and access to education â Statement by Education MEC Cameron Dugmore
26 November 2007
Earlier this year I have established a Task Team to conduct an inquiry into
various issues in the West Coast municipal area, including allegations of
racism, access, transport, school fees and provisioning, after hearing
complaints from members of the public and children not attending school at the
beginning of this year.
The Task Team had the following brief:
* investigate allegations of racism at Vredenburg High School where learners
from St Helena Bay complained of certain specific comments, investigate and
advise on school fees at relevant schools
* look at utilisation of available space and provisioning issues within the
relevant region, including learner transport and its effectiveness
* ensure that any learner still not in school is suitably placed as soon as
possible
* review pass and failure rates of Grade 10 learners for the period 2005 to
2006 at the Vredenburg High School, with special reference to the learners from
the Laingville area
* review relevant teacher and learner portfolios at Vredenburg High
School.
The Task Team met with all role-players and high school representatives, and
analysed and advised me on further steps. I can now report as follows:
It seems clear from the report that the delay in placing learners suitably
at schools makes it easier for the community to ascribe the exclusion of their
children to a myriad of other reasons.
If schools exclude learners for whatever reasons, the Western Cape Education
Department (WCED) should confront and mediate the situation immediately. At the
same time the parents should be encouraged to apply early to schools for
admission.
The Task Team has recommended intensive work on diversity management, which
I accept and endorse strongly. As with schools elsewhere, a service provider
should be appointed to deal with diversity management with both learners and
educators. Monitoring mechanisms should be put in place to evaluate progress.
The training programmes should include learners and staff in hostels.
Vredenburg High School must be submitted to a 'Discrimination Audit' â one
similar to the one that has been recommended by the Human Rights Commission
(HRC) in other similar cases.
The results of such an audit can either confirm or reject the perceptions of
racism, and it can be used as a point of departure for the school in terms of
the nature and degree / intensity of diversity training programmes. The results
can also serve as a baseline to measure / evaluate future progress on diversity
management at the school.
The finalisation of the Education Provisioning Plan will have to address the
problem of infrastructure. It cannot be left to School Governing Bodies (SGBs)
or School Management Teams (SMTs) alone to manage. Weston High School for
example, is overcrowded and the numbers need to be managed down.
An even spread of learners to all schools will have to be secured. The
provisioning plan will also have to address the issue of language, because
little provision is made for the accommodation of the increased growth of
African learners.
We acknowledge that the determination of school fees is the legal
responsibility of SGBs, the Task Team however has requested that SGBs pay their
school fees at a level that is reasonable and affordable to the community.
Furthermore, SGBs must follow procedure to inform parents of their rights to
apply for full or partial exemption.
The WCED's West Coast/Winelands District Office will monitor the transport
of learners and if required, steps need to be taken against any service
provider who does not comply with contract conditions.
The high failure rate of entry-level learners in high schools is a clear
indication that most learners are under- or unprepared, hence, certain
strategies and interventions are necessary to remedy the situation.
Learners who are not yet capable of demonstrating the expected outcomes in
literacy and numeracy at the completion of a grade should be allowed more time,
especially in the early grades, with the condition that they need to be
sufficiently supported at all times.
The department / School Management Team (SMT) needs to ensure that teachers
are adequately qualified when appointed for the grades they will be teaching.
Curriculum advisors and circuit managers must also monitor whether teachers are
ready to teach the grades assigned to them by the SMT.
Further, intensified curriculum support training and development for primary
school teachers in general, but to grades 8 and 9 teachers specifically, are
recommended. This training could be affected through the Cape Teaching
Institute (CTI).
A curriculum team should visit each primary school at least once a term, to
render support on assessment shortcomings in order to strengthen teachersâ
assessment skills.
One of the shortcomings identified, is the lack of meaningful feedback to
learners on projects and assignments. Learners must receive feedback on
projects and assignments as a remedial step to enable them to engage the
teacher on the shortcomings of their projects and assignments. This feedback
can serve as a valuable educational process, which will assist learners in
their approach to ensuing projects or assignments.
A strategy needs to be developed to assist parents and empower them to
properly support their children. The District Office, in consultation with the
St Helena Bay Crisis Committee, must mobilise the community in order to start a
community education support initiative.
Special focus should be placed on the development of literacy and numeracy
skills. A strong local emphasis on Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET)
centres and Early Childhood Development (ECD) could help with a strong emphasis
on family literacy.
We will continue to involve all interested parties in drawing up and
reviewing school policies. It is important for us to set up clear procedures
for dealing with allegations of racism and diversity management.
The goal of government is to have all schools as democratic entities, which
apply the employment equity formulae. Staff at schools must reflect the
demographics of the learners.
Schools for the previously privileged must open their doors to all. Learner
enrolments need to reflect societal demographics. Schools need to recognise
diversity as a strength and set up all tiers in the school accordingly â
learner enrolment, staffing, SGBs, Representative Council of Learners (RCLs) â
all of these should broadly reflect representivity and inclusiveness.
Schools must use the contents of the curriculum itself to help nurture
change in values and attitudes. The life orientation curriculum, the social
sciences curriculum and the languages curriculum all offer learning programmes
to help learners tackle issues of diversity, prejudice and difference.
The learner bodies will be encouraged to lead steps to move away from racism
to reconciliation. Sport and cultural activities should be strengthened to help
promote the shedding of differences and the building of shared goals.
For enquiries, contact:
Gert Witbooi
Media Liaison Officer
Tel: 021 467 2523
Fax: 021 425 5689
Issued by: Department of Education, Western Cape Provincial Government
26 November 2007
