ATC140711: Report of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on Budget Vote 15: Basic Education, dated 10 July 2014.
Basic Education
Report of the
Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on Budget Vote 15: Basic Education,
dated 10 July 2014
.
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 2014/15 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 Department
of Basic Education (DBE) 1 July 2014; and
·
The South
African Council for Educators (SACE), the Education Labour Relations Council
(ELRC) and the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education
and Training (Umalusi) 8 July 2014.
1.2
The
budget briefings served to acquaint the Fifth Parliament Portfolio Committee
with the mandates and programmes of the Department and the named statutory
bodies.
1.3
Those that appeared before the Portfolio
Committee during the Budget Review sessions included
the following:
1.3.1
Department
of Basic Education (DBE)
:
Hon A Motshekga:
Minister for Basic Education, Hon E Surty: Deputy Minister for Basic Education,
Mr S G Padayachee: Acting Director-General, Mr A Schoeman: Deputy
Director-General, Mr H M Mweli: Acting Deputy Director-General, Ms V Carelse:
Deputy Director-General, Mr Kojana: Deputy Director-General, Ms N Molalekoa:
Chief Finance Officer, Mr S Govender: Chief Director, Dr F Kumalo: Chief
Director, Dr R Poliah: Chief Director, Ms C Nuga: Chief Director, Mr N Maluleka:
Director, Ms S Mosimege: Director, Mr A W Kutumela: Director, Ms T Martins:
Ministerial Liaison Officer, Ms E Mbatha: Personal Assistant, Ms C Van Wyk:
Parliamentary Liaison Officer,
Mr L Mahada: Parliamentary Liaison Officer
(Office of the Director-General) and Mr R Van Den Heever: Parliamentary Liaison
Officer (Office of the Minister).
1.3.2
South African Council for Educators (SACE)
:
Mr R Brijraj: Chief Executive Officer, Mr M Mapindani: Chief Finance Officer
and Mr E Rabotapi: Councillor.
1.3.3
Education
Labour Relations Council (ELRC)
:
Ms C Foca: General Secretary, Mr M Mahlangu: Senior Manager and Mr J
Galorale: Executive Member.
1.3.4
Council for Quality Assurance in General
and Further Education and Training (Umalusi)
: Dr M S Rakometsi: Chief Executive Officer, Mr J Thomas: Chief Financial
Officer, Mrs E Rabe: Chief Operating Officer and Prof J Volmink: Chairperson of
the Council.
1.4
The
fourth Parliament Portfolio Committee engaged with the Department and its
Statutory Bodies on their performance for the previous financial year and the
funding needs for the current financial year, in October 2013, as part of the
Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report (BRRR) process. The observations
made in this report should be read in conjunction with those made in the BRRR
report.
1.5
Copies of all presentations on the Budget
Review of DBE, SACE, Umalusi and ELRC are available from the Committee
Secretary.
2. Overview of Strategic Priorities
2.1
Address by the Minister for Basic
Education, Hon A Motshekga and Deputy Minister for Basic Education, Hon E Surty
Hon A Motshekga, in her address to the Portfolio
Committee gave a brief political input in respect of the Budget Vote 15: Basic
Education. The Minister thanked the Portfolio Committee for the valuable inputs
during the last term and looked forward to increased productive engagements
with the newly formed Portfolio Committee. She indicated that they had extensive
discussions at a Ministerial level after re-appointment to their positions. With
the knowledge of the past five-years, the Department was well aware of areas
that worked well and those that needed urgent attention and improvement. It was
important that the Department translated identified challenges into positive
action. The Department had a wealth of information on schools through the
extensive assessment processes of the past which needed to be unpacked into
action plans. The Minister alluded to interventions that improved quality
education efficiently and speedily which the Department would focus its
attention on as a means to moving forward. It was important that the Department
structured itself to deliver on the commitments made by the President. Key
focus areas for the Department, amongst others, would include dealing with the
high drop-out rate; the repetition rate of learners; the recruitment of
qualified principals and improving systems of matching teacher supply and
demand. The Minister was keen to arrange a follow-up engagement with the
Portfolio Committee on many aspects of the Departments plan of action for the
future.
Hon E Surty echoed the sentiments of the Minister in
recognising the support from the Portfolio Committee in the past five-year
term. He further recognised the challenges faced by the Department in creating
stability in the sector. He indicated that the Department relied on the
provinces for the necessary support in creating symbiotic relations between the
Department and provincial departments. A good indication of this was the
ongoing interaction between the Minister and District Directors in all nine
provinces to share information and best-practices. The Deputy Minister touched
on a few priorities which were receiving special focussed attention by the
Department. These included:
·
The provision of Learning and Teaching
Support Materials (LTSM)
·
School infrastructure development
·
District Performance
·
Collaboration with the private sector to
improve education
·
Professional Development
·
The provision of ICT
·
Rural Focus
·
The implementation of the curriculum
·
Education as a social issue
·
The implementation of the Norms and Standards
for school infrastructure
·
Expansion of Early Childhood Development
(ECD)
·
The need for the rationalisation of schools.
2.2
Overview
by the Department
of Basic Education
The Department reported that the Strategic
Plan 2011 2014 addressed key issues contained in the Action Plan to 2014 and the
Delivery Agreement. The Strategic Plan was anchored on the Action Plan to 2014
which spelled out the long term basic education sector plan. The Department
touched on some of the key challenges outlined in the Strategic Plan and
summarised the previous Delivery Agreement. The Department was developing the
new five-year Strategic Plan to be tabled in March 2015 which would include
priorities highlighted in the Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) 2014 -
2019 and the new Delivery Agreement. The education long term sector plan had
been revised to ensure further alignment with the National Development Plan
(NDP). The Department reported that the Action Plan to 2019 had been finalised
and would inform all Departments medium and short term plans.
2.2.1
Overview of the Departments Draft Medium
Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) and 2014/15 Strategic Priorities
Following
the National Development Plan and building on key sector plans, critical
activities were focussed on the following outputs for the next five years:
Improved quality of teaching and learning
through development, supply and effective utilisation of teachers;
Improved quality of teaching and learning
through provision of adequate, quality infrastructure and Learning and Teaching
Support Materials (LTSM);
Improving assessment for learning to ensure
quality and efficiency in academic achievement;
Expanded access to Early Childhood
Development and improvement of the quality of Grade R, with support for
pre-Grade R provision;
Strengthening, accountability and improving
management at the school, community and district level; and
Partnerships for education reform and
improved quality.
Key
Strategic Priorities for 2014 included the following:
2.2.1.1
Curriculum
·
The 2014 school year was
the final year of the phasing in of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy
Statements (CAPS) into the system, in the Senior Phase and Grade 12;
·
Focusing on
monitoring the maximum utilisation of teaching time;
·
Curriculum
planning, management, oversight ,coverage and
delivery by teachers;
·
Responding to content
gaps;
·
Continuing with
teacher development initiatives based on identified gaps in the Annual National
Assessment(ANA) and National Senior Certificate (NSC); and
·
Monitoring training
on curriculum differentiation to ensure inclusivity.
