Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen and a warm welcome to you all. Thank you for making time to come to this press conference aimed at reflecting on my 100 Days in office.
I remain deeply humbled to be assigned the task of leading the quest for Quality Basic Education for all learners in Gauteng by the 5th Administration under the leadership of Honourable Premier, David Makhura as well as ANC led government.
Education continues to be the apex priority of this government because we are of the firm belief that not only is it important for the country’s development but it is one of the major tools to get the disenfranchised majority of our people out of poverty. I believe that it is not where you are born that should determine your destiny in life but it be access to quality education that must shape your destiny in life. I am fully committed to the pursuit of quality education for all in our lifetime.
Gauteng has a 2.1 million learner population, representing about 20% of the overall population in Gauteng. The growth in public school enrolment has been on an upward rise with an average 2% growth per annum. This translates to about 35 000 new learners per annum. The number of educators (including SGB paid educators) stands at 77 265 currently.
The province has also had a year on year increase in Grade 12 pass rates as well as bachelor passes. We have over the years also managed to close the performance gap between fee-paying and no-fee paying schools. The department successfully increased the number of no-fee schools to 1310 schools and is currently supporting 1 112 605 learners. We provide scholar transport to 70 207 learners in the province.
After a comprehensive situational analysis I identified key challenges such as rapid urbanisation which leads to the demand for the expansion of infrastructure; quality learning outcomes and budget shortfalls. Together with my team we developed a 10 pillar programme to organise our intervention to support the further development of quality basic education across Gauteng schools.
The key Pillars are Curriculum and Assessment Development; Teacher Provision and Support; Leadership and Management; Infrastructure Development and maintenance; Panning, finance and resourcing; ICT in Education; Social Cohesion; School functionality including community involvement; Skills Development; Access to quality Early Child Development (ECD). I also identified short term interventions within my first 100 days in office. My first hundred days ended on 31 August 2014, the report that follows is on the progress made within the first 100 days:
Creating Smart Classrooms
We have finalised an ICT Integrated Strategy which focuses on five priority areas, that is, connectivity, content, ICT Infrastructure and Equipment, teacher development, and efficient technical support and management. Five of our schools will be converted to a paperless school when the schools reopen in 2014. This means all learners from Grade 8 to 10 and their educators will each receive a tablet and every class will have an interactive board thus signalling the death warrant for the chalk, duster and chalkboard. Our ICT strategy targets township and rural schools.
The 5 prioritised schools are Tandi Elenoar Sibeko Secondary School, Boitumelong Secondary School; TlamaTlama Primary School, Tshepisa Primary School and Phomolong High School. Infrastructural work to make these classrooms e-ready has commenced and they will be handed over to the ICT specialists to be fitted with interactive smart – boards. Tablets will also be provided for these model classrooms as well as Wi-Fi Connectivity.
The department has already put out a tender for the provision of E-Learning Content.
It is important that I also reflect on the recent theft of tablets that have already been allocated to schools. As a transitional arrangement towards the new direction we are taking with regards to ICT in Education, I have taken the decision that the current tablets be allocated to educators at the identified high risk areas to immediately improve their capacity to improve on their classroom practice. The unallocated tablets will be deployed to the five model schools.
The Gauteng Online contract ended in March 2014. The equipment from the GOL programme has been donated to the state for R1. The labs will be used for teacher training, remedial teaching and for examinable subjects.
We have successfully introduced Innovation Thursday for ICT in Education. Public advertisements have been placed and 285 responses received to date.
Learner performance
In the first 100 Days we have identified 10 Dysfunctional schools using the Whole School Evaluation system. These would be schools that are performing under 80%; have challenges of governance, safety and security, leadership and communication and curriculum provisioning. These are Lobone Secondary School in the JHB Central District; Tsako Thabo Secondary School in Tshwane South; Mapenane Secondary School in Tshwane West; Rust-ter-Val Secondary School in Sedibeng East; Klipspruit Wes Secondary in JHB Central, and Khululekani Primary in Gauteng West; Lakeside Estate Primary in Sedibeng East; and Ikusasa Comprehensive School in Tembisa.
