestones (Action Plan to 2014)

Mr B Soobrayan gave the Committee a comprehensive outline of the Action Plan milestones for 2012/13 which included amongst others:

· Nationally standardised district-wide ANA reports for all 81 districts and covering the 2011 school year are published on the national department website.

· All Grade 9 learners begin participating in the universal ANA.

· All school principals have access to a computer and the internet at school.

· A revised Grade R funding strategy is released to deal with existing policy and implementation discrepancies, including unacceptable inequities in per learner spending and in Grade R teacher remuneration.

· A strategy to improve teacher recruitment and reduce teacher shortages in schools to be finalised.

· Criteria to combat over-sized classes are incorporated into the national post provisioning norms that distribute teaching posts across schools, following a review of the problem of large classes.

· The Minimum Schoolbag specifications are finalised for all grades.

· A new set of management guidelines for school principals, with a special focus on using the key building blocks of effective school management, are made widely available through the national Departments website and through other means.

· New conditions of service for principals and deputy principals to effectively place these managers within the new Education Management Services (EMS) tier to be finalised.

· A new set of online school management training modules aimed at trainers of school principals and principals themselves to be made available following an evaluation of existing and new training practices and tools.

· The physical infrastructure development plans of the national and provincial departments, are published on the internet in order to provide schools with a clearer picture of expected improvements.

· National norms for the presence of moveable assets in schools, in particular school furniture, are promulgated.

2.2.3 Performance Indicators and Targets

The programmes of the Department as contained in the Annual Performance Plan summarised the priorities of the Department as aligned to the Delivery Agreement of OUTCOME 1 : Improving the quality of Basic Education and the Action Plan to 2014: Towards the Realisation of Schooling 2025 . The activities of the Department had been structured into five programmes as follows:

- Programme 1: Administration
- Programme 2: Curriculum Policy, Support and Monitoring
- Programme 3: Teachers, Education Human Resources and Institutional Development
- Programme 4: Planning, Information and Assessment
- Programme 5: Educational Enrichment Services

Programme 1 - The purpose of Programme 1 is to manage the Department and provide strategic and administrative support services. Sub-programmes included the Ministry, Department Management Corporate Services, the Office of the Chief Finance Officer, Internal Audit and Risk Management and Office Accommodation. The strategic objectives for Programme 1 are:

· To ensure the provision of a suitable human resource capacity to support a high performing organization.

· To ensure that the basic education sector and the country benefit from targeted support to the Education Department.

· To improve inter-governmental planning, communication, education policy and legislative development.

The Department, in measuring progress in the 2012/13 financial year, will use the target outputs that range from increasing the number of new internships for unemployed graduates to 55; 30 per cent of interns complete the internship programme; to have 280 officials who participate in staff development activities; to further participate in multilateral bodies and educational international affairs and to have a completed report on all legal cases in the education sector.

Programme 2 - The purpose of Programme 2 is to develop curriculum and assessment policies and monitor and support their implementation. Sub-programmes included Programme Management; Curriculum Policy, Support and Monitoring; Curriculum Implementation and Monitoring; Curriculum and Quality Enhancement Programmes; and, the Kha RI Gude Literacy Project. The strategic objectives for Programme 2 are:

· To increase the availability of e-Education of learning and teaching resources amongst teachers.

· 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.

· To promote adequate access to quality learning materials by means of better national specifications to support the requirements of learners 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.

This programme is anchored within the targeted outputs that seek to improve performance of Grades 3, 6, 9 and 12 learners in literacy, numeracy, languages, mathematics and physical science to the required level and further increase Bachelor passes. This will be accompanied by improved access to library information services, electronic content, textbooks and workbooks provision to over 60 per cent; increase Kha Ri Gude programme enrolments and completion; to ensure that district offices have officials trained on screening, identification, assessment and support strategy. Targets further focus on increasing the number of schools with access to electronic content and the completion of the project of digitizing workbooks for use in underperforming schools. The final targeted output is to increase the number of personnel trained in multi-grade teaching per province to 140.

Programme 3 - The purpose of Programme 3 is to promote quality teaching and institutional performance through the effective supply, development and utilisation of human resources. Sub- programmes include Teachers, Education Human Resources and Institutional Development; Education Human Resources Management and Education Human Resources Development; and Curriculum and Professional Development Unit. The strategic objectives for Programme 3 include the following:

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

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

· Establishing an ongoing national campaign for choosing teaching as a career, based on research into who becomes a good teacher and focusing on giving the necessary information and bursaries to interested youth

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

· Developing training strategies and materials aimed at parents to enable them to become more integrally involved into new accountability mechanisms being established in schools

Establishing more effective and evidence-based practices and procedures for the countrys 81 education district offices, including models for school interventions designed to tackle specific school shortcomings

Progress will be assessed using target outputs that embrace the attempt to increase professional and teacher development programmes; well trained school governing bodies in the system and to promote the image of district offices.

Programme 4 - The purpose of Programme 4 was to promote quality and effective service delivery in the basic education system through planning, implementation and assessment. Sub-programmes included Planning, Information and Assessment; Information Management Systems; Financial and Physical Planning; National Assessments and Public Examinations; and the National Education Evaluation and Development Unit; and the Planning and Delivery Oversight Unit. The strategic objectives for Programme 4 include the following:

· Establishing a quality system of standardised and benchmarked learner assessments

· Ensuring that all children complete a quality readiness programme in Grade R before they enter formal education in Grade 1

· Putting into place support systems for provinces and schools to improve the physical environs of the school and create enabling conditions for successful teaching and learning

· Ensuring that districts can use quality information and data about the level and quality of learning in schools to plan and implement school-based improvement programmes.