2.2.1.2
Assessments
·
Further consolidation
of
the assessment systems;
·
Strengthening quality
assurance processes of the NSC through Umalusi; and
·
International benchmarking
of critical question papers in order to improve their credibility.
2.2.1.3
Learning and Teacher Support Materials
·
The Department would monitor
access to textbooks and workbooks by learners;
·
Working with
districts to monitor the extent to which resources were utilised at classroom
level; and
·
Continuing the provision
of high quality workbooks and other supplementary resources.
2.2.1.4
Infrastructure
-
Continuing to
monitor provincial spending on infrastructure;
-
Replacing of
mud and unsafe school structures through the Accelerated School
Infrastructure
Development
Initiative
(ASIDI) was still on
course; and
-
Ensuring that
targets for provision of water, electricity and sanitation facilities were
met as per the National Norms and Standards.
2.2.1.5
Accountability
·
The emphasis was still
on teacher time-on-task, teachers attendance and content knowledge;
·
Improving the
frequency and quality of monitoring and support services provided by district
offices;
·
Analysing District
Improvement Plans (DIPs) and providing feedback as part of the Department monitoring
and oversight
function;
·
Developing and mediating
the South African Standards for the appointment of principals, circuit managers
and subject advisors;
·
A comprehensive plan
to improve conditions of services for Grade R practitioners; and
·
Preparing for the
2015 SGB elections.
2.2.2
Annual Performance Plan 2014/15 Performance Indicators and Targets
The
2014/15
Annual Performance Plan
summarises
the priorities of the Department as aligned to
the
Delivery Agreement
of
Outcome 1
: Improving the quality of Basic Education
and the sector-wide
Action Plan to 2014: Towards the
Realisation of Schooling 2025
.
The activities of the Department remain structured into
five
programmes,
namely,
Administration; Curriculum
Policy, Support and Monitoring; Teachers, Education Human Resources and
Institutional Development; Planning, Information and Assessment; and Educational
Enrichment Services.
2.2.2.1 Programme 1: Administration
The
purpose
of this programme is to manage the Department and
provide strategic and
administrative support services. The
strategic objectives of the Programme are as follows:
·
To ensure the provision of suitable human
resource capacity to support a high performing organisation;
·
To ensure that the basic education sector and
the country benefit from targeted support to the education department; and
·
To improve inter-governmental planning,
communication, education policy and legislative development.
The
following targets were set for the Annual Performance Plan for 2014/15:
·
Staff Development: The number of officials
participating in staff development activities for 2014/15 is 315, an increase
from a target of 300 in 2013/14;
·
Internships: The number of internships implemented for
unemployed graduates in the Department stands at 65 against a baseline of 60
(2013/14);
·
Financial Disclosures: All Senior Management Services
(SMS) members to submit signed financial disclosure forms by 31 May 2014;
·
Performance Agreements: All SMS members to sign Performance
Agreements by 31 May 2014;
·
The Management Performance Assessment Tool (MPAT) process
results should be available and self-assessment scores submitted to the
Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) on time, and
·
The number of audit reports to be signed off is 29.
2.2.2.2 Programme 2: Curriculum Policy, Support and Monitoring
The purpose of Programme two
is
to develop curriculum and assessment policies and monitor
and support their implementation. The strategic objectives of the Programme
include:
·
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 on what every learner requires 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; and
·
To finalise and promote national screening
guidelines that provide for an equitable system of access to special needs
support amongst learners.
The indicators in this programme are directed towards
improving learner performance as captured in the sector-wide
Action Plan: Towards the realization of
schooling 2025
. The Programme contributes to the following sector goals on
learner performance:
·
Goals 1; 2 & 3
: Increase
the number of learners in Grade 3; 6 & 9 who, by the end of the year, have
mastered the minimum language and Numeracy/Mathematics competencies for Grade 3;
·
Goal 4
: Increase the number
of Grade 12 learners who become eligible for a Bachelors programme at a
university;
·
Goals 5 & 6
:
Increase the number of Grade 12 learners who
pass Mathematics & Physical Science;
·
Goals 7 & 8
:
Improve the average performance of Grade 6
learners in Languages & Mathematics;
·
Goal 9
: Improve the average
performance of Grade 8 learners in Mathematics; and
·
Goal 12
: Improve the grade
promotion of learners through Grades 1 to 9.
The following targets are set
for the Annual Performance Plan for 2014/15:
·
The Department targets the development of 10
interactive workbooks;
·
The target for the percentage of learners who obtain a
National Senior Certificate is 75 percent;
·
The percentage of Grade R workbooks developed, printed
and delivered to learners in public primary schools is 97 100 percent as per
data sets form provinces;
·
The percentage of Grade 9 Mathematics workbooks
developed, printed and delivered to learners in public schools was 97 100
percent as per data sets from provinces; and
·
The target for the number of learners completing the
Kha Ri Gude programme per year is 545 386.
2.2.2.3
Programme 3: Teachers, Education Human
Resources and Institutional Development
The purpose of Programme
Three is
to promote quality teaching and institutional performance
through the effective supply, development and utilisation of human resources.
The overall strategic
objectives for
this Branch include:
·
To ensure 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 the 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 became a good teacher
and focusing on giving the necessary information and bursaries to interested
youths;
·
To bring about a set of planning, management
and accountability tools at the school level that catered for South African
needs and made quality education more realisable;
·
To develop training strategies and materials
aimed at parents that could bring parents more integrally into the new
accountability mechanisms being established for schools; and
·
To establish better and evidence-based
practices and procedures for the countrys 82 education district offices,
including models for school interventions designed to tackle specific school
shortcomings.
Programme Three outputs and
targets for 2014/15 include the following:
·
The
n
umber of qualified teachers aged 30 and below
entering the profession for the first time during the financial year is 8000;
·
A report on the
number of qualified teachers aged 30 and below exiting the system during the
past year a report on termination of qualified educators aged 30 and below;
and
·
The number of
Funza
Lushaka
bursaries awarded to students enrolled for initial teacher
education during the past year is 13 500.
2.2.2.4
Programme 4: Planning, Information and
Assessment
The purpose of Programme
Four is
to promote quality and effective service delivery in
the basic education system through planning, implementation and assessment. The
overall strategic objectives for the Programme are to:
·
Establish
a quality system of standardised and benchmarked learner assessments;
·
Ensure
that all children completed a quality readiness programme in Grade R before
they entered formal education in Grade 1;
·
Put 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;
·
Ensure that districts could use quality
information and data regarding the level and quality of learning in schools to
plan and implement school-based improvement programmes.
The Programme
also contributes to the following sector goals:
·
Goal 23
:
Ensuring that all schools are funded at least at the minimum per learner
levels determined nationally and that funds are utilised transparently and
effectively; and
·
Goal 24
:
Ensuring that the physical infrastructure and environment of every
school inspire learners to be motivated to come to school and learn, and for teachers
to come and teach.