The departmental intervention programmes are being aligned to address the needs of each of the identified schools and the required resources and staff have been deployed to turnaround the schools. These schools are monitored weekly and interventions adjusted accordingly. Key interventions at these Curriculum assessment practices by teachers, learner support programmes, teacher development and coaching programmes and the provision and training in curriculum compliance; governance and management compliance and performance; Infrastructure development and furniture replacement where needed; and textbook provision and teaching aids.
Infrastructure Development
Admissions Pressure
Six schools have been identified where there has been high admissions pressure. These schools are Laerskool Akasia, Bryanston Primary School, Parkview Junior Primary School, Northcliff High School, Fourways High School and Sutherland High School. The department completed a capacity audit and feasibility study for expansion of the school by building additional classrooms. In most of the schools, there is insufficient land for the construction of new classrooms and as a result the department has identified additional land in the vicinity of the identified schools for the construction of additional facilities.
Sanitation
One of the key commitments I made was to address the poor conditions of sanitation in schools across the province. An audit of schools with sanitation challenges was completed and 580 schools needed intervention. The degree of disrepair in these schools varied and I granted permission for the project to be concluded by month end. Contractors were appointed to do work in all of these schools and a budget of R150 million was set aside for this purpose.
To date, construction has been finalised in over 400 schools and the remaining one’s will be finalised before the end of the month. I was extremely disappointed that this deadline has not been met and I have reprimanded the officials that are responsible for this area of work. I have since appointed dedicated project teams whose sole focus is on sanitation at schools and their deadlines are non-negotiable.
A quality assurance exercise has been designed and a questionnaire has been developed for use during planned school visits in September 2014 to assess the work done at schools. The questionnaire will be administered to check the certificate of completion for each school.
Leaner and teacher discipline
I am firmly of the view that effective teaching and learning cannot take place in an environment of lawlessness. I have therefore prioritised discipline for this department going forward. Within the first 100 days in office I have terminated the services of 30 educators and have expelled 57 learners. From the 30 educators who have been dismissed, 17 were dismissed for absenteeism, 5 for improper conduct, 3 for Sexual Assault, 2 for mismanagement of funds, 1 for dishonesty, 1 for intimidation and 1 for contravention of policy.
More than 50% of the 57 learners expelled from schools were expelled due to dealing/in possession of illegal substances, abuse/usage of illegal substances (Dagga, Nyaope, etc.).
I have also noted with concern the high number of educators who become absent from school without valid reasons and following proper procedure. This compromises the delivery of effective quality education and at times results in learners losing valuable learning time. I have therefore moved swiftly to deal with 17 educators who remained absent from school without following proper procedure thus robbing our learners their democratic right to education. I will continue to monitor educator absenteeism very closely and deal swiftly with educators who cross this line.
Policy on learner uniform code of conduct
The department is in the process of finalising a policy on learner uniform code of conduct to guide schools to address any form of ill-discipline or unbecoming behaviour occurring outside the school premises whilst learners are in school uniform. Some of the schools have encountered difficulties in resolving such cases in the absence of policy providing guidance. There are sufficient policies guiding schools on dealing with any matter that occurs within the school premises and this includes the school code of conduct which has already been provided to all schools in Gauteng.
Dealing with crime and Gangs
I also undertook to identify and profile at least 10 notorious gangs which had the potential to destabilise schools. Subsequent to that, there have been raids and arrests made by police in a number of identified schools with gangs. To date 42 gang members were arrested. Together with law enforcement agencies, we have concluded the profile of the gangs.
Further raids will be carried out to some of our schools.
Currently, various programmes are being implemented to ensure that learners that are being reformed do not relapse back to their old ways in partnerships with Department of Correctional Services, the Department of Social Development and Faith Based Organisations.
Developing a crime reporting system for prompt assistance
The department is currently liaising with ICASA, on establishing an active toll- free line and the possibility of a integrating the line with the proposed phone booth concept. Various options are being explored to establish a toll-free number to facilitate instant reporting on criminal activities by learners, teachers and communities with rapid response.
Social Cohesion
The Twinning of Schools
In view of the fact that Gauteng has a rapidly growing learner population and often has to work with available resources, I am of the firm view that we should look at how we can reorganise our resources to benefit our learner population. I appointed a technical task team to look into how we can reorganise our schools so that we can optimally maximise what we have. What is more important for us is to fast track learner achievement through the sharing of skills and resources.