This will be assessed using the target outputs that include the compliance to a basic level of school infrastructure and continued reporting on learner performance.

Programme 5 - The purpose of Programme 5 is to develop policies and programmes to improve the quality of learning in schools. Sub-programmes included Educational Enrichment Services; Care and Support in Schools; Partnerships in Education; and Grant Implementation, Monitoring and Reporting. The strategic objectives of Programme 5 are the following:

· Enhancing the current basket of education support services to learners from poor communities

· Ensuring the involvement of stakeholders in exercising involvement in schools in a manner that adds value to the attainment of the core outcomes.

This will be assessed through an increased number of learners undergoing health screening; an increased number of learners provided with meals in the National School Nutrition Programme; a higher number of schools linked to the local police station; more schools participating in school leagues and increased participation in the Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign.

3. O verview of the Budget for 2012/13 and the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF)

Table 1: Programme Appropriations from 2011/12 to 2014/15

Vote 15 Programmes	Budget Vote 15: Basic Education 2012/13				Nominal Rand change	Real Rand change	Nominal % change	Real % change
R million	2011/12	2012/13	2013/14	2014/15	2011/12-2012/13		2011/12-2012/13
Programme 1: Administration	293.7	309.6	328.5	348.3	15.9	- 1.3	5.41 per cent	-0.46 per cent
Programme 2: Curriculum Policy, Support and Monitoring	1 559.3	1 428.3	1 515.9	1 610.9	- 131.0	- 210.6	-8.40 per cent	-13.50 per cent
Programme 3: Teachers, Education Human Resources and Institutional Development	529.9	760.2	988.5	1 047.9	230.3	187.9	43.46 per cent	35.47 per cent
Programme 4: Planning, Information and Assessment	6 586.5	8 370.2	11 760.9	12 250.8	1 783.7	1 317.4	27.08 per cent	20.00 per cent
Programme 5: Educational Enrichment Services	5 111.1	5 475.3	5 779.6	6 108.9	364.2	59.2	7.13 per cent	1.16 per cent
TOTAL	14 080.5	16 343.6	20 373.4	21 366.8	2 263.1	1 352.6	16.07 per cent	9.61 per cent

Source: National Treasury (2012): Vote 15 Basic Education

The budget allocation for the Department of Basic Education for the financial year 2012/13 is R16.3 billion. Expenditure increased from R6.4 billion in 2008/09 to R14.1 billion in 2011/12 and was expected to continue growing over the medium term to reach R21.4 billion in 2014/15. In comparison to 2011/12, the 2012/13 budget has increased by 16.07 per cent in nominal terms and by 9.61% in real terms.

The budget provided additional allocations over the MTEF period of R149.6 million in 2012/13, R322.1 million in 2013/14 and R257.5 million in 2014/15 for the following priority areas:

· Improved conditions of service for department personnel (R7.2 million, R11.8 million and R12.9 million)

· Transfers to Umalusi for increases to compensation of employees due to improvements in conditions of service (R859 000, R1.4 million and R1.6 million)

· Transfers to Umalusi to cover its expanded mandate (R22 million, R75 million and R83 million)

· Annual national assessments to strengthen the existing programme and expand assessments to include Grade 9 (R75 million in 2013/14 and R160 million in 2014/15)

· Education infrastructure grant for disaster relief (R119.5 million in 2012/13 and R158.9 million in 2013/14)

The following conditional grant allocations were reduced by R743 million in total over the MTEF period (R203.4 million in 2012/13, R189.7 million in 2013/14 and R349.8 million in 2014/15):

· Dinaledi Schools grant (R300 000, R332 000 and R648 000)

· Technical Secondary Schools Recapitalisation grant (R631 000, R698 000 and R1.4 million)

· HIV and AIDS Lifeskills grant (R629 000, R695 000 and R1.4 million)

· National School Nutrition Programme grant (R21.6 million, R20.1 million and R37.2 million)

· Education Infrastructure grant (R180.2 million, R168 million and R309.3 million)

Table 2: 2012 MTEF Allocations

2012 ENE ALLOCATIONS FROM TREASURY
	2012/13	2013/14	2014/15
	R'000	R'000	R'000
2011 MTEF Allocations	16 557 936	20 409 624	21 634 201
*Plus:*	149 565	322 090	257 492
Additional funds allocated to baseline:	7 249	11 786	12 895
Improvement in conditions of service: Department	7 249	11 786	12 895
Umalusi: Compensation of employees	859	1 445	1 597
Annual National Assessments (ANA) strengthen existing and expected assessments to include grade 9	-	75 000	160 000
Umalusi transfer expanded mandate	22 000	75 000	83 000
Additional funds allocated to conditional grants:
Education Infrastructure Grant disaster relief	119 457	158 859	-
*Less:*	(363 923)	(358 206)	(524 861)
Adjustments to baseline:	(156 770)	(162 219)	(167 479)
Savings on the Workbooks project	(156 770)	(162 219)	(167 479)
Efficiency savings on goods and services	(1 900)	(2 350)	(2 800)
Additional savings - Kha Ri Gude incentive grant	(1 502)	(3 549)	(4 318)
Additional savings Umalusi	(326)	(350)	(442)
Adjustments to conditional grants:
Dinaledi Schools Grant	(300)	(332)	(648)
Technical Secondary Schools Recapitalisation Grant	(631)	(698)	(1 361)
HIV and AIDS (Life Skills Education) Grant	(629)	(695)	(1 356)
National School Nutrition Programme Grant	(21 626)	(20 054)	(37 168)
Education Infrastructure Grant	(180 239)	(167 959)	(309 289)
2012 ENE ALLOCATIONS	16 343 578	20 373 508	21 366 832

In conclusion, Mr B Soobrayan mentioned that 2011 had seen the system stabilising and the introduction of key interventions in the sector such as CAPS, Workbooks, ANA and ASIDI. During the coming financial year, interventions would be consolidated to improve learner performance. He mentioned that the positive sentiment in the country had to be leveraged to pursue the objectives contained in the Action Plan to 2014.