The main
performance targets for Programme 4 in 2014/15 include amongst others:
·
The provision of valid and reliable data on learner performance in Mathematics
and languages in Grade 1 to 9;
·
The number of schools to complete through ASIDI is 150;
·
The percentage of Grade 1 learners who have received formal Grade R is
94 percent;
·
The percentage of 7 to 15-year-olds attending education institutions is
99 percent;
·
The percentage of children who turn 9 in the previous year who are
currently enrolled in Grade 4 is 65 percent; and
·
The number of officials from districts that achieve less than 65 percent
in the NSC participating in a mentoring programme is 30.
2.2.2.5 Programme
5: Educational Enrichment Services
The purpose of Programme
Five is
to develop policies and programmes to improve the
quality of learning in schools. The strategic objectives are:
·
To enhance
the current basket of education support services to learners from poor
communities; and
·
To ensure the involvement of stakeholders in
exercising involvement in schools in a manner that added value to the
attainment of the core outcomes.
The Programme
contributes to the following sector goal on learner well-being:
Goal 25:
Use schools as vehicles for promoting access to a
range of public services amongst learners in areas such as health, poverty
alleviation, sport and culture.
The main
performance targets for Programme 5 in 2014/15 include amongst others:
·
The target for the number of schools providing
learners with nutritious meals is 19 800; and
·
The number of learners participating in the DBE
organized activities on citizenship, rights and responsibilities and
constitutional values is 2 500.
2.2.3
Expenditure trends for 2010 - 2014
Table
1: Actual Expenditure per Programme for 2010 2014:
PROGRAMMES
|
2010/11
|
2011/12
|
2012/13
|
2013/14
|
R000
|
R000
|
R000
|
R000
|
|
Administration
|
252 103
|
287 734
|
317 328
|
366 500
|
Curriculum Policy, Support and Monitoring (1)
|
737 336
|
1 700 304
|
1 398 906
|
1 469 873
|
Teachers, Education Human Resources and
Institutional Development
|
486 642
|
537 568
|
820 577
|
1 010 828
|
Planning, Information and Assessment (2)
|
152 622
|
5 563 859
|
6 897 873
|
8 435 610
|
Educational Enrichment Services (3)
|
3 886 374
|
4 811 449
|
5 451 200
|
5 728 564
|
Total
|
5 515 077
|
12 900 914
|
14 885 884
|
17 011 375
|
Table
1 shows that expenditure increased from R5.5 billion in 2010/11 to R17 billion
in 2013/14. Major increases in spending occurred in programmes 2, 3 and 5. The
Department attributes the deviation to the following:
1.
The increase spending in this programme was in respect of Grade R 9
workbooks printed and distribution to schools in all provinces as well as Kha
Ri Gude Mass Literacy Campaign.
2.
The increased spending on this programme
was due to the introduction of the Education Infrastructure Conditional Grant
School and the Infrastructure Backlogs Indirect Grant.
3.
The bulk of the allocation on this
programme was in respect of transfers of the conditional grant. The NSNP
transfer increased due to the expansion of feeding to secondary schools in Q1
to Q3.
In terms of economic classification, the Department reported
deviation on travel and subsistence, transfers and subsidies and payments for
capital assets. In terms of travel and subsistence, the increased spending from
R47 million in 2010 to R141 million in 2014 was mainly due to the Departments
intensive monitoring of implementation of policies in provinces. The increase
spending on transfers from R4 billion in 2010 to R14 billion was in respect of
Conditional grants. With regard to payments for capital assets, the Increase in
spending was due to the Infrastructure Backlog grant for the provision of basic
services to schools in the form of water and sanitation as well as eradication
of inappropriate school infrastructure including mud schools.
2.2.4 O
verview of the
Budget for 2014/15
and the Medium Term Expenditure Framework
(MTEF)
Table 2: 2014
ENE Allocations
|
2014/15
|
2015/16
|
2016/17
|
|
R'000
|
R'000
|
R'000
|
2014 MTEF Allocations
|
19 941 287
|
23 023 550
|
24 249 489
|
Less:
|
(242 350)
|
(610 420)
|
(597 490)
|
Baseline Reduction:
|
(231 000)
|
(479 000)
|
(456 000)
|
School Infrastructure Backlog Grant
|
|||
Kha Ri Gude
|
(10 000)
|
(130 000)
|
(140 000)
|
Goods and Services
|
(1 350)
|
(1 420)
|
(1 490)
|
|
|
|
|
Adjustments to conditional grants:
|
(18 791)
|
(522 912)
|
(554 503)
|
Occupation Specific Dispensation for
Therapist in
the Education Sector Grant
|
231 000
|
67 000
|
|
Education Infrastructure Grant
|
(231 791)
|
(589 912)
|
(554 503)
|
2014 ENE ALLOCATIONS
|
19 680 146
|
21 890 218
|
23 097 496
|
Table
3: Allocation per Programme for 2014/15 compared to 2013/14
PROGRAMMES
|
2013/14
|
2014/15
|
Percentage
|
R000
|
R000
|
increase/ (decrease)
|
|
Administration
|
335 580
|
347 448
|
3.5%
|
Curriculum Policy, Support and Monitoring
(1)
|
1 523 621
|
1 954 927
|
28.3%
|
Teachers, Education Human Resources and
Institutional Development
(2)
|
984 697
|
1 268 247
|
28.8%
|
Planning, Information and Assessment
(3)
|
8 988 995
|
10 379 369
|
15.5%
|
Educational Enrichment Services
|
5 759 012
|
5 730 155
|
(0.5)%
|
Total
|
17 591 905
|
19 680 146
|
|
The
budget for the Department increased from R17.6 billion in 2013/14 to R19.7
billion in the 2014/15 financial year.
This represents an increase of 5.2 per cent in real terms and 11.7 per
cent in nominal terms. At programme level, the Administration (Programme 1) and
Educational Enrichment Services (Programme 5) programmes show little growth
from 2013/14 of 3.5 per cent and 0.5 per cent respectively. Programme 2
(Curriculum Policy, Support and Monitoring) and Programme 3 (The Teachers,
Education Human Resources and Institutional Development) show large growth of
28.3 per cent and 28.8 per cent respectively. Programme 4, which receives the
largest allocation of R10.4 billion, grows by 15.5 per cent from the 2013/14
allocation of R9 billion.
The
Department attributes the deviation as follows:
(1)
The increase in Programme 2 is due to project
allocation towards the Expanded Public Works Incentive grant and the
establishment of the e-learning unit and development of e-learning resources in
the Mathematics and Sciences which are expected to promote and increase the
participation of learners in these subjects
.
(2)
In Programme 3, the increase is due to the transfer to National Student
Financial Aid Scheme for the Funza Lushaka bursaries which aims to address the
shortage of teachers in specific areas/subjects such as Mathematics, Science
and Technology.
(3)
The increase in Programme 4 is due to the School Infrastructure Backlog
Grant which aims to eradicate schools built with inappropriate material,
provide water, sanitation and electricity to schools.
