As the 2012 schooling year begins inland tomorrow, Wednesday 18 January 2012, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) is ready to deliver on the promise of universal access to basic, quality education. Minister Angie Motshekga and Deputy Minister, Enver Surty will embark on school visits in Bela-Bela, Limpopo on Wednesday to assess readiness of schools to start the New Year.
The Minister and Deputy Minister will focus on such crucial matters as the readiness, supply and training of teachers, readiness to implement the new Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), the state of registration of learners, delivery of textbooks and stationery, and the availability of learner transport and school nutrition to learners who qualify.
The readiness and availability of teachers to start teaching on day one is a key factor in determining the success with which schools will start the year. In this regard, all provinces have complied with the DBE requirement to declare any vacant or extra posts available. This indicates to the DBE how many teaching and management posts are available and where. We are indeed relieved that at present we have this information, and know where assistance will be provided immediately. “Our aim is to ensure the availability of qualified teachers for each class, subject and phase”, says Minister Motshekga.
The department experiences some challenges in terms of readiness to start the schooling year in 2012. These challenges cut across all provinces and include late registration of learners and too many applications to former Model-C schools.
The following is a readiness report from each of the inland provinces:
Gauteng
The province anticipates challenges in finalising late admissions of learners in Grade one and Grade eight. Grade one admissions are affected by the growing numbers of grade R classes in primary schools, leading to children automatically being registered for Grade one classes thereby leaving few spaces for additional learners from outside the school.
The main challenge in Gauteng is the immigration of people into the Metropolitan areas. This is worsened by parents from townships preferring to send their children outside where they live to the extent that admissions are not finalised in time. In some instances parents in their quest for perceived better quality education, insist on having their children placed in schools that have already reached their capacity.
Gauteng is also experiencing an overflow of people into the province, leading to shortage of classrooms especially in suburban schools. The provincial department is addressing this shortage by building new schools and providing extra mobile classes. Admission coordinators are also placing learners in schools that still have space.
Free State
Like most provinces, there has been a high demand of Grade R classes across the Free State, including late registrations in mostly rural areas. The province is looking at providing mobile classes in affected schools. Late registrations are currently being address by a comprehensive admission campaign involving all senior managers in the province. The delivery of textbooks and stationery is taking place in the province, and will continue over the next few weeks.
Mpumalanga
Teacher readiness is one of the key matters of concern to the Department. All inland provinces except for Mpumalanga have reported a well-run orientation process to prepare teachers to implement CAPS in the Foundation Phase and in Grade 10. Mpumalanga reported challenges of training – linked largely to disruptions of training by teacher unions.
The province will receive first priority in the training of teachers, scheduled to take place before the end of the month. Registration of learners began in August 2011 across all provinces. Mpumalanga, like other provinces still encounters cases of late registrations, some of which are unavoidable, for e.g. migration between areas, regions and provinces. We have advised our provinces to strengthen their advocacy regarding early registration, but no learner can be turned away from a public school without a valid reason provided by the school to the Provincial Head of Department.
Limpopo
Limpopo is generally ready to start the new schooling year, despite challenges that include overcrowding in schools especially in the Polokwane area. The province is arranging for the provision of mobile classes to affected schools. Since the province experiences a large number of learners who qualify for school nutrition, together with National Treasury, the DBE will ensure that there are no further delays in payment to school nutrition service providers. We will work around the clock to ensure that outstanding monies are pain by the end of January.
The province also has many areas that are far-flung from schools. We are working on ensuring that money is available to pay scholar transport to address any shortages of scholar transport. Workbooks have been delivered in most schools. Top-up text-books, announced by the Minister in 2011 will be delivered to schools within January. After a series of meetings, the National Treasury has given the DBE the go ahead to procure learning and teaching support material (LTSM), to ensure that all learners receive textbooks as soon as possible. The norms and standards allocation to schools is receiving attention from the DBE and this matter will hopefully be resolved.
North West
Most of the districts have reported that they have ordered and in many instances, delivered stationery and text books.Challenges are expected in areas where schools have no storage facilities. In those cases, the stationery and books will be delivered within the first week of opening of schools. The province has also reported cases of late registrations, which will be addressed and finalised by the end of the week. Workbooks are currently being delivered, for completion by end January 2012.
Enquiries:
Panyaza Lesufi
Cell: 072 148 9575
Hope Mokgatlhe
Cell: 071 680 6849