4. Main issues raised by the Right to Education for Children with Disabilities Campaign

The Right to Education for Children with Disabilities Campaign raised the following issues in the oral submission responding to the Departments plans and budget in relation to education for children with disabilities:

4.1 Programme 2: Curriculum Policy, Support and Monitoring: In respect of Screening Identification Assessment & Support (SIAS) the target of 100 schools nationally being trained on SIAS were neither realistic nor acceptable.

4.2 Programme 3: Teacher, Education Human Resources and Institutional Support: The issue of principal performance contracts was raised. There was a lack of skills development and training for teachers in Inclusive Education. This included managing diversity in classes and disability specific training.

4.3 Programme 4: Planning, Information and Assessment: The issue of overcrowded classes and support for children with disabilities was of concern. For the performance indicator 7 15 years there were a disproportionally high percentage of learners with disabilities. The low percentage of learners in age appropriate grades spoke to the inability of the system to address barriers to learning and learner needs.

4.4 Programme 5: Education Enrichment Services  Scholar transport was a barrier to access to education for children with disabilities. Unfortunately, no mention was made of addressing scholar transport it in Programme 5, nor was there any evidence of budgetary allocation.

Some of the Recommendations of the Right to Education for Children with Disabilities Campaign on the above matters included:

Programme 2:

· The revision of SIAS documentation should be finalised urgently.

· A revision of the targets for training schools and districts on SIAS.

· An increase in educators capacity (not just on literacy, numeracy & science but also managing diversity) as part of the system to improve learner performance.

Programme 3:

There was a need for a review of the criteria for principals performance contracts.

5. Committee Observations

The Committee noted, inter-alia, the following key issues and concerns regarding the Departments plans and budget allocation for 2012/13:

· Governments commitment to making Basic Education a top priority is reflected in the Departments budget which continues to take up a large proportion of government spending and receives a large share of the additional allocations.

· The Committee queried why there was no target for teacher absenteeism.

· Although the Committee welcomed the Departments planned sound initiatives to improve the basic education system, it noted that it is the provinces that needed to carry out the implementation. It is important that the Department strengthen tools and mechanisms to monitor the implementation of these initiatives by the provinces.

· The Committee further raised the ongoing concern regarding the inappropriate relations between male educators and female learners.

· The Committee required clarity on the functions and responsibilities of NEEDU and the Oversight Unit; since funds were allocated to both.

· The Committee needed further clarity on how the processes of the Department and ELRC were linked in respect of the teacher lap-top-initiative.

· The Committee requested the Department to refer to the Committee all International Agreements in educational activities that require approval by a resolution of Parliament in terms of Section 231, subsection 2. .

· The Committee was concerned about the number of court cases being handled by the Department and how the Department aimed to reduce them.

· The Committee urged that the Department approached relevant NGOs and engaged with them to assist with the promotion of Mathematics.

· Another area of concern was the cooperation with municipalities to make sports fields accessible to schools.

· The Committee remains concerned about the poor utilisation and supply of teachers in the system and expect to see greater progress in resolving this challenge as proposed in the Committees budgetary review and recommendation report for 2011. Primarily, it was important that the Department developed adequate systems for collecting and analysing data to match the teacher supply and utilisation. The Committee is encouraged by the Departments report that it was investigating the issue of ghost teachers and learners and that it was applying its mind to the issue of teacher retention and exit strategies. The Committee requests that the Department supply it with reports on the outcome of these issues.

· The provision of high quality Early Childhood Development is a key priority of government and the Department and is recognised by the National Planning Commission as critical for ensuring that children are able to reach their full potential. To this end, the Committee welcomes progress towards universal access to Grade R, where as reported, numbers have doubled from 300 000 in 2003 to 705 000 in 2011. However, the quality of provisioning in disadvantaged schools remains a concern. The Committee notes and commends the Departments 2012/13 target to revise the Grade R funding strategy to deal with existing policy and implementation discrepancies, including unacceptable inequities in per learner spending and in Grade R teacher remuneration. It also welcomes the intention to strengthen integrated Early Childhood Development approaches and multigrade interventions and will monitor these interventions intensely.

· Education for children with special needs requires more attention that it has received in the Annual Performance Plan. On the matter of target outputs, the Committee shares the view of t he Right to Education for Children with Disabilities Campaign. T he target of 100 for the number of schools with teachers who have been trained in the Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support (SIAS) strategy is modest in relation to the total number of schools in the country and the number of district offices that would have trained officials in the SIAS strategy.

· The Committee also raised the matter of the progress in respect of Sign Language becoming an official language.

· The Committee further hoped for speedy progress with the introduction of performance agreements for principals and deputy principals.