Table 4: Allocation
Summary per Service for 2014/15 compared to 2013/14
SERVICE
|
2013/4
|
2014/15
|
Percentage
|
R000
|
R000
|
increase/ (decrease)
|
|
Compensation of Employees
(1)
|
292 253
|
311 436
|
6.6%
|
Examiners and Moderators
|
18 440
|
19 546
|
6.0%
|
Transfers to Public Entities
|
991 529
|
1 054 853
|
6.4%
|
Other Transfers
(2)
|
37 250
|
42 985
|
15.4%
|
Conditional Grants
|
12 343 272
|
13 169 549
|
6.7%
|
Specially and exclusively
appropriated
(3)
|
1 955 981
|
2 938 504
|
50.2%
|
Earmarked Funds
(4)
|
1 634 671
|
1 781 945
|
9.0%
|
Departmental Operations
|
254 007
|
269 669
|
6.2%
|
Projects
|
64 502
|
91 659
|
42.3%
|
Total
|
17 591 905
|
19 680 146
|
|
Notes:
(1)
Excludes the compensation of employees payments in respect of earmarked
funds, examiners and moderators as well as compensation related to School
Backlog Indirect Grant.
(2)
The increase is due to the allocation for the National Initiative to
improve learning outcomes.
(3)
The increase as a result of the additional allocation received in
respect of the School Infrastructure Backlog Indirect Grant.
(4)
The increase is due to additional allocation for the Annual National
Assessment in order to improve literacy and numeracy levels.
2.2.5
Non-Negotiables and the Draft Medium Term
Strategic Framework (MTSF) 2014 Priorities
The Department explained the plans for the MTSF
2014 2019 and the basis for action in the new administration. It was reported
that the Framework outlined was the NDP-aligned updated Action Plan 2019:
Towards the realisation of Schooling 2030. Key themes for Basic Education were
as follows:
Focusing on the quality and efficiency
in education;
Communicating with communities
at all levels;
Emphasising teaching and
learning;
Strengthening the role of
all players including entities, unions, parents, partners;
Strengthening provincial and
national mechanisms including intergovernmental mechanisms, and
interdepartmental mechanisms;
The National Education
Policy Act (NEPA) Monitoring and Evaluation, norms and standards, impact thereof;
and
Provincial, district, school
realities factored in non-negotiables for the sector.
The non-negotiables for joint sectoral
planning and monitoring included a range of priorities related to:
Learning and Teaching Support Materials
Infrastructure
Districts
Teachers Placement/Deployment/Development
ICT
Kha Ri Gude
Library Services
Rural Focus
Curriculum
Partnerships and Social Mobilisation
Norms and Standards
Some
of the sub-outputs, activities and indicators included:
Improved quality of teaching and learning
through development, supply and effective utilisation of teachers
The provision of adequate, quality
infrastructure and LTSM
Improving assessment for learning to ensure
quality and efficiency in academic achievement
Expanded access to Early Childhood
Development and improvement to the quality of Grade R
Strengthening accountability and improving
management at the school, community and district level
Partnerships for education system
strengthening
Impact on learning as in NDP, the sector plan
and targets
The
Department would give further details on the non-negotiables as contained in
the Medium Term Strategic Framework after adoption of the Framework.
2.2.5
Committee Observations
The Portfolio Committee made the following
observations regarding the Departments plans and budget allocation for 2014/15:
2.2.5.1
Policy and strategic direction
:
Strategic
priorities:
The Portfolio Committee welcomed the key strategic
priorities identified for 2014/15. The Committee noted that the Department will
table its Strategic Plan in March 2015. It is important that the Committee
engages with the Department on its performance targets as contained in the
strategic plan.
Improvement
of efficiency:
The Committee is pleased that the Department is
committed to prioritise the improvement of efficiency in the system over the
MTEF period. This is vital to improve service delivery and achieve value for
money. There are concerns over reports of excess books stored in warehouses
across the country, which should be addressed as part of efforts to improve
efficiency. The Committee further urges the Department to pay special attention
to the maintenance of school facilities to prevent their rapid run-down.
Districts
engagement
:
The Committee supports the Ministers ongoing engagement with district
directors and is encouraged by reports that curriculum coverage features
strongly in these meetings.
Performance
indicators
:
The Committee is concerned that some crucial quality performance
indicators/targets have been excluded in the 2014 Annual Performance Plan.
These include the number of Grade 12 learners passing the key subjects of
Mathematics and Physical Science and who become eligible for entrance to a
Bachelors programme at university. Members feel that there should be clear
measures to track progress of these indicators since they both feature in the
National Development Plan. The Committee is further concerned that some targets
have not been revised. For example, the target on the percentage of learners
who obtain a National Senior Certificate in 2014/15 remains 75 per cent despite
the 2013 pass rate of 78 per cent. The Committee believes that retaining the
target of 75 per cent may give the wrong message that it is acceptable to
achieve lower than the 2013 performance.
2.2.5.2
Programmes
Programme 1: Administration
·
The Committee is concerned about the impact that
increased litigation has on the budget of the education sector.
Programme 2: Curriculum Policy, Monitoring
and Support
As with the Fourth Parliament Committee, the
Committee reiterates that the Department should ensure the effective monitoring
and enforcement of book retrieval policy.
There is concern over the implementation and
introduction of African Languages in schools. This should be fast-tracked by
the Department.
Programme 3: Teachers, Education Human
Resources and Institutional Development
The Committee welcomed the move to revisit
the placement of teachers as teachers were being placed randomly in any Grade
irrespective of their expertise.
There are questions around the adherence of
the Department to the Employment of Educators Act (no. 76 of 1998) in respect
of the transfer or resignation of educators.
The Committee is concerned regarding the slow
progress in the review of teacher salaries to enhance accountability and
performance in line with the proposal of the National Development Plan.
The Committee queried the effectiveness of
the IQMS tool and urged the Department to fast-track its revision. The
Department reported that the process of revision of the IQMS tool has been
finalised and was awaiting approval from relevant stakeholders for implementation.
Programme 4: Planning, Information and
Assessment
It is important that the Department gives
special attention to the prioritising of Grade R in terms of teacher
qualification and development as well as infrastructure.
It is important that the Department ensures
the strengthening of accountability and management at schools across the
country.
Committee Members are delighted that the
Department intends to re-establish the rural directorate to provide focussed
attention on rural and farm schools. Members further believe that it is
important that the Department revisits its Incentive policy to ensure that it
is uniformly implemented across provinces, particularly with a view to attract
qualified teachers to rural areas.
It is important that the Department deal
decisively with schools that falsify enrolment figures as part of measures to
ensure that its data is accurate.
Challenges are being faced with the policy of
the rationalisation of schools. It is important that the Department continues
to carefully plan and implement this policy circumspectly.
Programme 5:
Educational Enrichment Services
There were queries in respect of how
provinces account to the Department on the various conditional grants they
received and measures to ensure adequate kitchen-facilities were provided to
needy schools.
