Gauteng Education MEC Barbara Creecy today calls on parents, School Governing Body (SGB) associations, and members of the community to volunteer their time and knowledge to assist this year's matrics to prepare for their preliminary exams, which start in 14 days.
“Together with the volunteers, the Gauteng Education Department wants to do everything possible to ensure that this year's matrics are not forced to bear the brunt of the public service strike,” said MEC Creecy. “At the end of twelve school years, this is a significant milestone in the lives of our learners on their way to responsible adulthood, and we are calling on everyone able to contribute time, skills, and knowledge in supporting our matrics to do so.”
The strike action by teachers is protected in terms of the labour relations laws and the department respects the right of teachers and other workers to engage in collective action, said MEC Creecy. “But first and foremost, our duty of care is to learners. We have an ongoing responsibility to ensure that those who will write their final matric exams in less than two months are able to continue with their studies and receive as much support as possible even under these difficult circumstances.”
Learners too should be ready to do everything possible to ensure that they are prepared for their exams. Under these conditions, the best way to learn is to establish voluntary study groups where learners can help each other go through past papers and study notes.
To support the study groups, the department will be distributing study materials to learners in no fee schools in subjects including maths, physical science, natural sciences, accounting, history, business economics and geography. All Gauteng learners can also access material on the websites of the provincial and national departments of education at http://www.thutong.doe.gov.za and http://ww.education.gpg.gov.za .
Besides specific subject material, the department will be distributing self explanatory guidelines on how to study and how to set up study groups. “But for these contingency plans to have a real chance of success, we are appealing to parents, SGB Associations and community members to join and support us in giving our matrics as much support as possible under these circumstances,” said MEC Creecy.
It is not necessary to have skills in a particular subject for volunteers to support the learners in knuckling down to prepare for these all important exams, explained the MEC. Parents and other concerned citizens can volunteer to:
- ensure that learners get and use the study material provided by the department
- assist with establishing and supervising study groups
- help with monitoring that learners are actually studying
Gauteng’s contingency plans are in addition to the national Department of Basic Education's matric uploaded program, which includes lessons broadcast through SABC radio and television. These programmes are in all official languages and should be used by learners whenever possible.
MEC Creecy said that she was sure that “in exercising their rights, teachers as respected members of our community will give equal respect to the constitutional and legal rights to education of learners and to the rights of those workers who do not choose to join the strike action.”
For more information contact:
Charles Phahlane
Tel: 011 355 1530
Cell: 071 860 4496