The Committee would prioritise the following meetings:

· A meeting with the Departments of and Portfolio Committees on Social Development, Basic Education and Health in respect of pre-grade R.

· A meeting with MECs, HODs and Chairpersons of Provincial Portfolio Committees on Education on provincial financial performance.

· A meeting with the Department of Safety and Security regarding safety at schools.

· A follow-up meeting with the Department of and the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation on school sport leagues.

6. Overview of strategic imperatives and budget allocations of the Departments Statutory Bodies

6.1 The Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training (Umalusi)

Dr M S Rakometsi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), led the presentation which touched on the mandate of Umalusi, its vision, mission and goals. Mr J Thomas, Chief Financial Officer, presented the executive summary with the statement of financial performance as at 31 March 2012.

Umalusi is mandated to quality assure qualifications and standards, monitors and moderates learners achievement and issues certificates. The Council also evaluates whether providers of education and training in the sector have the capacity to deliver and assess qualifications and are doing so to expected standards of quality.

The seven key result areas of Umalusi over the METF are as follows:

· Establishing and maintaining a system to develop, evaluate and certify qualifications and the curriculum

· Improving and maintaining the system for quality assuring assessment for certification

· Establishing and implementing a system for the evaluation and accreditation of providers

· Researching , diagnosing and reporting on quality in general and further education and training supported by statistical analysis

· Developing and maintaining management support structures and governance

· Ensuring that Information Technology systems are established, maintained and improved

· Ensuring that finance, human resources and administrative support systems are maintained and improved.

The Statement of Financial Performance as at 31 March 2012 indicated a net surplus of R 19, 9 million with 117 percent of the budgeted revenue from operations recognised. Umalusi had received a 100 percent Grant from the Department of Basic Education. Umalusi incurred 92 percent of its budgeted expenses (excluding the 4 percent accruals). The total assets of Umalusi were valued at R 63, 3 million subject to the revaluation of buildings which could increase by approximately R 8 million. Invoiced debts collected to date stood at 105 percent with funds available at the end of the period amounting to R 1,1million. Investments of R 26, 3 million attracted a net interest of 5,49 percent per annum of which R 6,4 million had been set aside/reserved (through the National Treasury) for internal renovations to create open plan offices to accommodate all staff.

The Financial Statement as at 31 March 2012 was as follows:

	Mar 2012	Mar 2011
Assets	13 199 796	13 845 961
Investments at the Corporation for Public Deposits (CPD)	26 344 408	22 113 489
Current assets	23 833 938	6 856 299
	R 63 378 142	R 42 815 749
Capital and Reserves	55 390 761	35 673 114
Current Liabilities	7 987 381	7 142 635
R 63 378 142		R 42 815 749

(a) 2012/13 Budget (Forecast) Qualifications, Curriculum & Certification

The programme outcomes dealt with the qualifications sub-framework development and maintenance. It was also tasked with standards for new qualifications being developed as well as curricula evaluation and development. The programme further dealt with policy development and implementation, learner achievements certification and the maintenance and improvement of verification processes.

Current Budget : R 2 146 000

Forecast 2012/13 : R 2 205 234

The 96 percent increase in the budget was due to some functions in the previous year being performed together with the Statistical Information and Research Unit, thus it was not a true indication of actual expenses.

(b) 2012/13 Budget (Forecast) Quality Assurance of Assessment

Outcomes for this programme included the moderation of question papers, the standardisation of marking and the moderation of CASS. Further, the programme outcomes included the monitoring of exams and the articulation and maintaining of standards for assessment. It also handled s takeholder relations and maintained and improved management, support and governance structures.

Current Budget : R 18 373 953

Forecast 2012/13 : R 20 850 000

The 13 percent increase was due to the increase in moderator costs as per Ministerial approval as well as an increase in moderation/monitoring sample sizes.

Outcomes for this programme included:

· The accreditation and monitoring system for providers of education and training to be maintained and extended

· Provisional accreditation and monitoring to be maintained

· Provider site visits to be conducted

· Monitoring reports to be developed

· Policy to be developed and implemented

· Stakeholder relationships to be developed

· Accreditation and monitoring system for assessment bodies to be maintained and extended

· Monitoring and reporting on new and existing assessment bodies.

Current Budget : R 4 508 000

Forecast 2012/13 : R 5 184 200

The 15 percent increase was due to the increase in the number of institutional site visits.

(d) 2012/13 Budget (Forecast) Statistical Information and Research

The outcomes for this programme covered the printing of reports, research, statistical support and the maintenance of the research forum/committee. The programme also provided strategic support through consultation with stakeholders on strategic research. Stakeholders were engaged through conferences and published documents.

Current Budget : R 4 306 250

Forecast 2012/13 : R 3 900 000

The 9 percent decrease in the budget was due to work done with the Qualifications, Curriculum and Certification (QCC) Programme in the previous financial year.

(e) 2012/13 Budget (Forecast) Management Support Structures

The outcomes for the programme included a review of the organisational planning and implementation as well as maintaining organizational governance. Further, the programme sought to establish and manage stakeholder relations as well as the implementation of public relations programmes.

Current Budget : R 2 841 765

Forecast 2012/13 : R 3 268 030

The 15 percent increase was due to administrative costs for travel, accommodation and flights for all governance structures personnel.

(f) 2012/13 Budget (Forecast) Corporate Services: Information Technology

The outcomes for the programme included the establishment, maintenance and improvement of the information technology (IT) systems and the implementation of the certification of the IT program. The programme further ensured adequate computer hardware and software installation to support operations.