2.2.6
Committee
Requests
-
The Committee requests that the Department s
ubmit the
following documents to the Portfolio Committee:
A Basic Resource Pack for Grade R and The Action Plan to 2019 to
enable its oversight;
-
The Department
should submit to the Committee a full report regarding the investigations
into the falsifying of enrolment figures; and
-
The Department needs
to ensure that the good work of the Department was adequately conveyed,
show-cased and communicated to the general public.
2.2.7
Committee
Resolution
-
The Portfolio
Committee resolves to schedule a two-day workshop/engagement with the
Department of Basic Education on concurrent functions.
3.
Overview
of Strategic Imperatives and Budget Allocations of the Departments Statutory
Bodies
3.1
The Council for Quality Assurance in General
and Further Education and Training (Umalusi)
The seven key result
areas for Umalusi over the period 2009 to 2014 remained as follows:
·
Establishing and maintaining a system to
develop, evaluate and certify qualifications
(and
curriculum);
·
Improving and maintaining the system for
quality assuring assessment
for
certification;
·
Establishing and implementing a system for
the
evaluation and accreditation
of
private providers;
·
Researching
matters related to the sub-framework of qualifications and report on
quality in general and further education and training supported by statistical
analysis;
·
Developing and ensuring
good corporate governance and
management of the Office of the Chief
Executive Officer;
·
Ensuring that
Information Technology
systems were established, maintained and
improved; and
·
Ensuring that
finance, human resources
and
administrative
support systems were maintained and improved.
3.1.1
Unaudited
Statement of Financial Performance as at 31 March 2014
The
Council had a net surplus of
R 19 099 301. At least 109
percent of the Budgeted Revenue from operations was recognised due to
certification income from the previous year and the increase in interest on
income. In the 2013/14 financial year, Umalusi received a 100 percent grant of
R97.7 million from the Department of Basic Education. The Council incurred 92
percent of its budgeted expenses with a vacancy rate of 9 percent.
3.1.2
Unaudited
Statement of Financial Position, Cash Flow, Debtors and Investments
The
Councils
total assets were valued at R 88 959 125.
Invoiced debts collected to date stood at 94 percent with cash available
amounting to R 5 130 374. The Councils investments of R
41 604 663 were attracting a net interest of 5.71 percent per annum.
The Committee
received a detailed breakdown of comparative total expenditure versus a
three-year average with detailed tables indicating the following:
·
2013/14 Revenue Budget versus Actual (revenue
streams indicated);
·
2013/14 Expenditure Budget versus Actual
(current); and
·
Statement of Financial Position as at 31
March 2014.
3.1.3
Overview of the 2014/15 METF budget
The MTEF
Budget forecast for Umalusi is as follows:
|
2013/14
|
Original Budget
2014/15
|
Revised budget
2014/15
|
Forecast
2015/16
|
Forecast
2016/17
|
Budget
|
R110 704
500
|
R127 327 758
|
R134 808 098
|
R148 972 637
|
R167 949
880
|
DBE
Grant
|
R97 662
000
|
R107 354
000
|
R107 354
000
|
R112 705
000
|
R118 678
000
|
The overall budget
(revised) for Umalusi has increased from R110.7 million in 2013/14 to R134.8
million in the 2014/15 financial year, which translates into an increase of 22
per cent in nominal terms.
The Departments grant approved
was R 107 354 000 and includes a R 10 854 098 to be
utilized from the Umalusi reserves to fund operations.
The DBE grant to
Umalusi increased from R18.4 million (20 per cent) in 2011/12 to R42.3 million
(46 per cent) in 2012/13 and to R97.7 million (88 per cent) in 2013/14.
Notably, 2012/13 was the first year that the DBE grant to Umalusi increased substantially
thus resulting in the phasing out of the collection of revenue for
certification from the Provincial Departments of Education and public FET
colleges.
The Fourth Parliament Portfolio Committee supported
the Councils bid for the additional funding to effectively carry out its
mandate and had expressed satisfaction when the funding was granted.
The Portfolio
Committee received a detailed presentation on the Budget Allocations for the
various Key Result Areas (KRAs) which included:
·
Qualifications,
Curriculum and Certification
-
2014/15
Budget: R 7 890 000 (previous budget was R 7 700 000)
-
2.5
percent increase due to development of NASCA, GETCA, NIC; and Advocacy
·
Quality Assurance of
Assessment
-
2014/15
Budget: R 34 700 000 (previous budget was R 24 100 000)
-
44
percent increase due to increase in the scope of work
·
Evaluation and
Accreditation
-
2014/15
Budget: R 10 890 000 (previous budget was R 7 900 000)
-
38
percent increase due to the implementation of new accreditation processes
·
Statistical Information
and Research
-
2014/15
Budget: R 4 908 840 (previous budget was R 3 800 000)
-
29
percent increase due to increase in research projects
·
Public Relations and
Communications
-
2014/15
Budget: R 2 300 000 (previous budget was R 2 052 486)
-
12
percent increase due to administrative costs for travel, accommodation and
flights
·
Governance and Office
of the Chief Executive Officer
-
2014/15
Budget: R 1 961 311 (previous budget was R 1 705 749)
-
15
percent increase due to administrative costs for travel, accommodation and
flights
·
Corporate Services
(Information Technology)
-
2014/15
Budget: R 8 170 091 (previous budget was R 7 332 861)
-
11
percent increase due to increase in computer costs
·
Corporate Services (Finance
and Supply Chain Management)
-
2014/15
Budget: R 59 779 911 (previous budget was R 52 314 571)
-
14
percent increase due to additional posts approved by Council
·
Corporate Services (Human
Resource Management and Development)
-
2014/15
Budget: R 4 207 945 (previous budget was R 3 798 833)
-
11
percent increase due to HR development programmes and staff workshops
The Committee was
informed that Umalusi had challenges in respect of the following:
White paper on post school education and its implications on Umalusi;
Strengthening of the marking process;
The proposed amendments and extension of the Senior Certificate; and
Development of certification systems for new
qualifications.
3.1.3
Committee Observations
The
Portfolio Committee raised the following in respect of the Umalusi Budget
Review:
·
Overall, the Committee
was appreciative of the valuable work of Umalusi in carrying out its mandate.
·
There was concern
over the lack of standardisation in respect of marking.
·
The Portfolio
Committee was excited with the idea of e-marking that was on the cards to
improving the process.
·
The Committee
awaited the overdue Report by the Ministerial Task Team investigating the current
promotion requirements and other related matters impacting on the standard of
the National Senior Certificate.
·
The Committee felt
that there could not be quality assurance of qualifications without the quality
assurance of the curriculum.
·
The Portfolio
Committee raised concern over the possibility of an extension of the Senior
Certificate.
·
There was a concern
that there was too much focus on the improvement of standards and quality of
assessment at exit points of schooling and rather than in the early grades.
·
The Committee was
concerned over the Introduction of the African Languages Initiative at schools
and what type of research and studies Umalusi had conducted in this regard.
·
The Committee was
concerned about fraudulent certification/qualification and how this was dealt
with.