The technical task team has reported back to me on the feasibility of this and we now have a strategy that we will use for the twinning of schools. Our first step will be that of extensive consultation with all our stakeholders as well as the schools that will be potentially be twinned. Their report is attached for easy reference.
Incremental introduction of African Languages
With regard to the promotion of the African languages we have identified the following languages which were previously marginalised as part of the incremental Introduction of African Languages IsiZulu; Sesotho; Setswana; Sepedi; Xitsonga and Afrikaans.
The department embarked on the consultation processes with the following identified schools to piloting the project: Lyndhurst, Yeoville, Saxonwood, Crown Mines, Noordgesig, Spectrum, Boekenhout, St Ives, Lawley, Onverwacht, Khayelihle, Noordhoek. The identified schools received training and Learner Teacher Support Material to support the curriculum. Based on the successful implementation of the pilot, the department will incrementally introduce the African languages in schools in Gauteng.
Progress with the SGB Tribunal
Realising the increasing complex challenges confronted by the school governing bodies on matters relating to school governance, the department is in the process of establishing the School governing Body Tribunal. The purpose of the Tribunal is to resolve any other matter that has been escalated by the school governing body to the department. The school will refer the matter on a voluntary basis once all relevant avenues have been exhausted.
A Notice for the establishment of the Tribunal will be gazetted to call for nominations for individuals with relevant educational knowledge, skills and experience to serve in the tribunal. Through the Tribunal matters related to the functioning of SGBs will be resolved within a short space of time, and appropriately.
Budgeting
The reprioritisation of the budget to support schools
The current allocation has been split into 87% which directly impacts on classroom outcome, and 13% that indirectly impacts on the classroom. Over the MTEF 88% and 12% directly and indirectly impacting on the classroom outcome has been allocated, respectively.
Further efficiency gains will be realised to further shift funding towards schools.
Public Sector and Youth Skills Development
Implement Public Servants Capacity Programme
A total of 213 public servants have enrolled in the Compulsory Induction Programme (CIP) and will complete Module 1 that will allow them to have their probation confirmed through the National School of Government (NSG).
Youth Teacher Aides
I am excited to announce that there’s no class without a teacher in Gauteng
As part of the enhancing the provision of quality education in class, the department has selected 100 Youth teacher aides and will deploy them to schools after they have completed a two-year course. In addition, a total of 75 graduates as per the alignment to subject teaching relevance that are identified amongst GCRA’s database of candidates to attend a course as teacher aides.
Artisans Development
The department has identified the Fred Clarke School to be a Skills Resource Centre. The Centre will provide training for the unemployed Youth on Work readiness, Short Skills and Support Programmes. To date the Department has placed artisans as follows: 130 females placed at Transnet, 60 males placed at SSACCI and Pandrol (Engineering Skills); 150 apprentices recruited (Manufacturing Skills) and commenced their training in August 2014; 80 ICT Interns placed in partnership with Gijima (Business Skills) and working; 55 undergoing training at Pyramid Spa (Creative Industry and related Skills)
ECD Practitioners
We undertook to prioritise the training of ECD practitioners. A total of 1266 Practitioners graduated at a ceremony held on 30 August 2014. I have also taken the decision the R5000 stipend being given to practitioners should be increased by R2500.
Conclusion
As from next year all our Grade 11’s will receive K53 Drivers License courses including the need to avoid road rage. We prepare them young for them to understand that they need to Arrive Alive.
I have consulted extensively on my plans and met with SGB Associations, Unions, Principals and other stakeholders on the plan of the department for the next five years. I have had bilateral meetings with representative structures and larger stakeholder meetings followed this.
To date, I have already met with SGB Associations; Members of the opposition party responsible for education at the provincial legislature; Union representatives; Principal’s Associations; Representatives of learner formations; Provincial Steering Committee of Faith Based Organisations; Principals; and SGB members. As we move forward with regard to the implementation of the 5 Year Plan of the department we will continue with regular consultation and involvement of all relevant stakeholders.
Thank you for your continued support.
For more information:
Phumla Sekhonyane, Gauteng Education Spokesperson
Cell: 071 860 4496
Tel: 011 355 1530