Current Budget : R 5 178 616

Forecast 2012/13 : R 6 602 488

The 27 percent increase was required due to an increase in computer costs, mainly for the replacement of hardware and software, including the development of an electronic document management system.

(g) 2012/13 Budget (Forecast) Corporate Services: Finance

The programme outcomes included finance and accounting systems being maintained and improved - including payroll payments. It also dealt with maintaining and improving the supply chain management system as well as the building and security systems.

Current Budget : R 38 868 736

Forecast 2012/13 : R 45 504 887

The 17 percent increase was due to additional posts being approved by the Council as per the Human Resources review and approximately 5 percent towards the increase in inflation.

(h) 2012/13 Budget (Forecast) Corporate Services: Human Resource Management and Development

The outcomes for this programme covered the a dministration of human resources being carried out and development plans implemented. The programme provided general services and recorded management services.

Current Budget : R 2 138 080

Forecast 2012/13 : R 3 437 161

The 61 percent increase was due to HR development strategies including staff workshops and the implementation of the records management services.

Challenges

According to the CEO, a major challenge was the future of Umalusi as published in the Higher Education and Training Green Paper which spoke of the following:

· Umalusis Position

· Umalusis Recommendations

· Umalusis Strategic and Annual Performance Plans submitted

Umalusi intended to make a submission to the Minister on the Green Paper. Another challenge Umalusi was grappling with was the overlapping mandates with the National Education Evaluation and Development Unit (NEEDU) and other entities. Umalusi was also unsuccessful in attracting suitably qualified professionals to the organisation.

Committee Observations

The Committee raised the following issues and concerns regarding Umalusis strategic imperatives:

· The Committee highlighted the issue of the perceived lowering of the pass requirements and first year students having a high failure rate at Universities. It required a detailed discussion regarding this issue.

· The marking sites which were considered to be in excess remained a concern of the Committee.

· Umalusi previously reported that it was using its reserves to fund its mandate in the 2011/12 financial year. The Committee, through the budget review and recommendation report for 2011 recommended that the Minister of Basic Education ensured that the Council receive additional funding to effectively carry out its mandate. The Committee was satisfied that the issue of unfunded mandates had been addressed. The Committee was further concerned as to whether Umalusi had an adequate budget for the research it planned to undertake.

· The Committee remain concerned about the scarcity of moderators. It advised that Umalusi approaches Higher Education Institutions to attract specialised people to fill their vacancies.

· The Committee hoped that Umalusi would resolve the issues with the Eksamenraad vir Christelike Onderwys (ERCO).

6.2. The South African Council for Educators (SACE)

Mr R Brijraj, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and Ms M E Dipholo, Chief Operational Officer (CFO), led the presentations on strategic imperatives of the South African Council of Educators (SACE).

SACE is responsible for the registration and professional development of all educators as well as upholding the ethics of the profession. The Council further advises the Ministers of Basic and Higher Education and Training and promotes research on professional matters.

The Council would focus on the following programmes for the 2012/13 financial year:

(i) Registration - The Council intended to introduce electronic registration with an improved registration cycle of seven days. They would also focus sharply on the categorisation of the register.

(ii) Professional Development In this regard the Council would launch the roll-out of the Continuing Professional Teacher Development programme.

(iii) Ethical Standards The Council hoped to improve the case management process to a three month cycle. They Council hoped to implement proactive measures to reduce breaches of the Code of Ethics.

(iv) Administration An important milestone for the Council would be the acquisition of the SACE premises. The Council would also be engaged in implementing a proactive communication and outreach strategy to reach all educators.

The strategic outcome oriented goals of the Council were as follows:

(i) Registration - The main purpose was to register all educators who satisfy registration requirements. The Council would endeavor to maintain and sustain the credibility of the educator database through enhancing the quality of the registration of teachers by introducing standards of entry into the profession. To achieve the above, the Council would be engaged in determining minimum criteria and standards to be adhered to and taking decisions on any application for registration. The Council would also keep the names of all registered educators and determine the period of validity of registration.

The strategic objective was to register all qualified educators together with unregistered, practicing and newly qualified educators in the country. The Council also aimed to reduce the number of unregistered educators; to professionalise the sector and enhance the status of the teaching profession. This objective would contribute to the provision of

quality education by professionalising the sector.

In the reporting period, the number of educators to be registered were 32 000; the number of educator documents updated were 9 120; and 80 percent of queries would be resolved.

Financial Implications for Registration:

	2008/09	2009/10	2010/11	2011/12	2012/13	2013/13	2014/15

Financial Performance Data	Audited	Audited	Audited	Approved	Medium Term Estimates	Medium Term Estimates	Medium Term Estimates

R Thousand Registration	1,236	243	180	1,200	1,300	1,800	2,400

(ii) Legal and Ethics  The main purpose of the programme was to promote ethical conduct among educators and facilitate interventions and support for schools and educators on ethical matters. Key to this was upholding the image of the profession. The Council was engaged with investigating complaints of improper conduct and to institute disciplinary hearings where required.

The objective remained the maintenance of the ethical standards of the teaching profession through the reduction of the number of violations of the code of good practice. This objective would contribute to the reduction of violations of the code of professional ethics and contribute to the provision of quality education by professionalising the sector

The number of violations for the current year stood at 600 complaints. The number of educators and stakeholders to be workshoped on the code of professional ethics stood at 25 000. The percentage of the number of concluded cases as measured against the number of cases received for the year stood at 80 percent. These cases include those that had been investigated, mediated and disciplinary hearings and cases referred to other structures for intervention.