·
The Committee
questioned whether there would be a point when the Senior Certificate was
completely phased out.
·
The Committee
further questioned Umalusis relationship with NEEDU and other statutory
bodies.
·
The Committee
enquired whether Umalusi had a role to play in respect of quality assurance of
the ANA.
3.2
The South African Council for Educators
(SACE)
SACE was governed by a new Council
which was inaugurated on 15 August 2013. SACE operated under the auspices of
the SACE Act (No 31 of 2000) and had jurisdiction over approximately
450 000 teachers. The Council reported that it had
functioned less than optimally due to the austere budget caused by
savings for the building reserve fund. The Council had saved enough to purchase
the building it currently occupied. The budget for the current year therefore had
eased by about 25 percent.
SACEs total revenue
had been made up mainly by levies from educators amounting to R55m (approximately)
and a special Government Grant of R10m (approximately). The grant had been utilised
for expenses related to the Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD)
system, as per agreement.
In spite of the budget constraints SACE reported delivery on the
following:
·
The
Council registered 25314 educators (4682 full registrations and 20632
provisional registrations; 1630 provisional registrations were for foreign
educators).
·
The
Council employed a stricter vetting regime for incumbents to prevent the usage
of fraudulent documents. This process would be strengthened further by
operationalising protocols with AFTRA (African Forum for Teaching Regulatory
Councils). Current projects included initiation of on-line registration,
validation, rapid response systems, categorisation of registration and tracking
of levies due.
·
The
Council received 582 complaints for the current year on top of a backlog of 180
from the previous year.
At least 343
cases had been finalised leaving a balance of 419 cases to be carried over. The
low turnover was due to budget constraints.
·
The
current budget and a newly adopted methodology for case management would
eliminate backlogs and ensure that cases were resolved within a four month
cycle.
·
The
Professional Development division had signed up over 40 000 school managers for
participation in the Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) system.
·
The
Councils next challenge was to mobilise the classroom practitioners to engage
in more professional development programmes and activities.
·
The
Research section had been involved in the following areas:
-
International
migration of Teachers in South Africa;
-
Principals and
Deputy Principals needs identification;
-
Teacher demand and
supply;
-
Analysis of
misconduct cases; and
-
Resource Centre and
virtual library.
The operational areas of SACE had been supported by sound Administration
and Financial Management. SACEs finances were in good order with spending
within budget. Requests for roll-over was adequately motivated with procurement
effected as per legislative requirements. All audit findings and
recommendations had been followed-up.
3.2.1
MTEF Projections:
Revenue:
The Council increased monthly subscription fees from R6 to R10 with
effect from 1 July 2010;
The Council received funds from DBE to subsidise the administration of
Professional Development. To date there was no written commitment for the
subsidy amount - hence zero budget;
He Registration fee was expected to remain high due to increasing fees
to R400 for foreigners, R200 for South Africans and R50 for renewals; and
The building reserve fund contributed to interest receivable.
Expenditure:
The Council occupied a rented office while in the process of purchasing
its own premises;
Funds were available to purchase their own premises (R61 million).
Approval to proceed with the process had been given. The Council would conclude
the purchase process in this financial year. The building in Visagie Street was
sold at auction for R9 million and the proceeds were transferred to the
building reserve fund; and
The Council would direct the projected surplus towards
the expansion of its provincial presence (first provinces were: KwaZulu-Natal,
Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Free State).
3.2.2
SACE
Programmes
3.2.2.1
Registration -
The purpose is to register all educators who satisfied
registration requirements and to maintain and sustain the credibility of the
educator database. The Council would enhance the quality of the registration of
teachers by introducing standards of entry into the profession. Key functions
included:
Determining minimum criteria and standards;
Deciding on any application for registration;
Keeping names of all registered educators; and
Determining the period of validity of registration.
The strategic objective for this
Programme is to register all qualified educators in the country.
The baseline was to register 26000
educators in the reporting period. SACE aimed to also update 25000 educator
documents in the reporting period.
Financial Implications for Registration:
|
2010/11
|
2011/12
|
2012/13
|
2013/14
|
2014/15
|
2015/16
|
2016/17
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Financial
Performance Data
|
Audit
Outcome
|
Audit
Outcome
|
Audit
Outcome
|
Revised
Budget
|
Budget
Estimate
|
Budget
Estimate
|
Budget
Estimate
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
R
Thousand
Registration of
Educators
|
179
|
969
|
303
|
230
|
800
|
1500
|
1500
|
3.2.2.2
Legal and Ethics -
The purpose of this programme is to promote
ethical conduct among educators and to facilitate interventions and support for
schools and educators on ethical matters. Key functions include:
Upholding the image of the teaching profession;
Investigating complaints of improper conduct; and
Instituting disciplinary hearings.
The strategic objective for this
Programme is to maintain the ethical standards of the teaching profession and
reduce the number of violations of the code of good practice.
The baseline for the year was to
process 650 complaints of violation of the code with 10 000 educators and
stakeholders workshopped on the code of ethics. SACE would ensure that the
number of concluded cases as measured against the number of cases received to
be set at 69 percent.
Financial Implications for Legal and Ethics:
|
2010/11
|
2011/12
|
2012/13
|
2013/14
|
2014/15
|
2015/16
|
2016/17
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Financial
Performance Data
|
Audit
Outcome
|
Audit
Outcome
|
Audit
Outcome
|
Revised
Budget
|
Budget
Estimate
|
Budget
Estimate
|
Budget
Estimate
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
R
Thousand
Ethics and Code of
Conduct
|
768
|
1624
|
1382
|
400
|
2800
|
4000
|
4000
|
3.2.2.3
Professional Development
The purpose
of the Programme is to enhance the quality of the practicing educators through
the management of the CPTD system and development of strategies and processes
to assist and support educators. The Programme also assists in improving and
maintaining the status and image of the profession and the development of
professional standards. Key functions include:
·
Managing
and implementation of the CPTD System;
·
Developing
and monitoring standards for pre-service and in-service teacher education;
·
Promoting
the image of the teaching profession; and
·
Promoting
programmes that focused on teacher appreciation and celebrating the profession.
The strategic objective is the
enhancement of the status of the teaching profession and delivering programmes
aimed at improving professionalism amongst educators.
The baseline for the Programme was to
support 40747 principals and deputy principals in their 1
st
-Year
Cycle. SACE aimed to register 55800 HODs for the CPTD management system with
550 endorsed CPTD educator activities. SACE further aimed to successfully
resolve 20 queries and ensure 250 providers approved for CPTD.