Financial Implications for Legal and Ethics:

	2008/09	2009/10	2010/11	2011/12	2012/13	2013/13	2014/15

Financial Performance Data	Audited	Audited	Audited	Approved	Medium Term Estimates	Medium Term Estimates	Medium Term Estimates

R Thousand Code of Conduct	1,698	1,879	768	1,400	1,300	1,800	2,500

(iii) Professional Development The programmes purpose was to e nhance the quality of practising educators through the management of the CPTD system. The Council had developed various strategies and processes of assisting and supporting educators and improving and maintaining the status and image of the teaching profession. The Council was also engaged with facilitating processes of ensuring that more teachers of a high standard join the teaching profession. Further, the programme was engaged with the development of professional standards.

Key functions for the programme included:

Managing and implementing the CPTD System;

Developing and monitoring standards for pre-service and in-service teacher education;

Promoting the image of the teaching profession through various programmes;

Promoting teaching as a profession;

Promoting programmes that focus on teacher appreciation and celebrating the profession as a whole.

The main objective was to e nhance the status of the teaching profession and to deliver programmes aimed to improve professionalism amongst all educators. This programme would contribute to the increase in professionalism and the reduction of the number of violations of the professional code of teaching practice. This objective would further contribute to the provision of quality education by professionalising the sector.

SACE has set targets for 2012/13 for the number of schools participating in the CPTD management system; the number of SACE registered educators signing up on the CPTD management system; the number of endorsed CPTD educator activities; the number of queries successfully resolved; a teacher induction programme on professional matters and the number of educators attending the Worlds Teacher Day celebration.

Financial Implications for Professional Development:

	2008/09	2009/10	2010/11	2011/12	2012/13	2013/13	2014/15

Financial Performance Data	Audited	Audited	Audited	Approved	Medium Term Estimates	Medium Term Estimates	Medium Term Estimates

R Thousand Professional Development	9,907	3,274	114	2,300	3,200	3,400	5,800

CPTD	2,028	6,974	4,363	7,200	7,200	7,200	7,200

(iv) Policy and Research  The main aim of the programme was to enhance policy research coordination and to strengthen the Council advisory role and services that were informed by policy, research, and consultative processes. The programme helped to promote research on professional matters and any other educational matter relevant to the Council.

Key functions within the programme were to advise the Minister of Basic and Higher Education and the profession on various professional development matters. The programme was also tasked with undertaking research on professional matters for purposes of informing the advisory role of the Council. Further, the programme was engaged with producing policy and research publications/reports, and disseminating research findings through various communications channels.

The main objective was to research on professional matters through identifying and undertaking research on relevant professional matters in order to inform SACE programmes and advise the Council, the Ministers of Basic and Higher Education and Training, and the profession. This programme would reduce the silence of the Council with regard to addressing dilemmas on professional matters.

Targets for this programme for 2012 focuses on the number of new SACE policies developed in the reporting period; the number of National Teacher Education and Development policy making structures that SACE participates in; the number of written policy positions to inform national policy and advices Council, the Minister of Education and the profession; the number of research projects undertaken in line wit h SACE research policy and priorities; and the number of pol i cy and research publications produced and disseminated.

Financial Implications for Policy and Research:

	2008/ 0 9	2009/10	2010/11	2011/12	2012/13	2013/13	2014/15

Financial Performance Data	Audited	Audited	Audited	Approved	Medium Term Estimates	Medium Term Estimates	Medium Term Estimates

R Thousand Research and Planning	0	0	249	1,200	1,300	1,600	2,000

The following notes speak to some of the issues covered in the MTEF Projections:

· Registration the increase would assist in the updating of the current data. The allocated funds of R 1, 2 million would enable the Council to register the projected 32 000 educators.

· Professional Development the programmes would have to be intensified to reduce the number of violations of the Code, hence the increase in expenditure. Donor funding of R 7, 2 million per annum for the MTEF period for CPTD activities was part of Professional Development. The total amount of R 10, 4 million was allocated to deliver the planned activities.

· Code of Ethics There was an expectation of a decrease in violations and hence a decrease in expenditure. The Council had trained 90 resource individuals to assist in conducting investigations and hearings throughout the country. This would reduce the costs of handling cases thus the cases received would be attended to satisfactorily with the projected R 1, 3 million budget .

· Surplus The projected surplus had been intended towards the building reserve fund. The Council intended purchasing a building to accommodate its administration by July 2012.

In respect of revenue, the Council increased its monthly subscription fees from R 6 to R 10 with effect from 1 July 2010. The Council received funds from the Department of Basic Education to subsidise the administration of CPTD transfers. It was expected that registration fees would decrease as the Council cleared the backlog. The building reserve fund contributed to interest receivables.

Further, on expenditure, the research unit had been established with two approved positions of a manager and assistant manager. Expenditure related to the cost of research work excluding salaries. An amount of R 7, 2 million had been transferred twice, it was assumed to be the trend until another arrangement superseded the existing one. The building reserve fund was aimed at purchasing the building by 2015, with a R 2.60 per educator reservable with effect from 1July 2010. An internal audit unit had been established as an internal unit. It was expected that the council would increase its monthly levies by R 5.00 in 2015, with discussions already having commenced.