Financial Implications for Professional
Development:
|
2010/11
|
2011/12
|
2012/13
|
2013/14
|
2014/15
|
2015/16
|
2016/17
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Financial
Performance Data
|
Audit
Outcome
|
Audit
Outcome
|
Audit
Outcome
|
Revised
Budget
|
Budget
Estimate
|
Budget
Estimate
|
Budget
Estimate
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
R
Thousand
Professional
Development
|
4363
|
5532
|
2279
|
15073
|
0
|
7200
|
7200
|
3.2.2.4
Policy and Research
The
purpose of the Programme is to enhance policy and research coordination and
strengthen the SACE advisory role and services. To promote research on
professional matters and other educational matters relevant to SACE. Key
functions include:
·
Advising
the Ministers of Basic Education and Higher Education and Training;
·
Undertaking
research on professional matters for purpose of informing the advisory role of
the Council; and
·
Producing
policy and research publications/reports and disseminating research findings
The 2014/15 Policy and Research focus
areas were as follows:
·
Undertaking
research in the areas around Internal Teacher Migration, Demand and Supply,
Professional Standards, Needs Identification for Principals and Deputy
Principals, Review of Educator Misconduct and School-based Violence with a
focus on Teachers; and
·
Producing
two professional magazines.
Financial Implications for Policy and
Research:
|
2010/11
|
2011/12
|
2012/13
|
2013/14
|
2014/15
|
2015/16
|
2016/17
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Financial
Performance Data
|
Audit
Outcome
|
Audit
Outcome
|
Audit
Outcome
|
Revised
Budget
|
Budget
Estimate
|
Budget
Estimate
|
Budget
Estimate
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
R
Thousand
Policy and Research
|
249
|
422
|
308
|
200
|
1000
|
1500
|
500
|
3.2.3
2014/15 Focus Areas
SACE was phasing-in
the implementation of the CPTD Management System
-
1
st
Cohort: Principals and Deputy Principals (from 2014 onwards)
-
2
nd
Cohort HODs (from 2015 onwards)
-
3
rd
Cohort PL1 Teachers (from 2016 onwards)
Every cohort needed to undergo CPTD
orientation and sign-up process a year before the actual three-year CPTD cycle.
The first cohort of 27000 principals and deputy principals went through the
process in 2013 and would start with their 1
st
year of the three
year CPTD cycle from 2014-2015.
SACE aimed to strengthen its presence
and coordination of the CPTD Management System at national and provincial
levels through the newly appointed SACE CPTD provincial coordinators. SACE
plans to broaden and strengthen CPTD advocacy and communication at National,
Provincial, District and School levels.
3.2.4
Portfolio Committee Observations
The Portfolio Committee made the
following observations in respect of the SACE Budget Review:
·
The Portfolio Committee queried the timelines
in the acquisition of the SACE premises/building and rental figures currently
paid.
·
The Portfolio Committee welcomed the planned
publication of a professional magazine by SACE.
·
There was concern over the participation of
all teachers across the country in the World Teacher Day celebrations.
·
The Portfolio Committee observed that there
were unregistered teachers within the system. SACE needed to deal with these cases.
·
The Portfolio Committee was concerned about
the veracity of the information from the SACE database and statistics.
·
The Portfolio Committee was concerned that
the roll-out of the Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) system
appeared very slow. There were queries in respect of the challenges faced by
SACE in the roll-out. There was further concern over the courses to be offered
and how they were identified by SACE.
·
It seemed as if SACE was budgeting for a
backlog/deficit in respect of the cases referred to it.
·
It was important that SACE did a needs
analysis in respect of training needs for teachers.
·
The Portfolio Committee requested timelines
for the de-registration of teachers and how these where monitored by SACE.
·
There was also concern over the increased use
of consultants by SACE. and
·
The Portfolio Committee was concerned over delays in
the guaranteed funds for SACE and the amount involved as these delays negatively
impacted on the plans and programmes of SACE.
3.2.5
Portfolio Committee Recommendations
The
Portfolio Committee recommended that S
ACE engage with the
Department of Basic Education in respect of the delays in its guaranteed funds
and the amounts involved to minimise any negative impact on its plans and
programmes.
3.3
The Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC)
The ELRC
reported that their Annual Performance Plan (APP) and Budget were developed in
line with the current Strategic Plan and accurately reflected the performance
targets which the ELRC intended to achieve given the resources allocated in the
budget for 2014/15.
The Council was confident that the strategic vision
and the Annual Performance Plan would deliver improved services in the
financial year 2014/15. The strategic outcome oriented goals of the ELRC were
as follows:
·
Proactive dispute prevention and resolution;
·
Collective bargaining processes that maximised the
scope of the Parties shared interest;
·
Appropriate support and training for all involved in
dispute resolution and collective bargaining;
·
Sound communication strategies that supported and
complemented the core activities of the Council; and
·
Research, monitoring and evaluation activities that
provided an
evidence base for improved
policies and policy implementation in basic education
3.3.1
Situational Analysis
The factors that influenced the plans and activities of Council included
the use of legal representatives that influenced dispute resolution process as
well as the unavailability of childrens courts.
Performance Delivery Environment Focus ar
eas to be addressed by the ELTRC in 2014/15 included:
(i)
Dispute
Management Services:
§
Dispute Prevention
(Dispute Prevention Committees);
§
Facilitation and
Intervention (minimise and resolve issues to circumvent potential conflict);
and
§
Dispute Resolution
(venues for special cases, settling cases at conciliation).
(ii)
Collective
Bargaining Services:
§
Temporary educators
(monitor impact of proposed amendments to LRA);
§
Incentives for
educators (monitor implementation on current policy on incentives); and
§
Research (ECD).
(iii)
Organisational Environment:
§
Establishment of
Supply Chain Management (SCM) Unit;
§
Human Resource
Management;
§
FETC Bargaining Unit;
§
Funding Model; and
§
Status of ELRC as
Bargaining Council and Schedule 3A Public Entity
3.3.2
ELRC Programmes
3.3.2.1
Programme 1: Administration Services
The
purpose of the programme is to provide support services to the core operational
functions of the Council and ensure that it delivered an efficient and
effective service on its mandate. The strategic objectives for this Programme
include:
§
Minimising fruitless and wasteful expenditure;
§
Eliminating irregular expenditure;
§
Establishing a Supply Chain Management (SCM) unit and providing training;
§
Training and developing staff
(WSP);
§
Introducing employee wellness programmes;
§
Implementing the
Councils marketing strategy to promote the image of the ELRC; and
§
Managing the property
and assets of the Council with focus on increasing effectiveness, economical
practices, transparency and integrity.
Annual Targets for 2014/15 (Administration
Services):
§
Minimising fruitless and wasteful expenditure be reduced by 100 percent;
§
No irregular expenditure;
§
Supply Chain Management (SCM) officials trained and developed;
§
Training and developing 30 of the 52 staff members
;
§
Introducing four wellness days;
§
Conducting a survey
and research to measure how the Council was perceived by educators; and
§
Regular maintenance
of property.
Quarterly Targets for 2014/15 (Administration
Services):
§
Fruitless and
wasteful expenditure to be reduced by 50 percent (in the 1
st
Quarter), 70 percent (in the 2
nd
Quarter), 90 percent (in the 3
rd
Quarter) and 100 percent (in the 4
th
Quarter);
§
No irregular
expenditure in any Quarter;
§
Recruitment processes
for appointment of SCM official in the 1
st
Quarter, appointment of
SCM official in the 2
nd
quarter, training of SCM official in the 3
rd
Quarter and evaluation and assessment of SCM officials in the 4
th
Quarter;
§
Training and
development of eight staff members each in the 1
st
, 2
nd
and 3
rd
Quarters respectively; with six staff members in the 4
th
Quarter;
§
At least one employee
wellness programme conducted per Quarter;
§
Research surveys
completed by educators: 1400 (1
st
Quarter), 1400 (2
nd
Quarter), 1200 (3
rd
Quarter) with a research report compiled and
findings presented to management in the 4
th
Quarter; and
§
The Project manager
appointed for property refurbishment and maintenance in the 1
st
Quarter, the tender awarded in the 2
nd
Quarter, building
refurbishments commencement in the 3
rd
Quarter and 80 percent of
refurbishment completed in the 4
th
Quarter.
3.3.2.2
Programme 2: Dispute Management Services
The
purpose of the programme was to manage disputes proactively. The strategic
objective for the programme included:
§
The provision of
dispute resolution services To conciliate disputes within 30 days;
§
Training of Dispute
Resolution Practitioners To provide training to practitioners; and
§
Professional
Development Services To provide professional development to panelists on
special disputes.
Annual Targets for 2014/15 (Dispute
Management Services):
Key annual targets
included the following:
§
The provision of dispute resolution services was set at 428 cases (100
percent);
§
The training of dispute resolution practitioners was set at 240
practitioners; and
§
Professional development services was set at 80 panellists.
Quarterly Targets for 2014/15 (Dispute
Management Services):
§
The provision of
dispute resolution services: 107 cases (100 percent) for each of the four Quarters;
§
Training of Dispute
Resolution Practitioners: 60 Practitioners trained for each of the four
Quarters; and
§
Panelists
professionally developed: 20 Panelists developed for each of the four Quarters.
3.3.2.3
Programme 3: Collective Bargaining Services
The
purpose of the programme was to promote collective bargaining at national and
provincial levels and ensure the development of effective policies in a
non-disruptive environment. The strategic objective for the programme included:
§
Collective bargaining To c
onclude bargaining on identified matters of mutual interest in public
education;
§
Research Services To identify e
vidence-based teacher welfare and national development issues; and
§
Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign (QLTC)
To e
stablish and empower all-inclusive and functional QLTC
structures on all levels i.e. provincial, district, circuit/ward and school
levels.
Annual Targets for 2014/15 (Collective
Bargaining Services):
§
To conclude bargaining on four matters of mutual interest identified;
§
To identify one research issue (on Early Childhood Development); and
§
To establish 27
functional QLTC structures.
Quarterly Targets for 2014/15 (Collective
Bargaining Services):
§
To place at least one
collective bargaining issue on the agenda of the Council every Quarter;
§
To commission
research in the 1
st
Quarter and possibly make the report available
in the 3
rd
Quarter (on Early Childhood Development); and
§
To establish seven
functional QLTC structures each for 1
st
, 2
nd
and 3
rd
Quarters respectively; with six established for the 4
th
Quarter.
3.3.3
Overview
of the 2014/15 Budget and MTEF Estimates
Expenditure
for 2014/15 was proportioned as follows:
·
Collective
Bargaining Services 35 percent;
·
Administration
Services 30 percent
·
Dispute
Prevention and Support Services 18 percent; and
·
Dispute
Management Services 17:percent
The core business of Dispute Management Services and Collective
Bargaining Services had been allocated 70 percent of the total budget (up from
66 percent). The approved budget for 2014/15 stood at R77 million (including
capital expenditure).
The Council
anticipated an increase in capital expenditure which relates to the
refurbishment of the Council owned building. T
he funding of
the Councils strategic outcome oriented goals had not been compromised. The
expenditure of the ELRC was closely aligned to the income generated. The
funding model was unique and challenging.
The accumulated reserves were adequate over the MTEF period.
Revenue increased, excluding the transfer from the transformation fund
and accumulated reserves, from R53.8 million in 2010/11 to R58.6 million
in 2013/14. This was due to an increase in interest from investments and
transfers from reserves. Expenditure increased from R50.2 million in 2010/11 to
R58.6 million in 2013/14, at an average annual rate of 5, 5 percent, mainly due
to an increase in the staff complement and the Quality Learning and Teaching
Campaign in the 2013/14 financial year. The Council projected that deficits would
arise over the MTEF period due to the income remaining constant. However, the
Council had sufficient reserves to cover this deficit. It was anticipated that
the levies would have to be increased to cover the deficit from the 2017/18
financial year since the deficits were not sustainable in the long term.
Activities for the
first quarter of the 2014/15 financial year demonstrated the Councils
commitment to the goals set out in the Annual Performance Plan, and displayed a
commitment to not only goals related to public education, but the broad
governmental goals of good governance, anti-corruption and support of economic
transformation programmes.
3.3.4
Portfolio Committee Observations
The Portfolio Committee made the
following observations in respect of the ELRC Budget Review:
·
The Committee raised concerns in respect of
the anomalies of the ELRC and its listing as a public entity.
·
There was concern over the functionality of
the provincial offices of the ELRC.
·
Concerns were raised over the substantial
budget increase for Research Services the Portfolio Committee required an
explanation on the huge increase;
·
There was a query as to how the four matters
raised for collective bargaining were identified.
·
The Portfolio Committee further queried the
ELRC role in respect of the improvement of the functionality of the QLTC and
how the 27 structures to be established would be identified. What was the type
of support that the ELRC would be dispensing to these structures?
·
The Committee commended the ELRC for its
contribution to bringing about labour peace in the Eastern Cape.
·
The Portfolio Committee raised concerns in
respect of the progress in the evaluation of principals as well as the
Teacher-Laptop Initiative.
·
It was a matter for concern that some of the
targets set were very low.
·
The Portfolio Committee queried the role of
the ELRC in dealing with temporary educators.
·
IQMS had been on the agenda for a long time.
The Portfolio Committee queried the status of IQMS presently.
3.3.5
Portfolio Committee Recommendations
The Portfolio Committee recommended
the following:
·
That the ELRC had a formal engagement with
Department of Basic Education and relevant stakeholders on the matter of the
ELRC being listed as a public entity; and
·
That the ELRC ensured that disputes that
posed a challenge be dealt with speedily so as not to disturb teaching and
learning.
4.
Conclusion
·
The reviews have presented a picture of
where government stands in the provisioning of access to quality education,
enabling the Committee to ascertain progress and challenges faced;
·
These sessions 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 committed itself to
strengthening its oversight role in accordance with the Constitutional provisions;
·
The Committee was thus
focusing on the implementation of service delivery, building and strengthening
capacity; developing human and financial resources and developing the necessary
skills required to ensure quality basic education; and
·
The Committee regards the
improvement of efficiency in the system and the achievement of value for money
as vital in the pursuit of quality basic education.
5. Recommendation
The
Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, having considered its report on Budget
Vote 15: Basic Education recommends that the House accepts the Report.
Report to be considered.
Documents
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