Committee Observations

The Committee raised the following issues and concerns regarding SACEs strategic imperatives:

· The Committee was concerned whether SACE was in a position to implement the roll-out of the Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) system in the current financial year. The Committee also needed clarity on whether SACE managed the CPTD system on behalf of the Department and whether there was a point at which SACE would hand over to the Department. SACE would be called to a further meeting to brief the Committee on its CPTD Pilot Project Report.

· The Committee queried whether any research was conducted on the issues of violations and breaches of the Code and what intervention strategies were in place.

· The Committee was concerned over the control, monitoring and oversight of private education institutions by SACE.

· A question was raised regarding the interaction and possible duplication of the roles of SACE and other entities. The Committee would find time in its schedule to arrange a meeting of all the relevant entities to discuss the issue of teacher professional development and where and with whom the responsibility resided.

· The Committee wanted to see a breakdown of the case load of SACE as well as a turnaround strategy in respect of audit queries and emphasis on matters.

· The Committee wanted the views of SACE in respect of the screening of potential learners who intended to enter the profession.

· The committee further queried whether SACE had an attraction/retention/exit policy in place.

· The Chairperson indicated that the Committee would find time in its schedule to arrange a meeting of all the relevant entities to discuss the issue of teacher training and where and with whom it resided.

6.3. The Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC)

Mr M Govender, General Secretary, led the presentation on the strategic objectives, principles, operations and the legislative mandate governing the work of the ELRC.

The primary business of the Council is to promote the maintenance of labour peace in the public education sector through the provision of dispute resolution (and prevention) services. To this end, the grievance and disputes of educators and officials were resolved through conciliation and/or arbitration. The secondary business of the Council involved promotion and maintenance of labour peace in the public education sector through the provision of consultation and negotiations between trade unions and the state as the employer, as represented by the Department of Education.

The core business of the ELRC could be summarised into the following core programmes:

· Programme 1: Dispute Management Services

· Programme 2: Collective Bargaining Services

· Programme 3: Executive Services

· Programme 4: Corporate Services

· Programme 5: Capital Expenditure

The Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) of the Government for 2009 2014 had been taken into account in the development of the ELRCs Strategic Plan. The priority area of access to quality education guided the Strategic Plan in terms of Outcome 1 (Improved Quality of Basic Education) which was at the centre of the governments approach. The ELRC was committed to ensure that Strategic Priority 1 of the governments priorities and programmes was paramount in the strategic planning process since it related to teachers conditions of service and career prospects.

The strategic outcome oriented goals of the ELRC as well as the strategic goals incorporated in the ELRC programmes are as follows:

· Strategic Goal 1: To provide efficient resolution of disputes within prescribed and pre-approved time limits

· Strategic Goal 2: To assist provincial departments of education in the improvement of resolving grievances by decreasing the number of grievances registered

· Strategic Goal 3: To strengthen the arbitration and conciliation skills of dispute resolution practitioners by providing relevant pre-approved training and development to all parties concerned

· Strategic Goal 4: To facilitate and promote the collective bargaining process on matters of mutual interest

· Strategic Goal 5: To monitor the implementation of Collective Agreements

· Strategic Goal 6: To maintain good corporate governance and promote organisational effectiveness and efficiency

Risk management factors facing the ELRC included the following:

· Collective Bargaining - The economic situation and lack of commitment from parties to Council towards bargaining may impede the conclusion of matters being negotiated. The ELRC aimed to reduce the time taken for obtaining mandates and to follow up regularly on progress made.

· Dispute Resolution Management - The attitude of parties towards a speedy resolution of disputes may negatively impact on the success of these processes. The sensitivity of disputes involving children as victims or witnesses needed to be handled with care and thus may affect the speedy resolution of such disputes. Special training was being provided to panelists and other role players in the resolution of such disputes. Special venues were arranged to hear these disputes.

· Funding Operations - The delay in the agreement of a levy increase would affect the ability of Council to carry out its duties towards the achievement of its objectives. There was a need to ensure that negotiations for a levy increase started early, before the expiry of the two year period it generally took to reach such an agreement.

Mr M Motshakga, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), took the Committee through the ELRC Annual Performance Plan (APP) which was guided by the long-term plans of government, the Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) and subsequent political priorities.

Mr Motshakga mentioned that collective bargaining processes would maximize the scope of the parties shared interest to achieve t he best possible arrangement between good educational outcomes and a fair deal for the teaching profession. Appropriate support and training would be provided for all involved in dispute resolution and collective bargaining. Training of Dispute Resolution Practitioners (DRPs), intermediaries and panelists would provide the basis for an effective, rights-based approach to the core activities of the Council. The ELRC operated in the public education labour relations environment. Since 1994 it catered for the employer and employees in terms of the Employment of Educators Act. The ELRC rendered its services of labour relations in terms of the Labour Relations Act and discharges its services to both employers and employees.

The Council expanded its services over time to include research and development of pertinent matters to employment relations in public education, training and development, and special initiatives to support delivery in public education. The Council currently catered for 410 000 educators in basic education. Over the past three years the education environment had been split into two distinct areas: Basic Education and Higher Education and Training (Further Education and Training Colleges component). It was possible that Adult Education and Training (AET) bargaining unit would be established in the future. With specific reference to the challenges of performance delivery, the Council for Basic Education primarily operated through nine provincial chambers and a national office. The funding model was an equal contribution from the employer and employees, presently R 5.00 from each party, totalling R 10.00 per month per employee.

Budget and MTEF estimates

The Budget and the MTEF Estimates could be summarised as follows:

Income

· Income remained static over the MTEF period

· Figures were based on 400 000 contributors

· Strategic outcome oriented goals have not been compromised

· The available accumulated reserves supplement income

Funding of Programmes

· Dispute Management Services 19.5 percent

· Collective Bargaining and Related Services - 43 percent (the bulk of the funding to National and Provincial Bargaining Chambers)

· Support Services - 26 percent

· Capital Expenditure 11.5 percent (would involve the refurbishment of the ELRC building (+/- R 12 million)

The ELRC would focus on the following programmes, strategic objectives and annual targets for 2013:

(i) Programme 1 Dispute Management Services

The purpose of Programme 1 was to manage disputes proactively. This included the prevention of disputes and dispute resolution. Professional development and training was included in Programme 1 to ensure that DRPs and Panelists could operate effectively. Particular emphasis was placed on training that contributed to protect the rights of children involved in specific disputes.

Annual targets for 2013 included 100 per cent provision of dispute resolution services; 70 percent resolution of special disputes; the prevention of disputes with 60 percent of grievances finalized per province and the training of 240 District Resolution Practitioners (DRP) and Panelists

(ii) Programme 2 Collective Bargaining Services

The purpose of Programme 2 was:

· To contribute to the Councils vision of a strengthened social contract between government, teacher unions and civil society that helped to create a conducive environment for improved quality in teaching and learning.

· To maximize the scope of the parties shared interest, promoting the best possible fit between good educational outcomes and a fair deal for the teaching profession.

· To promote collective bargaining at national and provincial levels to ensure the development of effective policies for quality public education in a non-disruptive environment for teaching and learning.

· To promote respect for international conventions, Constitutional rights and values and labour legislation in the management of collective bargaining.

· To support and facilitate special initiatives and campaigns.

Annual targets for 2013 focused on: collective bargaining on matters of mutual interest in public education; the provision of facilitation services to support collective bargaining at national and provincial levels; the identification of research on teacher welfare and national development issues through attendance of an Education Conference.

(iii) Programme 3 Executive Services

The Programme managed all the service divisions of the Council to ensure that stakeholders derived maximum value from all the activities of the Council - and to intervene in order to circumvent labour unrest, nationally and provincially. The Programme further ensured the sound financial and risk management, as well as sound governance of the Council. The Programme also sought to support continuous quantifiable productivity of knowledge efforts internally and to build the corporate image of the ELRC.

Annual targets for 2012 for Programme 3 included:

· Facilitation Services the prevention of disputes and promotion of collaboration and collective bargaining. The capacity to prevent disputes was enhanced in collaboration with PEDs and the unions

· Financial management, accounting and compliance services - To ensure an unqualified audit and not to repeat the 2010/11 audit findings.

· Communication services To compile quarterly publications on developments in labour law and collective bargaining. To conduct annual market research on the quality of services offered by the Council.

(iv) Programme 4 Corporate Services

The Programme provided financial, human resources and administrative support to the core operational functions to deliver an efficient and effective service on its mandates. The programme was made up of the following sub-programmes:

· Financial and accounting services

· Administration services which include Information Technology

· Mobilising employees services

Annual targets for this Programme for 2013 included to:

· Maintain and improve financial and administrative systems, without adverse impact on operations

· Procure goods and services within policies and guidelines, without major disruptions to operations

· Maintain good labour relations, with zero grievances

· Train and develop staff, 80% of employees to be trained and developed

· Ensure a healthy and safe work environment, with zero injuries at work

· Maintain and improve the premises and security systems respectively

· Provide reliable information technology and communication systems - Systems not older than five years

(v) Programme 5 Capital Expenditure

The purpose of Programme 5 was to provide the necessary capital resources to ensure effective and efficient delivery of the Councils operations to fulfill their mandate.

Annual targets for this Programme for 2013 included:

· To manage the property and assets of the Council with a focus on increasing effectiveness, economy, transparency and integrity, with 30 percent of the plan still to be completed.

· Timeous procurement to be delivered, with services not hampered due to non delivery or procurement.

Committee Observations

The Committee raised the following issues and concerns regarding ELRCs strategic imperatives:

· The Committee queried the delay in the finalisation of performance agreements for principals and deputy principals.

· The Committee maintained its concern regarding the teacher-laptop initiative and why implementation was delayed.

· In respect of the ongoing problems in the Eastern Cape ; the Committee needed further clarity on the role the Council played in resolving these issues and its position as the ELRC.

· As expressed during interaction with SACE as reported elsewhere in this report, the Committee was again concerned with the coordination and possible duplication of roles of the ELRC and SACE in respect of teacher development and other matters. The Committee requested that the Council supply the Committee with a list of possible proposals in respect of amendments to legislation to resolve the clash with SACE.

7. Conclusion

· The reviews have presented a picture of where government stands in the provisioning of access to education, enabling the Committee to ascertain progress and challenges faced.

· This session has presented an opportunity to deliberate on issues with the aim of finding practical ways of coordinating efforts in moving forward with an efficient machinery of delivery.

· The Committee further commits itself to strengthening its oversight role through visits to schools, stakeholders and its statutory bodies.

· The Committee is thus focusing on the implementation of service delivery, building and strengthening capacity; developing human and financial resources and developing the necessary skills required in implementing government programmes.

8. Recommendation

The Committee, having considered the Portfolio Committee Report on Budget Vote 15: Basic Education, recommends that the House accepts the Report.

Report to be considered.

Documents

No related documents

ATC120515: Report: Budget Vote 15: Basic Education, dated 15 May 2012

Basic Education

Documents

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